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

If I were to do this post as a character in Zoolander, I would have to say things like ‘Bunting: it’s so hot right now!’ because it really is the trend of the moment in scrapbooking terms. Paper Chains is a bunting stamp set that I designed for Banana Frog last year and I still love the look of all the little pennants. The set has solid and outline stamps for triangles, circles, rectangles and hearts and you can stamp as many as you want to get just the right length and angle. There’s also a teeny alphabet that fits inside! You can see the stamps in action in this video that shows this minibook cover’s creation:

This project also uses Tattered Angels Glimmer Mists and a free printable kit by Wilna. I’ll show you the inside of this book as part of this weekend’s upcoming scrapbook party!

And if you hurry over to the Banana Frog Blog, you can comment there for a chance to win a free set of Paper Chains stamps! So click here to enter that giveaway!

xlovesx

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Wilna comes up with some fabulous ideas and this is one I have been meaning to try for ages: an album made from a tall Starbucks takeaway coffee cup! She has three of these in her shop, each with a different theme. Cupcakes and coffee, love and this kit with a garden theme.

The beauty of these is that you don’t have to do anything digital other than print the pages onto cardstock or photo paper. Just like you would print anything else from your computer. If you want to get all digital, she includes PNG files you can use for that, but I used the straight print-and-go PDF files in the kit and did everything else at my scrapping table, not my computer.

Well, you will have to do one other thing away from your scrapping table, and that’s order a coffee. (Well, actually you can print that too if you like — she’s included a printable cup too.) I used a tall sized cup from Starbucks, rinsed it out and let it dry, then took it apart following her directions. So easy. I added colour to the cover and some of the pages with Glimmer Mists and added a bit of patterned paper, some trims and some gems, but most everything here is just print it out, stick on a photo and glue and/or sew it all together.

Of course gardening isn’t the most obvious theme for someone who lives in a flat without a garden and hasn’t even managed to keep the herbs alive through the winter, but I have plenty of photos of my favourite nearby green space and maybe this little book can will some blue skies to fruition so it can soon be the perfect place for a picnic. I love few things more than a picnic.

So here’s the inside of the book:

The cupcakes and coffee kit is a free download, so go get it, order a hot beverage and get crafty! Soon you’ll want to make one in every theme imaginable…so more coffee for you or you’ll have to invite a friend. Shame!

Also, just a little heads up: I’ll be teaching a 5 hour workshop at Eclectic Keepsakes in Essex for National Scrapbook Day. It’s an album class (not a minibook!) and there shall be a great deal of Dear Lizzy on the premises, along with some other fabulous goodies. The places are very limited, so if you would like to come, book your place soon.

xlovesx

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I’m so excited about the arrival of spring, even if I’m still having to wear gloves and a winter coat to go outside and enjoy the blue skies! I’m also excited to share these two new releases with you: Negative Frames and Springtime Basics. Both are breaking out the lighter colours for the new season.

_{Supplies: Springtime Basics paper pack and Negative Frames from Shimelle Digitals, Give me Simple Templates 2 by Vinnie Pearce.}

I love a good sheet of kraft paper – both digital and traditional! The Springtime Basics paper set includes solid, dotted and ledger papers in kraft, cream, turquoise, pink and olive green.

_{Supplies: Springtime Basics paper pack and Negative Frames from Shimelle Digitals, Create Art template by Vinnie Pearce, Fall Primitives and Willow Tree by Brandy Buffington.}

The Negative Frames are part of the Write It Down collection, so the kit includes a printable PDF as well as a digital PNG file with three frames and three borders, all for just 99 cents! So even if you’re a paper-only scrapper, you may find the printable negatives useful for making your own journaling boxes or photo frames. (By the way, several people have asked if you can purchase digital kits even if you’re not in the US and you certainly can — you can pay by credit/debit card or from your paypal account and both options have the ability to work in your currency, even though the price is displayed in dollars and cents.)

The Baker’s Dozen designers have lots to show you today too, as they’ve arranged a special blog party to celebrate these new releases! The next party stop is Kate at Liberty Cottage, and you’ll also find updates from Taly, Karen, SJ, Rani, Allison, Sheri, Dolly and Elisa so be sure to catch them all.

Click here to shop for Shimelle Digitals kits and printables!

I’ll be back tomorrow with a minibook tutorial so you can see a little of what we got up to at London Stitch and Craft over the weekend!

xlovesx

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The lovely Rebekah is celebrating her birthday with a scrapping blog party all this weekend and you get all the presents. If you visit her blog you’ll find giveaways and special projects from dozens of scrappers. Rebekah is giving away a shimelle.com class pass this weekend and I know you’ll love her blog anyway as her paper projects are delightful, so add her to your reading list. Enjoy!

And for my little stop on the hop, I have a free gift for you to download! Click here to download a free Happy Birthday printable with a full page of birthday accents and journaling boxes that you can print on any paper you like. I hope you find it useful for pages or cards — and if you make something please share a link as I’d love to see!

The next party stop is Annette who will have something new for you at 9 this morning!

And tomorrow I have something so terribly exciting to share with you, so do come back to see!

Right: off to the final day of Stitch & Craft London! See some of you there!

Have a fabulous birthday Rebekah!!!

xlovesx

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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

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These two 99 cent kits in the shop today: Aged Labels includes a printable for paper scrappers and a png for digital scrappers and the Remember page template makes digital pages in minutes. The Baker’s Dozen has been scrapping away with this template and they’ve already made these pages!

_{Pages by Kate, Yvonne, Karen and Taly.}

And for those of you who asked last week when I would start some sort of digital class, well here’s something to get you started – step by step tutorial to walk you through the process of using digital page templates.

Click here for a step-by-step tutorial on layered page templates.

…and something exciting tomorrow!

xlovesx

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_{minibook by Karen Cole}

If you’re looking for minibook inspiration today, check out Karen’s matchbook of resolutions and plans for 2010. It’s made with the Resolutions printable and just a little bit of other stash — and it’s super cute!

If you haven’t figured out what you would do with a scrapbooking shopping spree you might want to give it a bit of thought…by the end of this week, all the details will be here so you can find out how to win! The mystery ends soon!

xlovesx

Comment [3]

_{Supplies: Welcome 2010 page template and Art Greco mini kit by The Queen of Quirk.}

Sent out the final Journal your Christmas prompt this morning until next year. Save one little bonus that goes out next week, that’s the whole year of Christmas all wrapped up! I kept thinking that would mean I would discover newfound free time today but somehow that didn’t happen. Such is life!

I did want to make good on yesterday’s promise to show you a few examples with this week’s new digi template though. So here is a page from me, and two pages from the gallery at Two Peas.

The page on the left is a lovely girly layout by Wilna and the page on the right is a fabulous party page from Scrapdolly. (Click to see either layout more clearly.)

Can’t wait to see even more pages from this template!

I’ve had a few requests to come up with something for digital beginners, so I’ll see what might be useful — but for the moment you can find a few tutorials to get started if you fancy.

xlovesx

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