Tackle the Mess

Let's get moving on making our crafting/scrapbooking spaces work more for us than against us! Some tips from Scrapjazz.

365 Days of Photos

I've been wanting to do this project for several years now and I am determined this year to actually follow through on this project.

Check out my new blog, 365 Days of Photos, to see a new photo each day that represents me and my life.

Freebie of the Month - August

Look what Cindy is giving away -- Lunchbox Notes, Tags, and Stickers. Download by going to Once Upon a Holiday.

Craft Night

Starting this past March the Craft & Hobby Association is challenging individuals and families to take the Craft Night Pledge of crafting one night a week with your friends and family. By participating in just one craft per week, people can enjoy the financial and social as well as the emotional and extrinsic benefits of crafting - including a sense of accomplishment, memory keeping, relaxation, and spending time with family and friends.


CHA developed the Craft Night Pledge to support individuals and families in this regard CHA also has provided a Flickr site where you can share your inspiring crafting photos.

Chocolate Titles

Click the link here and make your own chocolate name for a tag or make a title for a scrapbook layout.



You can type in whatever you want and print it out as one line for a title.

Seasonal Paper-Piecing Patterns

Scrapbooker Vicki Boutin designed these exclusive paper-piecing patterns you can use to dress up your scrapbook pages, cards, gift tags, and other paper projects all year long. Check out the FREE seasonal scrapbooking paper-piecing patterns and create your own versions.

Sketch It

Some of my favorite scrapbook sketch sites that refer to again and again are...

52 Sketches 52 Weeks
http://52sketches52weeks.com/

Page Maps
http://pagemaps.com/

The Scrap Witch
http://www.scrapwitch.com.au/

Scrappers Anonymous
http://www.scrappersanonymous.com/PHOTOPOST/showgallery.php?cat=517&stype=1&s...

Scrap Maps
http://www.scrap-maps.com/

Pencil Lines
http://www.pencillines.com/

Sketches by Tamara
http://sketchesbytamara.blogspot.com/

Lifetime Moments Sketches
http://gallery.lifetimemoments.com/showgallery.php?cat=590

Scraptivity
http://www.scraptivity.com/create_sketches.html

Two Peas in a Bucket Simple Sketches
http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/pg.asp?cmd=display&layout_id=534372

Scrapbook Dreamer Sketches
http://www.scrapbookdreamer.com/photos/showgallery.php?cat=591

Scrap Muse
http://www.scrapmuse.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=526&password

Little Book of Sketches
http://littlebookofsketches.blogspot.com/index.html

Please share your favorite sketch sites.

Architectural Titles

Architectural photos that look like letters are a hot trend in home decorating. You can use this idea to create a one-of-a-kind scrapbook page title for your next layout.

Around the Scrapbooking Blogosphere #2

Jessica shares a font every Friday, her posts are aptly named Font Friday. Each Friday, she generously shares a new FREE font that you download.

A little about Jessica:
She is 23 and a freelance graphic designer for my own company. She works primarily with designers, retailers, and other small business owners doing everything from print design to websites. She is very creative and believes designs should be affordable, so her rates are substantially less than other designers due to my low overhead. Her blog, The Love List, has been featured in many national publications.

WoW - Week of Webisodes

Week of Webisodes Starts Monday!

Welcome to Paper Wishes’ Week of Webisodes!

Join Paper Wishes for a full week of inspiration! Each day you’ll have a brand-new Webisode, featuring the very latest tips and techniques on things like templates, stamps, Dazzles, and more. Here's a quick look at the lineup:

Monday: Easy Circles Template
Tuesday: Mix Your Messages / Whimsical Words stamp sets
Wednesday: Metal Embossed Jewelry
Thursday: Photo Carousel
Friday: Bargello Dazzles

Also available are FREE downloads, bonus projects, designer tips, plus bargains on our Deal of the Day.

There’s no need to register and it’s FREE! But, if you would a daily reminder when Paper Wishes uploads each new webisode during Week of Webisodes, click here.

Find Inspiration

This is what is inspiring me right now:

I’m working on becoming a better photographer. It’s not about taking perfect pictures, but good photos are the basis of a great scrapbook layout. I learned a TON about myself as a photographer by simply reviewing the photos I took last year and taking a moment to think about them. I highly recommend this simple exercise, it WILL make you a better photographer.

I’m committed to getting stories paired with photos. I believe in journaling and I rarely do a page without it. This is not easy but I’ve found many ways to prompt myself to get writing more. Katie is now am hosting a weekly Memory Monday Challenge on her blog each week with tips and ideas to help get those memories preserved.

Each week Amy hosts Sunday Scrappin' which encourages us to get some scrapbooking done each week. She also provides a simple challenge to provide some inspiration.

The Amazing Month of Memories series is back at Katie's blog. Katie has created more than 60 layouts using prompts and challenges found in these idea files. You can download a FREE sample.

Monthly Daily Inspirations by Jill provides challenges for every day of the month. Each month she offers a FREE download of her Daily Inspirations. Her challenges include web prompts, color challenges, quote prompts, title prompts, and more.

The Monthly Round-Up is one of my favorite ways to record the everyday details of my life. It is a quick and easy way to keep memories fresh and store information that will be perfect for future scrapbook pages. The idea originally comes from Katie.

Photo 365 is a very popular project among scrapbookers again this year. It's never to late to start. Katie has some great advice for those of us who want to participate in this very cool challenge. Anna used prompts to go along with her 365 Days.

Project 52 is based on the Photo 365 but with less pressure. This challenge is to take one picture each week for the year. This may feel more manageable than Photo 365 but still a good way to stretch your creative muscles.

Create a photo mosaic from your digital photographs.

Leah started Creative Every Day Challenge in 2008 to help infuse the lives of others with daily creativity. Creativity is meant in the broadest sense, so it doesn't have to be something scrapbook related or art related. Your creative acts could be cooking, taking pictures, knitting, doodling, writing, dancing, decorating, singing, playing with your kids, brainstorming ideas, gardening, or making art in the form of collage, paint, or clay...or whatever.

I picked my word this year. What does that mean? Well, if you haven’t heard of Ali Edwards one word idea be sure to check it out on Ali Edwards' blog. It is a very easy and inspiring way to set the tone for what you want to focus on during the year.

Mother's Day Cards

This Mother’s Day, honor a special mom with a unique card made using a variety of embellishments, papers, and techniques.

Click here for 21 unique Mother's Day cards.

The Ultimate Blog Party - Winners

All the numbers have been tabulated (thanks to Random Number Generator), answers were reviewed for qualifying party go-ers, and finally winners chosen.

Many party go-ers did not read the introductions thoroughly and so were, unfortunately, removed from the final qualifying round. At each blog, I asked a specific question and kindly requested a specific answer. If the question was overlooked or not answered, the individual was sadly eliminated. Luckily, many party go-ers did read the introductions, so the winners are...

At All Things Cherished, Aunt Rene (#20) of Aunt Rene won Pillow Talk by iMom.

At 365 Days of Christmas, Blp3 (#28) of Let's Talk Politics won The Heart and Home of Christmas by Karla Dornacher.

At 365 Day of Memories, Jenny (#52, non-blogger) won the four pack of handmade cards made by me.

At 365 Days of Organization, Forest Green (#51) of Katrina Relocators won a planner.

Congratulations to all the winners!

Thanks to so many for all the compliments about me and my blogs this past week. I have been truly touched by your kindness.

FREE Photo Editing Software

Picasa is free photo editing software from Google that makes your pictures look great.

Beautiful Albums
Show your photos at their best. View full-screen slide shows, see your pictures arranged on a global map, enjoy video playback, and more.

Edit to Perfection
Improve almost any picture with Picasa's one-click fixes for common problems like red-eye, color, and lighting. Or, use tuning and effects to make your best photos look even better.

Search and Explore
Picasa lets you browse and search photos in public albums -- perfect for scoping out your next vacation destination. Or visit the Explore page to discover what's new, interesting, and popular.

Get Organized
Picasa automatically finds all the photos on your PC, wherever they are, and will organize them in seconds.

To get more information &/or to download your free copy of Picasa, go to Picasa.

Artist Trading Cards

Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) are miniature works of art created on 2.5x3.5 inches (64x 89mm) of cardstock.

They are originals and self-produced. Anybody can produce them. The idea is that you trade them with other people who produce cards.

The Basics

As their name indicates, ATCs are collectibles. Artist Trading Cards are a brilliant idea born of the older sports-themed trading cards.

The most basic rule of an ATC is that the dimensions of the ATC must be 2.5"x3.5". There are also some guidelines about making and trading of ATCs. First, an ATC can not be sold; only exchanged. The whole essence of these tiny works of art is about artists meeting, by correspondence or online, and exchanging their works, thus meeting many artists and getting exposed to many personal styles. Second, on the back of each ATC the artist writes all of the following information: name, contact information (city, state, and country), title of the ATC and number (1/8, 2/8...) of an edition or series.

By definition, artist trading cards are made in limited numbers, often no more than one of a kind.

• Unique ATCs are called originals.
• Sets of identical ATCs are called editions and are numbered.
• Sets of ATCs that are based on one theme but that are different are called series.

Don't be intimidated by the concept of small editions or originals. What most collectors really want are cards that are made with care.

The above is all you need to know to start making your own ATCs.

Common sense dictates that they should be sturdy enough to survive mailing and of reasonable thickness.

The Format

There are three ways to get the correct format.

1. Cut the background/cardstock/support to the right size before you start creating.
2. After you have worked on a large surface, you can cut the ATCs from it.
3. Use commercial trading cards or playing cards as ready-made canvasses.

I personally use the first method a lot, especially when I get paper scraps that have the potential for the right size. Many times after scrapbooking, I will cut my scraps and papers to the right size and save them for later.

I've also seen lovely ATCs that had been made in series by drawing the motif along a long horizontal strip that was then cut to obtain a bunch of similar but not identical cards.

The Design

Think of the scale of the card and don't go into techniques that are only suitable for larger projects. Think of what great techniques and mediums would work with the small size and what the small size allows you to do that wouldn’t otherwise be possible. An example of a subject that would be wasted on a small size is the group picture that becomes so uninteresting since it was scaled down too much that you can't even see the faces anymore.

The Techniques and Materials

Almost all traditional media can be used to create a miniature canvas of an ATC, either alone or in combination with others: calligraphy, cartoon, charcoal, collage, color pencils, crayons, dotting, inks, markers, pastels, photography, sketches, and watercolors.

Other materials and techniques that can be used... acetate, band-aids, beads, collage, crepe paper, cut-outs, drawing, fabric, feathers, foil, glitter, incense paper, melted crayons, mesh, metal, mica, negatives (two negative strips side by side is the exact width needed to make an ATC), nail polish, origami paper, painting, perfume (for scented cards), Plexiglas, poetry, polymer clay, postage stamps, punching, quotes, receipts, salt, spray paint, stamping, stitching, tickets, tissue paper, transfer, vellum, weaving, wire, wrapping paper, yarn, and the list goes on. The possibilities are endless!

A great idea is to recycle all your paper scraps and make them part of new ATCs. Since ATCs are so small, insignificant bits of paper (scraps, envelopes, greeting cards) are often just the right size.

The Extras

ATC Envelopes
A great alternative to the transparent sleeves when sending several cards is to create an ATC envelope. Check the resources below for a template.

ID Tag
Instead of the usual boring identification tag you wear around the office, slip an ATC into the plastic sleeve turning your ID tag into a one-of-a-kind tag.

Storage
A popular solution to storing ATCs is the transparent sheets with 9 pockets that are available for commercial cards. Another fun way to collect ATCs is to place the cards in picture frames to display in your home or studio. Many collectors make special handmade books to display their ATCs. The sky's the limit!

Signature Cards
Many ATC artists create a "business card" ATC that features a self-portrait on the front and a fact sheet about themselves on the back. These are sent along with your ATCs when trading. This is a great idea that allows artists to get to know each other better.

The Resources

Artist Trading Cards
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artist_trading_cards
Wikipedia provides a definition and description of ATCs.

Artist Trading Cards
http://www.artist-trading-cards.ch/stc.html
A source for international trading of ATCs. Galleries and other information are also available.

ATCards.com
http://www.atcards.com/forums/index.php?referrerid=203
Forum for Artist trading cards.

ATC Quarterly
http://www.atcquarterly.com/
A magazine dedicated solely to artist trading cards.

Autumn Sunflower’s ATC Gallery
http://www.geocities.com/autumninavalon/atcgallery.html
Autumn’s private ATC gallery.

Bella’s Paper Craft Site
http://www.bellaonline.com/subjects/3846.asp
Various links to galleries and how-to’s.

Bmuse Products
http://www.b-muse.com/artist-trading-cards-g.HTM
Galleries, message board, and a store are available at Bmuse.

Craft Ideas
http://www.craftideas.info/html/blue_travel_atc1.html
This site provides instructions so you can make your own ATCs (and other craft projects).

Denton Artist Trading Cards
http://homepage.mac.com/dentan10/PhotoAlbum11.html
Hundreds of ATCs located here to peruse.

Digital Artist Trading Cards by Roberto Luigi
http://www.geocities.com/robluigi/
Rob’s private ATC gallery.

Ed’s Artist Trading Cards
http://www.geocities.com/edsatc/index.html
Ed’s private ATC gallery. Links are also available.

HeartsART
http://www.heartsart.com/info/inarchive.asp?aid=2297
The topic of Artist Trading Cards is discussed on this radio show.

Kakupacal.com
http://www.kakupacal.com/atc.htm
Neil Sorenson’s private ATC gallery.

Mirkwood Designs
http://www.ruthannzaroff.com/mirkwooddesigns/atcenvelope.htm
Template for artist trading card envelope.

Mirkwood Designs
http://www.ruthannzaroff.com/mirkwooddesigns/tcdiag.htm
Cutting diagram for ATCs. Get 10 ATCs from one sheet of 8.5x11” sheet of cardstock.

Mirli Mirli Artworks
http://www.geocities.com/llewenanewell/artisttradingcards.html
Llewena Newell’s private art and ATC gallery.

Stray Cards
http://www.geocities.com/straycards/
You can donate your own ATC and join an ongoing collection traveling through the communities of Australia.

Artist Trading Cards are art for the sake of art. ATCs are a precious reminder to amateurs and professionals alike of what creativity is all about – the pleasure of working with beauty and the excitement of being surprised by experimental techniques.

Enjoy making your own ATCs!

365 Pictures

Only two more weeks until the official launch of Creativity Portal's first-ever worldwide collaborative daily prompt project, 365 Pictures.

Artists, photographers, writers, and other creative people are generously sharing their personal pictures and thought-provoking prompts to inspire others with unique perspectives and manifested expressions of creativity. It's so beautiful! Stunning photos of nature and animals, snapshots of artwork, funny illustrations, mixed media imagery, and so much more are lined up in this exquisite prompt machine.

The launch date is March 15, 2009.

Get the Scoop

Learn new ideas, get some fun tips, try out new techniques by checking out Scrapbooks Etc.

Handwriting tips
ScrapbooksEtc.com/184

Heat-emboss
ScrapbooksEtc.com/029

Make your own stamp
ScrapbooksEtc.com/030

Recolor a digital element
ScrapbooksEtc.com/036

Apply a rub-on
ScrapbooksEtc.com/038

Hand-stitch
ScrapbooksEtc.com/039

Set an eyelet
ScrapbooksEtc.com/040

Selectively color a photo
ScrapbooksEtc.com/048

Use the rule of thirds
ScrapbooksEtc.com/049

Do a blender pen transfer
ScrapbooksEtc.com/032

Hand-tint a photo
ScrapbooksEtc.com/033

Print white type
ScrapbooksEtc.com/041

Reverse print text
ScrapbooksEtc.com/042

Type text in a circle
ScrapbooksEtc.com/043

Make a mosaic background
ScrapbooksEtc.com/046

When at the site, you will find more great step-by-step techniques

Valentine Crafting

Join Elle’s Studio for a week of Valentine's crafting for free!

Simple Scrapbooks to Cease Publication

It’s not an exaggeration to say that it is a sad day for scrapbookers everywhere. A few days ago CK Media announced that Simple Scrapbooks will cease publication after its May/June 2009 publication. Citing the economic downturn Lin Sorensen, VP and Editorial Manager, said

"Since its founding in 2002, Simple Scrapbooks has been simplifying the process of scrapbooking for tens of thousands of scrapbookers worldwide, providing solutions that keep them engaged in and passionate about sharing their stories and memories. The end of Simple Scrapbooks as a magazine is not the end of this message. It will continue as part of Creating Keepsakes magazine, where, starting with the July 2009 issue, we will integrate Simple concepts and personalities into our editorial mix, and continue providing ideas and inspiration to help beginning and experienced scrapbookers alike fit scrapbooking into their busy lives."

You may read the full statement at The Simple Blog.

Angie Lucas, Managing Editor, also made a statement at The Simple Blog, the official Simple Scrapbooks blog. For more statements and reactions visit the blogs of Stacy Julian, founder of the magazine, and Cathy Zielske, Art Director.

Birthday Calculator

Birth date: 31 July 1967

Your date of conception was on or about 7 November 1966 which was a Monday. You were born on a Monday under the astrological sign Leo.

Your fortune cookie reads: The secret of getting ahead is getting started.

Your Life path number is seven. The Julian calendar date of your birth is 2439702.5. The golden number for 1967 is 11. The epact number for 1967 is 19. The year 1967 was not a leap year.

Your birthday falls into the Chinese year beginning 2/9/1967 and ending 1/29/1968. You were born in the Chinese year of the Goat.

Your Native American Zodiac sign is Salmon; your plant is Raspberry.

You were born in the Egyptian month of Paopy, the second month of the season of Poret (Emergence - Fertile soil).

Your date of birth on the Hebrew calendar is 23 Tammuz 5727.

The Mayan Calendar long count date of your birthday is 12.17.13.16.18 which is 12 baktun 17 katun 13 tun 16 uinal 18 kin.

The Hijra (Islamic Calendar) date of your birth is Monday, 23 Rabi'u'th-Thani 1387 (1387-4-23).

As of 1/15/2009 12:55:55 PM EST you are 41 years old. You are 498 months old. You are 2,163 weeks old. You are 15,144 days old. You are 363,468 hours old. You are 21,808,135 minutes old. You are 1,308,488,155 seconds old.

Celebrities who share your birthday:
Eric Lively (1981), Dean Cain (1966), J.K. Rowling (1965), Jim Corr (1964), Wesley Snipes (1962), Bill Berry (1958), Barry Van Dyke (1951), Geraldine Chaplin (1944), Curt Gowdy (1919), and Milton Friedman (1912).

Top songs of 1967:
To Sir with Love by Lulu
Daydream Believe by Monkees
Windy by Association
Ode to Billie Joe by Bobbie Gentry
Somethin' Stupid by Nancy & Frank Sinatra
Groovin' by Young Rascals
The Letter by Box Tops
Light My Fire by Doors
Happy Together by Turtles
Hello Goodbye by Beatles

Your age is the equivalent of a dog that is 5.92720156555773 years old. You're still chasing cats!

Your lucky day is Sunday. Your lucky number is 1 & 4. Your ruling planet is the Sun. Your lucky dates are 1st, 10th, 19th, 28th.

In 1967 there were approximately 3.7 million births in the US. In 1967 the US population was approximately 179,323,175 people, 50.6 persons per square mile. In 1967 in the US there were approximately 1,800,000 marriages (9.3%) and 479,000 divorces (2.5%). In 1967 in the US there were approximately 1,712,000 deaths (9.5 per 1000). In the US a new person is born approximately every 8 seconds.In the US one person dies approximately every 12 seconds.

Your birthstone is Ruby.

Your birth tree is Cypress.

Personality traits: faithful, strong, muscular, adaptable, takes what life has to give, happy, content, optimistic, needs enough money and acknowledgment, hates loneliness, passionate lover.

The moon's phase on the day you were born was waning crescent.

Click here to discover all about your birth date.

All this information about your birth date is a fun way to add journaling to your pages.