pretty paper. true stories. {and scrapbooking classes with cupcakes.}

The London Stitch & Craft show is this week! It runs Thursday through Sunday at Olympia 2 in Kensington. If you’re in the neighbourhood, do stop by and say hello! I’ll be demonstrating scrapbooking techniques and you can do a free make and take at my table, plus I’ll have some of my favourite stash for sale (two words: Dear. Lizzy.) plus there are some more formal classes too!

I’ll be teaching two workshops each day: Minibook Marvel at 12:15 and Texture Tech at 1:30. The classes are just £7 and include all the supplies so you can sign up on the spur of the moment if you like! You can sign up on the day at the workshop registration table. (My Saturday classes are all sold out, but it’s definitely worth putting your name on the list in case someone doesn’t turn up!) You don’t need to bring anything with you, as there will be tools to share in the classroom, and everything comes pre-cut (including that title above — I’m not going to make you cut that with scissors or anything similarly insane). For the minibook class, you can make the book in the workshop and add the photos at home in just a matter of minutes.

If you would like to come prepared so you can finish the project in class, you can bring a selection of favourite photos or happy photos to finish this project — it’s easy to adapt to whatever theme you would like really and there are several colours available in the class kits so if you’re toward the front of the line you can grab the colour you like best! It’s a 6×6 book that can accommodate a mix of 2×3, 3×5 and 4×6 photographs. Five of each is perfect! You can also bring your own scissors and adhesive if you would prefer not to have to share with a neighbour. You won’t need a paper trimmer.

In Texture Tech, we’ll be working with a variety of textures, like embossed paper, vintage paper and fabric paper! We’ll make three cards in class but if you’re a scrapper who doesn’t make cards, don’t worry: you can easily keep the embellishments for a layout rather than popping them on the card blanks, and the techniques are ones you will use in scrapping projects of your own.

In this class we’ll be using a variety of American Crafts products, including the new Dear Lizzy papers! Again everything is precut so you won’t need a paper trimmer. If you would like to bring your own scissors and adhesive, then you won’t have to share. But if you sign up on the spot that’s fine too – we’ll have everything you need!

If you have any questions, let me know! Otherwise I hope you’ll stop by and say hello!

xlovesx

Delicious

Digg

Reddit

Facebook

Stumbleupon

Comment [5]

Thank you so much for the fabulous response to my new class. I have been bowled over by the great things friends new and old have been saying about their new commitment to using what they have so their hobby can be about crafting and remembering again rather than feeling overwhelmed by products! I love it so much when you get a group of people who really love to scrap all together at once. The atmosphere is lovely, even when you’re seeing them via a computer screen!

You can still sign up for the class at any time.

I’ll be back to blogging more in just a day or two! (And in the mean time you can see a little more about this card at the Frog Blog.)

Happy scrapping!

xlovesx

Delicious

Digg

Reddit

Facebook

Stumbleupon

Comment [7]

_{©twopeasinabucket.com}

Lots happening here with class starting on Wednesday, so I’ll be quick but I wanted to share a few things that might be of interest! Like the project above, which you can see in full here.

Or this card on the Frog Blog which also includes the chance to win free Banana Frog stamps!

_{©twopeasinabucket.com}

Or this layout that mixes pretty papers with…go-karts.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) I’ll be hosting a live chat on the Two Peas message board at 4pm UK time / 10am CST. You can join me here and say hello!

Thanks to RobbieLee at ChickieDee who featured my work space on her Studio Sunday feature this past weekend!

Have you figured out all the Something from Almost Nothing guest artists yet? Jennifer McGuire is one of them and she has a giveaway for a free class space that closes later tonight. Shannon Tidwell is contributing too and her giveaway closes tomorrow. And Caroline Ikeji has a giveaway closing on Tuesday too! Make sure you’re in it to win it! (And of course if you are already signed up and you win, you can have your choice of gifting the free place to a friend or having a refund of your class fee!)

…but have you spotted all the guest artists yet?

Best wishes for a fabulously creative week at your house!

xlovesx

Delicious

Digg

Reddit

Facebook

Stumbleupon

Comment [7]

Here’s a little look at just three of the projects guest artists have contributed to my new online scrapbook class, Something from Almost Nothing. Any guesses on who these guests might be? You’re going to love their ideas for creating new looks from your existing collection of scrapbooking supplies. They will even hold your virtual hand when you cut into a sheet of patterned paper, if that will help!

Class starts next Wednesday, the 10th of March, and you can sign up by clicking either payment button below or check out this post for all the details about the class! You can sign up at any time. Registration may take up to 24 hours – usually much less.

xlovesx

Delicious

Digg

Reddit

Facebook

Stumbleupon

Comment [15]

The Write It Down designs for 2010 are each just 99 cents and they include files for both digital and paper scrappers. If you scrap with paper, you just print out a PDF onto a sheet of white cardstock or any other paper you want to use. If you scrap digitally, the same elements are included in PNG format so you can paste them straight onto your pages and give your journaling the perfect spot. I just wanted to take a minute to show you ten different looks with just one of these kits — Top Ten Lists — courtesy of the always creative Baker’s Dozen design team! This kit includes four different journaling cards that are perfect for writing lists on your pages. Choose from red, blue, pink or green or print in black and white. Digital scrappers will also know some tricks for changing the colours!

click any layout to see larger.

And it’s about time I welcomed our newest team member here! SJ joined us last month when we had an opening and she has been creating gorgeous pages! (She also gives away a free digital download every Friday on her blog, so be sure to check it out!) I love how she made the numbers the size of the full page for a striking look.

Two more — I love this puppy page by Sheri and the last page is from me!

Click here to get Top Ten Lists for just 99 cents! (You can find today’s brand new release, Cute Circles there too!)

xlovesx

Delicious

Digg

Reddit

Facebook

Stumbleupon

Comment [4]

So they created in January, you voted in February and now that it’s March, it’s time for to announce the winners!

Please create a drumroll on your table for our top six finalists, in alphabetical order:
Alissa, Christina, Iara, Mabel, Mel and Nikki!

They each receive a shimelle.com class pass to be used for any future class they choose (including the new class and others coming up later this year!) and a digital kit of their choice from the Shimelle Digitals Shop!

And the winner of the grand prize of a $100 shopping spree at Two Peas in a Bucket...
The project that received the most votes from all of you throughout February…

…is Iara! Her project received votes from all over the world and finished at the top of the crowd! Congratulations!

Thank you so much to all our entrants: I have a small gift for each of you that I will be sending you this week.

No matter if you made your project already or if it’s something you’re thinking you might make in the future, thank you so much for your interest in the This is Why adventure. I hope you’ll join me for more creative fun soon!

xlovesx

Delicious

Digg

Reddit

Facebook

Stumbleupon

Comment [15]

The winner of the Pencil Lines Sketch Book giveaway is

Claire Williams Says:
23 February 2010, 16:13
I love to scrap holiday photos, it brings back all the happy memories!

Congratulations! Claire, email me your mailing address so I can get your brand new book in the post!

Thanks everyone who entered! Check out Pencil Lines for sketches, inspiring pages and order their new book!

xlovesx

Comment [2]

Sometimes I am not so sure how I amassed quite so much scrapbooking stuff. When did I go from A few buttons would be useful to I can never have too many? When did the singular ribbon jar become the plural ribbon jars, sorted by colours of the rainbow? And patterned paper? Just possibly, I have quite a bit of that indeed.

The truth is that having a great deal of supplies isn’t something to get me down. Having them and not using them is an entirely different matter. So I invite you to join me for an online class in March: Something from Almost Nothing.

Throughout this class we’ll be focusing on getting more from the stash we have already acquired, no matter what your personal product of choice may be. We’ll go through a range of products you already have on hand and put them to use in new ways. We’ll step away from just gluing or stitching on a button and build something new. Plus it’s not just buttons we’ll be moving from stash to completed pages; we’ll also put stickers, ribbons, transparencies, papers, page protectors, chipboard and other supplies to work too. You won’t need to have specific supplies to follow along: we’ll focus on what you do have and offer plenty of alternatives along the way.

During the three weeks of class prompts, you’re invited to follow along and build an album entitled Celebrate Life. You can create this book in any page size you like with supplies you have on hand, and each prompt includes a page sketch and technique to help build the page as well as photography and journaling pointers to help with the complete album. But the class doesn’t end with just this album: each prompt includes a range of other techniques to try and projects to make. You can take inspiration from these at any time, just like a book or magazine.

I’m very excited that more than a dozen of my favourite scrapbookers will be joining me as guest artists for this class, and I’ll tell you a little more about them as we get closer to the first day of class.

Something from Almost Nothing includes:
…more than 60 pages of full-colour class materials, including work from guest artists and illustrated steps for more complex techniques
…3 video tutorials
…a live chat session
…printable accents for album project (purchased separately, these come to $9.90)
…bonus journaling and photography prompts for your Celebrate Life album.

Like all online scrapbooking classes at shimelle.com, this class includes
…permanent access to all class materials
…private forum for discussion and sharing your work
…prompts delivered straight to your inbox.

Class begins Wednesday, the 10th of March, with prompts delivered by email on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays until the end of the month. You can sign up at any time. Registration may take up to 24 hours – usually much less.

To sign up, just click! You can pay by in your choice of currency: £10 pounds sterling or $15 US dollars.

You’ll find additional class information and sneak peeks posted here on shimelle.com between now and the 10th of March, so don’t be a stranger!

I hope to see you in class!

xlovesx

Delicious

Digg

Reddit

Facebook

Stumbleupon

Comment [94]