Scrap with Ally

Yep, I've gone digital.

The rumors are true. (Or, at least partly true.) Something in me sparked, and I'm now a digital scrapbooker. And I LOVE it. Where have I been all along? I have no idea, but I'm glad to be in the world of digital.

I've been scrapping like a madwoman and have even been working on my own kit designs. (And yes, you'll be the first to know when they're ready.) But in the meantime, let me share a few new favorite layouts with you:

 

This is probably my favorite so far. Everything is designed by the fabulous Amy Sumrall. (Except the black script font which is CK Ali's Hand.) The majority of the items on this layout were from her "Wubulous" kit, which you can happen to download free if you head over to her blog. 

Speaking of Amy, if you've taken a look at my sidebar, you'll notice that I've been added to her Creative Team. I'm really excited about working with Amy's great stuff, so plan to see lots of layouts from me.

 

I created this one for a dare up at the DigiDares a few weeks ago. The idea was to create an "All I Really Need to Know" layout, and since I scrapped "All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Buffy the Vampire Slayer years ago, it was time for a new topic. I met Liang Chow, the coach of the U.S. 2008 women's gymnastics team a couple of months ago and it was a real thrill, as I'm a HUGE gymnastics fan and am absolutely obsessed with the Olympics!   

(Supplies for this layout: Papers, stitches, clip, and ricrac from Abish Allen's Everyday Moments. Word Art from Graham Like the Cracker's Everyday Adventures. Acrylic frame from Lyndsay Riches' A Year in the Life. Label from Brandy Designs' Project 365. Fonts: AmerType and CK Ali's Hand.)

 

And finally, another featuring favorite products from Amy Sumrall! All of these items were in her "My Favorite Thing" 80's themed kit which was available a couple weeks ago at DigiScrapAddicts. If you missed it, keep your eyes on Amy's blog, as there's a good chance you'll see it again!

That's it for now. I hope you've enjoyed these layouts, and that you enjoy all things digi that are yet to come from me. For those of you still scrapping with paper, no worries! I have NOT left the world of traditional scrapbooking, and I don't intend to anytime soon. You can still count on me for ideas for your traditional albums, as well as digital projects. I'm sure you'll see some hybrid work, too, so just stay tuned for now!

Check out my latest book review...

I recently had the chance to review Organize Your Digital Life by Aimee Baldridge for Scrapjazz.com. Check out the review here and then head over to Scrapbook.com or Amazon.com to get your copy!

Live Scrapbooking Chat Tomorrow Night!

Hi all! I just wanted to quickly post and let you know that I'll be chatting at Kindred Creations tomorrow night at 6:30 central time. Be sure to join the fun!

I look forward to sharing some of my favorite scrapbooking tips and answering your questions. Join in at http://www.kindredcreations.com/forum/.

See you then!

And the winner is...

The winner of the Picnik.com giveaway is...Coleen! Her favorite thing about scrapbooking? "What I love the most is the ability to share my heart in what I do and teach others. In Ukraine this is all new and the ladies love it."

Congrats, Collen! Please e-mail me to claim your prize!

Stay tuned for a fun announcement tomorrow night!

A great giveaway...

In honor of National Scrapbooking Day, Picnik.com has invited me to give away a free premium pass to their online photo editing site!

Picnik will allow you to edit your photos online - FREE! Whether your photos are on your computer, your Facebook profile, or even hosted on Flickr, their site is fun and easy to use. And because it's an online system, there's no software to purchase or download! The basic tools are available free, and a premium account is available for purchase. OR, you can simply leave a comment here on my blog to be entered to win a FREE premium pass!

All you have to do to enter is tell me your favorite thing about scrapbooking! I'll draw the winner on Wednesday evening, so check back then to see if you've won.

(And stay tuned, because an even bigger giveaway is headed your way soon!)

15-minute Scrapbooking

So, I'm happy to report that these days, I'm often able to produce as many as 4-6 pages in the space of just 2 hours! How do I do it? 15-minute scrapbooking.

It's all about keeping my pages super simple, with the added timesaver of "glue and go." The idea behind "glue and go" is that I don't lay out or plan my pages ahead of time. I just start sticking stuff down until I'm happy. The great thing about this system is that it yields a lot of pages in a short amount of time, and I'm getting a chance to scrap some of my favorite photos, which is perfect. But are any of these pages going to be published in a book? Likely not. Am I going to win any contests with these? Not happening. But does that even matter? No way!

The thing that I've realized throughout my scrapbooking journey is that my pages have to be, first and foremost, MY pages. I've taught countless classes where I tell students that it doesn't matter if their pages are "as good" as someone else's. Yet at times, I have trouble embracing that theory in my own scrapbooking. I think it's easy for me to fall into the trap that everything I create has to be "perfect." This was one of the primary reasons that I left all of my design teams and took a blogging break for much of the past 7 months. I simply needed to find my style again, and get back to having FUN!!

Take this for example...

 

This is a simple, 15-minute page. The design isn't ground-breaking, and as a designer, I can tell you what I'd change to make it better. But all that aside, I LOVE this layout. The picture is a favorite of our sweet Gracie, and the title is right from a favorite Beatles song. I had this hanging in my cubicle at work for several months, and everyone commented on how much fun it was. I love that.

So here I am. Back in the world of scrapbooking. Granted, sometimes I still bust out the paint and chipboard and all of the extras and spend more time on pages that become my favorites. But what I've discovered is that a simple layout can mean just as much. I've learned a lot in my "time off" and have plenty of fun things to share. I hope that these projects & ideas will inspire you to try something new. Whether it's a new technique or embellishment style (stay tuned in the coming weeks) or simply learning to LET GO and have some fun.

So, I challenge you to create your OWN 15-minute page. Grab a favorite 5x7 photo, a few papers & stickers. (Or, if you're a digital gal, start with a photo, a quickpage, and a few favorite embellishments.) Set your timer. 15 mintues. Ready? Set? Scrap!

(And, please share links to your creations in the comments! There just might be a fun RAK in store for those who take the plunge!)

A Few Sneak Peeks...

So, I originally promised new content in January. Then, in February, I promised it again. Now it's March - and let's face it - almost April. Life has been more than a little crazy lately, and I'll be sharing some of the details of the past few months as I move forward here. But...let's get to the fun stuff!

First, I want you all to know that I plan to start posting something new each week. I can't necessarily promise what day it will appear - you'll have to keep checking back! A great way to stay updated is to subscribe using the box to your right. I have an EXCITING GIVEAWAY planned for April that you won't want to miss! I can tell you that the prize is worth almost $80 and it's quite fun!

I'd like to share a few sneak peeks of what you'll be seeing over the next month or so...

 

  

  

  

In addition to the exciting giveaway, I'll be sharing a step-by-step tutorial on how to make your own fun & funky address book, multi-photo layout tips, new embellishment ideas, fun cardmaking tips, and even more. I have LOTS of exciting things planned! 

So, simply subscribe or check back next week to find my first new post with you. Thanks, to all of you, for your kind e-mails and words of encouragement. It's good to be back! 

Thanks to all of you...

...for your kind words and all of the excitement you've shared over my return to the blogosphere. I've loved reading all of your e-mails.

The great news is, the new projects and posts will all be coming to you this weekend. Look forward to product reviews, new projects, and even some step-by-step tutorials!

Stay tuned...the best is yet to come!

Guess what??

I'm going to be posting new layouts & projects SOON. Stay tuned!! :)

Saying Goodbye...

For a variety of reasons, I decided last month to resign from my design team positions at WeScrap and Scrapbooker's Club House. This was a very difficult desicion. I have been feeling very strapped for time and energy lately. With a brand new puppy and winter coming, I feel the need to take a step back and focus on family and myself.

I plan to continue scrapbooking, and am in fact looking forward to trying out some new things and sharing them with you regularly here on my blog. Free from deadlines and design requirements, I look forward to re-discovering my own unique style and finding new directions for my scrapbooking. Though I will miss my friends and design team mates at both sites, I'm excited about this newfound freedom to create just for me.

On this same note, I will no longer be regularly posting "Must Have Monday" posts, but will share these types of posts on a random basis. I also look forward to posting a Q & A based on the questions all of you shared last month.

To close, I'd like to share a couple of layouts from my last kit for Scrapbooker's Club House - I'm sure none of you will be surprised to see that photos on both feature my sweet new puppy!

Both of these layouts were made with the October kit, which is now available for purchase at SBCH - hop on over and check it out!