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

It’s just a few more days until day one of Blogging for Scrapbookers, a new online scrapbooking class here at shimelle.com. This week, the class forum has already been abuzz with everyone getting excited. I love that we have a great mix of long-time bloggers, those dusting off old semi-abandoned blogs with new intentions and brand new bloggers joining us to see how this system can rejuvenate the way they document their stories for scrapbook pages to come.

The class starts with Blogging Blueprints, a step-by-step workbook for starting your blog, how to post, change the look of the blog and all sorts of other bells and whistles. This is available now, as soon as you sign up, and I was so absolutely thrilled to hear that is has already helped several people get past any technical roadblocks to blogging. Comments like this made me absolutely giddy:

“Last year I bought “Blogging For Dummies”. I read the whole thing; and it got me as far as choosing a blogger template. I can’t believe that this one workbook has got me the rest of the way so easily.” – Sian

(And that book retails for £5 more than the class…and we haven’t even started with the class prompts yet! So definitely happy that you don’t need to invest in any extras, even for the technical stuff!)

A few people have asked how much time would be needed for this class. Each of the 15 prompts has three options for what to do: one option for when you have little to no time at all, a second option for when you have a bit of time and a third option for when you feel like devoting an hour or more. And of course, you could do the five minute option during the course, the fifteen minute option next month and the hour option when you had a bit of a break, so you’ll end up with material you can use how you want, when you want, and no shortage of ideas.

Anyway, I am very excited as there is so much to come, including the scrapbook pages we’ll be making along the way. And you could be joining us!

Leave a comment below to be entered for a chance to win a free place on the class! Entries close Sunday, 6pm London time. Winner will be posted by Monday morning.

And of course, it’s not too late to join us! Find all the class details and sign up here. If you win the free place, I’ll refund your registration or you can invite a friend to take the free spot, so you have nothing to lose!

Don’t forget to comment to enter!

xlovesx

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I wish I could say I absolutely, without a single doubt, one-hundred-percent loved scrapbooking. I really, really do.

The problem is that I come in somewhere squarely at almost-entirely, so very close, ninety-nine-percent love scrapbooking, because there is one thing I do not love. And that is explaining what I do for a living.

Keep in mind that ‘scrapbooking’ is not an understood word in this country, so ‘scrapbooker’ would be even crazier. And the frustration is found in exactly how simple scrapbooking can be to us: it’s photos we’ve taken and words we’ve written and pretty things we’ve arranged to remember our lives. No matter how fabulous that seems to us, whenever I start to say that aloud, non-scrapbookers tend to look at me as if I have three heads.

But I have found my answer: the word ‘scrapbooking’ may not have taken off here, but the word ‘blogging’ certainly has. And how would you describe a blog? It’s photos we’ve taken and words we’ve written and maybe the odd pretty thing we’ve chosen to go along with all of that. Oh my word: could they be the same thing? So when I tell people that I work in scrapbooking, which is a lot like blogging, but on paper rather than online, finally I have rid myself of three-head syndrome. Success!

Of course, the more you think about it, the more this makes sense, and indeed scrapbooking and blogging can be each others’ best friends forever. As scrapbookers, we want to make time to remember the little and the big things in life. We want to take pictures. We want to write things down. And we want to decorate it up in the style of our choice. And blogging is exactly the same idea, just with a different process. That is the basic principle behind my newest online class: Blogging for Scrapbookers.

Throughout this class, we’ll discuss key concepts, but we’ll also blog and make scrapbook pages. The class starts with a workbook that walks you through all the technical stuff about blogging in simple steps with options to suit you. If you’re new to blogging, it will help you choose the best blogging platform for your needs. If you already blog, it will take you through applying a theme, adding custom graphics and interpreting your blog stats. That workbook, Blogging Blueprints, is something you can come back to at any time if you want to change something on your blog or reference anything technical.

ETA: You can sign up for this class at any time — not just for November. More details below. There is a live run of this class starting on the 21st of March, 2011, so join us now!

Starting Monday 2nd November, 15 full colour prompts will take you through fifteen separate topics, each with a corresponding blog post and scrapbook page to make. We’ll cover topics like making your blog public or private, what to blog when your day seems pretty mundane, how to tell just enough so you don’t run out of stories to tell, how to get readers to leave comments, making blog posts come easily and quickly and getting others involved. The prompts are delivered straight to your inbox, Monday to Friday, and you can choose to use the prompts on a day-by-day basis or work through them at your own pace. There is absolutely no feeling like you’ve fallen behind in this class.

At the end of the 15 prompts, you’re just getting started. The second workbook, A Year of Blogging, is a downloadable resource with a full year of blogging topics just for scrapbookers. With all those potential blog posts just waiting to be written from your perspective, you’ll never have to worry about running out of things to post on your blog, whether you’ve chosen to start a new blog or just breathe a little more life into your existing account. The two workbooks and the 15 prompts total well over 100 pages of content.

As with all my classes, you’ll have access to a private message board just for participants in the class, so you can discuss all the topics as much (or as little) as you like. It also means you’ll never have to worry about starting a blog and not being able to find anyone to read it or leave a comment, because you’ll instantly have a group of scrappers in the same boat. Just leave them a link and you’ll have instant readers — making friends hasn’t been this easy since primary school!

If you’re new to my classes, I’ve been teaching online since 2004, blogging since 2002 and scrapbooking for more years than I care to admit. Above everything, I believe in keeping scrapbooking stress-free and fun: this is something we do because we love it, never because it has to be done. Taking a class in scrapbooking follows that same exact rule. No stress, no worry, always fun and you’ll gain a new tool for driving your scrapbooking, whether you choose to keep your blog for yourself or open it to the world to read.

Here’s the class summary:
…Blogging Blueprints Workbook A manual for starting a blog, applying custom designs, tracking your visitors and more.
…15 PDF prompts emailed straight to your inbox, Monday to Friday.
…A Year of Blogging Workbook A resource crammed with an entire year’s worth of blogging topics that apply to scrapbookers, so you’ll never be stuck with writer’s block.
…Bonus Graphics for giving your blog a makeover.
…access to a private class forum at shimelle.com to chat and share your work
…permanent file archive so you can come back to the materials at any time

Although the original class run has finished, you can sign up at any time and get all the class materials. The only difference is that you will log in and download the materials rather than receiving them by email. Everything else is the same, including the message board, and you’re welcome to email me at any time if you have questions as you’re working on your blog! So go ahead and join us, no matter when you’re reading this!

Ready to sign up? You can choose your currency and pay in UK pounds or US dollars by clicking the cupcake of your choice:

You can pay by credit/debit card (click on the left of the payment screen) or Paypal account (log in on the right of the payment screen). Please be sure to enter a valid email address as part of your payment so your prompts can be delivered to your inbox. Orders can take up to 24 hours to process, though we are usually quicker. If you haven’t received your class registration after 24 hours, just email me and we’ll make sure your registration is completed and ready for you to get started!

I hope you’ll join me for a bit of blogging fun throughout November! Any questions? Leave them in the comments or shoot me an email and I’ll get an answer to you straight away.

xlovesx

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Learn Something New just finished and I’ve taken a little mini-break from the internet…trying to stay offline for a few more hours a day over this past weekend and enjoy the last few days before we have to finally commit to turning on the heating for the temperature freefall into winter. And also to bask a tiny little bit in that lovely feeling that comes when you finish a project and you just want to flip through it a dozen times and show it to everyone and say look! I made this! I really, really did! And why yes, that is a tiny three-ring binder tied into the shell of an old book with woodgrain-printed ribbon, why thank you for noticing! I love it when the project works in the end and everything just fits into place.

Other finished Learn Something New books are surfacing in blogland, so I hope you’ll pay them a visit.

Read more about GezzyB’s album here.

Read more about ScrapDolly’s album here.

Read more about Rachel’s album here.

Read more about Alissa’s album here.

See Becky’s album here.

I absolutely love seeing how everyone starts with the same idea and yet every project is unique to the crafter that made it and tells the story of their September. Simple things perhaps but something that makes me very happy indeed.

xlovesx

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Learn Something New Every Day starts tomorrow, and it’s not too late to join us!

Click here to see all the class details and sign up!

But it wouldn’t be fun to start without a giveaway, right?

Comment on this post and you will be entered to win a place for you and FOUR friends.

That way, you’ll already know someone in class and not have any awkward moments trying to find somewhere to sit for lunch! Plus if you followed a link to this post, you can repay the favour by inviting that kind person too!

If the winner or any of her four friends are already on the class list – whether from this year or any year in the past – the full class price will be refunded. So go ahead and enter, even if you’re already waiting for class to begin!

Comment to enter to win. Please be sure to include a valid email address. Comments close at 5am Tuesday 1st September, UK time.

xlovesx

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September is a special kind of second new year: the time of year when we head back to school, set new goals, live up to our shiny new intentions and embrace the idea of doing a little something to make ourselves a little better somehow.

Around here, we do that with an online class called Learn Something New Every Day.

Now it its fourth year, this online class encourages you to observe the world around you and learn from your daily experiences and surroundings. We work with a small format album to make thirty daily entries, and we adopt a few short cuts and techniques to make those daily entries possible in even the busiest of weeks. And once you’ve joined, you’re welcome to participate for as many years as you like at no extra cost.

The class includes:
…preparation notes delivered next week
…thirty daily full-colour pdf prompts delivered to your inbox
…access to a private class forum at shimelle.com to chat and share your work
…permanent file archive so you can come back to the materials at any time

PLUS New for 2009:
Although the principles of the course stay the same each year, the prompts are revamped to show you a new book with a new look. This year’s additional materials include:
…for paper scrappers, this year’s featured album is made with repurposed supplies that will encourage you to stretch your supplies by recycling some items from daily life, and the option of a kit for scrapbookers in the UK.
…for hybrid scrappers, four pages of printable accents to include in your album (available to download on the first day of class).
…for digital scrappers, five page templates (layered .psd files) and a mini kit of papers and embellishments designed just for the class, plus the option of additional digital supplies available when class begins.

So you’ll get all that too, whether it’s your first year to sign up or you’re joining us again in 2009.

Ready to sign up? You can choose your currency and pay in UK pounds or US dollars by clicking the cupcake of your choice:

You can pay by credit/debit card (click on the left of the payment screen) or Paypal account (log in on the right of the payment screen). Please be sure to enter a valid email address as part of your payment so your prompts can be delivered to your inbox.

Participated last year? You don’t need to do anything. You’ll receive a message in the next day or so with all the relevant links for you. If your email address has changed in the past year, however, you will need to update it on your forum account to ensure you receive your emails.

Any questions? Leave them in the comments or shoot me an email and I’ll get an answer to you straight away.

I can’t wait to meet the Class of 2009!

xlovesx

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My new online scrapbooking class, Go To Press, starts today and prompt one has already been sent to your inbox if you had signed up before this morning! It’s not too late to join though, so if the party made you think your printer could be helping you a bit more in your projects, then join us!

Of course the first day normally has a few hiccups that come with sending large attachments by email. If you are signed up but didn’t receive your prompt this morning, check your spam or junk mail folder to make sure we didn’t get misplaced, and if it’s not there either, send me an email so I can get you all sorted. Please include your Two Peas username in your message so I can find you on the class list. Thanks!

And don’t forget, all the party challenges are open for your entries until the end of tonight (UK time), so you still have time to create or comment for a chance to win!

We have a beautiful blue sky here this morning: hopefully it will be a fabulous week for everyone!

xlovesx

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One of the things I love most about online classes is working with guest artists and seeing how they interpret an idea in their own style. There are ten guest artists taking part in Go To Press and a few of them have some sneak peeks for you today.

Check out Caroline, Amy and Cindy for just a tiny look at what the class has in store.

If you’ve already signed up for the class, you can already say hello on the private message board, by the way! You’ll find it in your list of boards at Two Peas once you are logged in.

xlovesx

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Another tiny little sneak at Go To Press, the online class I’ll be starting on the 3rd of August. I can’t seem to go through an entire project without a tiny bit of cupcake influence, but I promise cupcake devotion is not a requirement of the class.

The biggest question that seems to have come up is what kind of printer you need. Because we’re going to be using our printers a great deal—but the good news is you don’t need anything superduper fancy.

Do you need a 12×12 printer? Not at all. I don’t have one! All of the printables are designed to be printed at 8.5×11 or A4 sized and can be resized even smaller if you prefer. If you are lucky enough to own a 12×12 printer, then you can enlarge them a bit too and print anywhere you want on the cardstock. That can give you some flexibility, but I managed to make my album without that and I promise I didn’t have any headaches at all! So a standard sized printer will be fine.

Do you need a laser printer? Not at all. I printed everything for the class on my ink-jet photo printer. If you do want to use a laser printer, keep in mind that you may be slightly limited for what you can send through it (you’ll be fine with paper and transparencies, I should think, but you may have trouble with fabric, for example).

Do I really have to send lots of stuff through my printer? There’s nothing you have to do. You’ll see lots of examples of non-plain-paper items that have been printed on—but you’ll also see plenty of layouts using the same printables on traditional white cardstock. So you’ll have plenty of options to go with what you like and what supplies you have to hand.

Those were the big three that I found in my inbox over the last few days—if you have any other questions, let me know and I’ll happily answer them!

As for a little more non-printer detail, here’s a quick summary:
...20 full colour PDF prompts delivered to your inbox Monday to Friday.
...20 pages of colour printable accents
...permanent back up and access to the prompts and files
...40+ example projects, including layouts by Kelly Purkey, Tia Bennett, Kelli Crowe, Stacey Sattler, Shannon Tidwell, Caroline Ikeji, Amy Grendell, Cindy Liebel, Jennifer Gallacher and me.
...step-by-step instructions for new techniques
...twenty page themes and journaling prompts to make up a completed album
...private message board to chat and share your work
...plus door prizes along the way!

All that, and you can sign up right here.

To kick things off, everyone who comments on this post gets their name in the hat to have me pay for your place in the class. Just leave a comment to enter—entries close at 10pm UK time on Monday 27th July and the winner will be posted on Tuesday the 28th! (If the winner has already purchased a spot on the class, she can have her choice of a refund or a place for a friend.)

And if you’re so inclined, please pass the word about this class to your scrapping friends and blog readers. Here are a few images you might find useful!

(that is 300×300 pixels, but there is also this one which is 150×150 which works for sidebars.)

(or this one for you non-blinking blinkie collectors!)

But all you have to do right now is comment for a chance to win, so say something in the box!

Have a fabulous weekend!

xlovesx

PS: What’s on your schedule next weekend? There might be something going on. Just maybe! Stay tuned.

ETA: Comments closed. Winner will be announced Tuesday 28th July. Thank you for entering!!

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