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

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And the winner is...

Journal your Christmas online scrapbooking class

The giveaway prize of a place for you and a friend on Journal your Christmas goes to…

Kirsty Says:
28 November 2009, 20:08
The thing i’m most looking foward to this christmas is seeing the pure inocent joy on my childrens faces when they realise that Santa has been.I’m on borrowed time with my daughter as she is 7 years old and i can’t bear the thought of when she finds out that Santa is really mummy!.So i try to make each year a little bit better than the previous one.So that is the thing i’m most looking foward to & planning this xmas.xx

Kirsty, email me with the email address of your friend so you can both get started!

Thanks so much to everyone who entered! It’s not too late to join us, and you can find all the details here.

Check back later today for a post with some of my favourite Christmas journals from participants in past years!

Have a great week!

xlovesx

Projects with Polka Dot Papers

digital scrapbook page
October in Moutain View by Avital.

Today we’re heading home to Londontown, but while I’m on the way I wanted to share some fabulous polka-dotted projects from the Baker’s Dozen! They’ve been busy making both digital and paper scrapbook pages with the Polka Dot Paper kit, which is currently on sale for the holiday weekend (as are lots of other kits, so be sure to check it out).

Plus be sure to enter the Journal your Christmas giveaway this weekend!

And now, fab pages from the Baker’s Dozen! I have even more dotty projects to share with you, but I’m saving those for later in the week.

digital scrapbook page
Autumn by Sheri.

hybrid scrapbook page
In the Autumn… by Karen M.

digital scrapbook page
Time for Coffee by Anso.

hybrid scrapbook page
I heart Photography by Elisa.

digital scrapbook page
Autumn in October by Scrapdolly.

I love what these ladies are making and I hope you find it inspiring too! And now, off to home!

xlovesx

Journal your Christmas :: Win an online scrapbooking class!

chipboard snowflakes

Journal your Christmas starts next Tuesday on the first of December. This weekend you can win a place for you and a friend just by leaving a comment!

To enter, leave a comment with one thing you are looking forward to or planning this Christmas – anything! One comment per person, and comments close at 6:00am Monday morning UK time. Winner will be announced later on Monday.

If the winner has already signed up for Journal your Christmas in 2009, she’ll have the choice of a refund or a place to gift to another friend. If the winner signed up 2008 or earlier, she’ll receive places for two friends.

Journal your Christmas online scrapbooking class

You can find all the class details here so go ahead and sign up!

Don’t forget to leave your comment! Good luck!

ETA: comments now closed and the winner is posted.

xlovesx

Since the winner gets a place for herself AND a friend, why not tell all your friends? Click to share via Facebook and elsewhere.

Happy Thanksgiving!

thanksgiving dinner

Back in the States for my first Thanksgiving in many, many years. Food galore and happy faces too.

Hope your Thursday was lovely!

xlovesx

Sunday Sweets :: New York Cupcakes

chocolate at crumbsred velvet at crumbscrumbs cupcake case
devil's food at crumbs
magnolia cupcake case
two from magnolia

Not so much with the baking this week, but that doesn’t mean I’m steering clear of the cupcakes! We’ve been splitting them so we don’t have to just choose one flavour. So far, red velvet and cookie dough from Crumbs and snickerdoodle and devil’s food from Magnolia.

Yum.

Now to try out the cupcakeries in Kansas City! May your weekend include something delicious!

xlovesx

5 things to do with scalloped cardstock

scrapbook page

These scalloped cardstock rectangles from Bazzill Basics are one of my go-to items for pages, and it was only the other day that I realised quite how often I use them. So what do you say I get these blog posts back to life with a few ideas for putting these fancy pieces of cardstock to work?

Stretch it over a two page layout
The Lombard Street layout above is from the November Garden. I love scattering big blocks of patterned paper across two page layouts, and the scalloped rectangle helps bring all those colours and patterns together in the centre.

scrapbook page

Make it a simple focus
For single-photo layouts, one rectangle can be a home for photo, title and journaling. Super fast and easy, but the scallops make it a bit more purposeful and cute than a plain rectangle.

scrapbook page

Cut it in half
I love running these rectangles over the edge of the page and cutting off the excess — I like the look plus it stretches one supply over more than one layout. It’s perfect for a title block with stickers like these from BasicGrey. The shading around the edge of the scallops is much easier with a foam ink applicator than inking straight from the ink pad.

scrapbook page

Add a little something
Use the scallops the hold some other embellishment, like buttons, gems or punched circles to add a bit of dimension. Plus the look is quite different when the rectangle is on an angle instead of straight across the page.

And here is a (albeit silly) example of what to do with bits and pieces left over — those tiny pieces will work in corners and clusters of embellishments so there’s nothing going to waste.

So…what go-to item have you been putting to use for some time now?

xlovesx

PS: Those Blogging for Scrapbookers are throwing some blog parties this weekend! Check out The Creative Circle and I think there are more starting later today. I’ll post links here when I see them!

Introducing...the Shimelle Digitals Baker's Dozen

cupcakes

Exciting news today — I’d like to introduce the Baker’s Dozen! Thirteen fabulous crafters who are going to share projects made with my digital kits and that starts today! They’ve all made something lovely with The Long and Winding Road kits.

So meet the lovely thirteen, and check out their blogs for more! Allison, Anso, Avital, Dolly, Elisa, Helen, Karen C., Karen M., Kate, Nadine, Rani, Sheri and Yvonne.

digital scrapbook pages
digital scrapbook pages
digital scrapbook pages

So excited to see what these lovelies will come up with in both digital and hybrid projects. I hope you will find them just as inspiring!

I’m also looking forward to a few cherries on top as well — some lovely ladies that will be our special guests over the coming months.

digital creative team call
On a related note, it’s not too late to apply for the Two Peas Digital Creative Team — but don’t leave it too long as entries close tomorrow!

xlovesx

Has anyone seen my last two days?

scrapbook page from a sketch

Because I would like them to report here pronto. I am sure there are some hours left in each. I think they departed before the 24 hour time limit.

In fact, I think something similar may have happened to the last week or so.

So for now, let me direct you to other places, but come back, because the hours and the days and I are making a deal, and that deal includes time to blog. Oh yes.

Elsewhere, you’ll find…
…I’m a special guest at Studio 101 (not to be confused with Room 101) and you can participate in the first of three Shim-meets-101 challenges by making a layout with the same sketch I used to create the page above. (This weekend’s challenge will benefit charity: water, so you’ll want to check that out too.)

…You can win a free place on Journal your Christmas at Two Peas this weekend.

…I’m embossing polka dots at the Frog Blog.

…this weekend I’m leading a little Wizard of Oz magic at the UKScrappers cybercrop, and there are about as many challenges, classes and otherwise good things in a UKS cybercrop as there are munchkins in all of munchkinland, so definitely worth playing along if you have time to scrap this weekend.

Now, if you see my extra hours skiving around your place, send ‘em back here pronto!

xlovesx