Hey, Hey Sweet Shoppers! International Scrapbook Day is here, and to go with the biggest event in the digital scrapbooking community, I have the biggest Sweet Shoppe newsletter we’ve ever created! Everything you need to know about our special iNSD celebration is below, so sit back and read on for the details on all of our discounts, freebies, games, calls, news and MORE! With more than 80 new releases hitting the shoppe tonight, I can promise you won’t want to miss a moment of this scrumptious shopping event…
Whew! So there you have it, a slew of sweet new goodies, the entire shoppe is on sale, we’re playing tons of fun games in our forums and on facebook, we’re giving away lots of goodies annnnd we’re looking for some talented new artists to join our team! It’s a super exciting weekend here at Sweet Shoppe Designs, and I know you’re eager to jump into the fun, so I’m going to stop babbling, and remind you to keep making memories and scrap MORE!
Happy iNSD from all of us here at Sweet Shoppe Designs!
Rebecca shows us some beautiful uses for Typography in home decor and more!
I don’t usually keep up on trends. But, there is one trend that you can’t ignore, and that is typography! Everything from quotes, to alphabets, to monograms . . . there is a print for everyone’s style. These prints aren’t just for walls. I found them on pillows, towels, cards, tote bags, and jewelry!
So many things can be decorated by type . . . it’s a simple and elegant way to dress up any room! So the next time you see a cool quote on a journal card or a favorite alpha, why not create a stunning piece of art for your house!
Typography itself is an art. Arranging, sizing, and choosing the best fonts to make a visually satisfying statement can be hard! I saw typography defined as “the balance and interplay of letterforms on the page—a verbal and visual equation that helps the reader understand the form and absorb the substance of the page content”. (source) You have to be drawn into the content visually before you even actually READ it.
This month we are going to explore different aspects of Typography such as the terminology, rules, using it in design work, decorating, and much more so I hope you read and play along with us
Blog Bonus Challenge: Earn 1 bonus point for your May Portfolio by using the image above as inspiration. Play around with fonts, colors, sizes, spacing, and any other aspect of typography that you wish! Then, upload your layout to the Pinterest Portfolio Challenge Gallery and list it as a Blog Bonus Challenge in your tracker post.
Get Sweet Thing, a soft and sweet kit from Misty, FREE with your $10 purchase in the shoppe between now and May 15th! You also won’t want to miss checking out some gorgeous inspiration from our talented Babes featuring this beautiful freebie too. This is one special offer you won’t want to miss!
What is your current bestseller?
In terms of numbers sold, ABC & 123 is my best selling kit. Due to it’s popularity, it’s also been in the store longer than any other current kit.
What is the product you’re most proud of creating?
I love Black Pearl. I made it for my sons 6th birthday and am thrilled with how it turned out (the kit and the birthday).
What is your favorite layout you’ve seen in the gallery created by a customer?
I love seeing what people do with my Magazine Rack Templates. This page by adrianka, looks like it did come straight off a magazine rack.
Adrianka, I’d love for you to have a kit from my store free! Just contact Robin at admin@sweetshoppedesigns.com and she’ll get you fixed up.
What do you have in the works?
I recently had a customer request templates for the inside pages of magazines to go with the Magazine Rack Templates, so I’m mulling that around in my mind.
Currently, I’m working on a kit devoted to Washington State. I’ve lived here most of my life, and it’s been fun translating the sights and sounds I’ve come to love into scrapping material. Here is a little peek.
Show us some standout recent layouts from our team of SugarBabes!
I love it when art, journaling, and photos all combine to tell a story. Check out Being Creative from Jacinda, using Spring Forward and Words and Pictures 2. What a wonderful way to celebrate her budding artist.
Big photos always jump out of the gallery for me, like this Moment from Itabox using Cottage Charm.
Every time I see My Handsome Boy by Lizzy257 in the gallery, it makes me smile. Take a close look …. see? You’re smiling too, aren’t you?
Brook is an amazing scrapper. I particularly like the way she puts the Words and Pictures Templates to work. Check out this gorgeous two pager!
Do you have any products which you think are perfect for this month’s blog theme TYPOGRAPHY?
I love typography. Right now, I’m into bold, clean lettering. As a matter of fact, I have one such product coming out this weekend for NSD. Do you want to see?
Our Sugarbabes are big inspirations for us all. Get to know Subarbabe Lizzy who shares some techniques that are the things so unique to her way of creating layouts. Get inspired here…
Would you love to find a fabulous way to jazz up your text for titles or highlighted journaling? There are a lot of easy things you can do with layer styles and clipping masks to add a little bit of pizazz to your text! Read more…
Erin shows us beautiful inspiration for clean and organized scrapbook pages
Hello Sweet Shoppers! I hope you have all enjoyed these past few weeks of cleaning and organization! I’m here today to talk about clean & organized scrapbook pages—the simple, neat, orderly style—which I hope will inspire you to create your own clean pages!
I asked the staff to share with me layout artists that they felt created amazing clean and organized pages. And the artists are truly amazing!
Dana loves Majda’s gallery. She especially loves how Majda can use a Cindy template but turn it into her own style.
And, I think Jacinda is a great example of a clean page artist. And she rocks the templates by Janet:
Looking at all the above pages, you may be wondering what makes up an organized page. I really think that “clean and organized” is in the eyes of the beholder. But one thing is consistent, the layout artists are expressing their stories through amazing pages that their families will love forever!
Hey Hey Sweet Shoppers! Your favorite day of the week is here and as usual, I have loads of scrumptious goodies to share tonight along with the latest updates from around the site! I even have some special events to give you details and hints about, so read on for your first look at this week’s sweet new stuff…
From our featured designer spotlight which allows you to get to know our designers a little better to our talented team of SugarBabes who crank out gorgeous layouts day after day, we have the best team in all of digiland! If you’ve always wanted to join our team of Babes, be sure you check your inbox next Friday night for the details on a lightning-fast call you won’t want to miss!
Speaking of opportunities you’re going to want to jump on, the amazing Lynnette Penacho is having a creative team call! Lynnette is so inspiring and thought-provoking to work with on a professional level that I know whoever has the chance to join her team is in for an awesome experience! Apply now so you don’t miss your chance…
On that note, I’m off for now, but I’ll be here in your inbox again very very soon to introduce you to something that’s super exciting and near and dear to our hearts here at SSD! Until then, keep making memories and scrap MORE!
Nikki shares different ways to use lists to help you organize your scrapping goals.
One of the best ways to stay organized is the use of lists. Most people use lists for the typical things . . . grocery shopping, trip planning, daily “to-dos.” Lists can also be a great way to help you organize your scrapping goals.
Using Lists to Keep Track of Daily Goals
This is probably the way I use lists in my scrapbooking the most. As my kids have gotten older I seem to have less and less hours in the day because we are so busy. I’ve found that setting aside particular mornings to scrap is the only way I have time these days. So when I sit down at the computer, I look at what layouts I need to scrap for that particular amount of time and make a list. This is particularly helpful in getting Creative Team Assignments done. I’ve also found myself adding in things like “organize my to scrap folder” or “spend time in the gallery leaving comments.” I keep these short lists on my “sticky pad” on the PC, so it’s there in front of me the entire time I’m at the computer.
Using Lists to Keep Track of Weekly Goals
I think weekly goals are pretty essential if you are a member of any Creative Team. Most designers have new releases once a week, and I know when I myself was on several different teams the only way I could keep up with what was needed for what day was to make a list. But even if you’re not on a Creative Team, making weekly lists for your goals would be a great help. I do a weekly P365 layout, and to keep up with what photos I’ve taken and what happened each day, I keep short lists on my iPhone’s notepad. Another great idea is to list what kits you purchased that week and what photos you might have to go with them. That way you can get those scrapped and get your folders all ready for the next week’s purchases.
Using Lists to Keep Track of Monthly Goals
Each month there are specific holidays or events that we want to get scrapped. Make a list each month of those dates and even jot down ideas for kits/templates, etc. that you could use for those layouts. If you do a monthly “in review” layout, you could also list particular photos you want to be sure to snap. Many of us are Creative Team members with monthly assignments. I’ve found that keeping a sticky note close by with each assignment and when it’s due each month is essential for me to remember them all. Of course these types of lists could be as detailed or simple as you like.
Using Lists to Keep Track of Yearly Goals
There are several year-long projects that many people are involved with, and using lists to help get those organized is essential. If you are doing Project Life, there are countless ways you could use lists to keep track of what you want to include on each layout . . . and you can even include lists ON your PL layouts. I’ve seen examples of this in the galleries, and I always think it’s a cool addition to those pages.
You can also use lists to simply have a visual of what types of projects you want to accomplish for the year . . . Project Life, P365, P52, year books, baby birth books, etc. Make those lists and then get ‘em done!
Rebecca highlights great ideas for turning common household items into exciting hybrid projects
Hello, my sweet friends!
This whole month we have been talking about organizing, and it has maybe even spilled into your daily lives in the form of spring cleaning! So, as you are going through those cupboards and closets and running across things that you are thinking of throwing away . . . you should stop and think, can I breath new life into this item? How can I upcycle this item into something fabulous with my digi supplies and a bit of creativity?
I really love taking an item that I may throw out and thinking about what else I could make out of it. I have boxes of containers and paper cores in my basement just waiting for inspiration to hit! One of my favorite items I’ve made was the upcycle coffee sleeve album. I even wrote a little tutorial on it: UpCycle Coffee Sleeve Album.
Searching through our very own Sweet Shoppe Hybrid Galleries, I’ve been spotting some exciting projects that our members have done using common household items or those containers that would have found themselves recycled. They’ve made some pretty darn cool things!
Kitchen Items
NatalieKW created this cool Advent calender out of a muffin tin!
And HeyJude, took a spare frame and clothespins and created another cool take on an Advent Calendar!
Sigmakap95 took a cookie pan and created a calendar. That is pretty smart!
Boxes and Containers
Scrappycath took a plain tin box and turned made it fabulous!
AmberK took an empty Crystal Light container to store ideas for stopping the cries of the bored.
Sigmakap95 dressed up a lidded jar so her family could collect ideas for what they would like for dinner.
knlchevys created this cool game by dressing up some basic cardboard tubes.
knlchevys also took some more cardboard tubes and made them in play binoculars.
livelys made a cute mini first aid kit out of a mint tin. Personally, this is one of my favorite items to make to turn trash into treasure!
Office Supplies
HeyJude came up with a cool use for those common everyday binder clips that are just sliding around the office junk drawer.
Joana1n turned a tray into a nifty magnetic board.
I (mamabee) took some old CD-ROMs that my hubby had and was going to throw away and used them as backing for a mini album!
Other Items
Nicolesnead made this cool lab coat for her toddler from a t-shirt.
Wildblueeyez took a plain candle and turned it into a beautiful gift!
I (mamabee) took a gift card holder and turned it into a little magnetic paper doll set for my friend’s daughter.
These are just scraping the surface of the ideas of what you can do to common items around the house. Before you throw out that tin can, berry container, or toilet paper roll, pause and think about what you could make that into!
I would love to see your favorite trash to treasure items you have made with your digi supplies. Link them up so I can share the love!
Today we are going to talk about another aspect of organization—organizing your photos!! I have never been good with keeping things organized. I do it for a little bit, and then I get lazy. I notice that when I let my photo organization get away from me, my scrapping suffers. If I can’t easily find a photo to scrap, then I get stuck in the rut of using the same pictures over and over because they are what I can find!! Today we’re going to look at a few ways to organize your photos so you’re never left wondering where those awesome photos are hiding!!
Here is the breakdown of how I organize my photos: I have a master folder for each year. Inside the yearly folder, I have a folder for each month. This is such a simple way to organize. If I have a pretty good idea of the kind of photo I’m looking for, then I just go to that particular folder and search for that photo. The only thing that I find lacking in this particular method is that if there are months that you take lots of photos, finding that one perfect photo can definitely be a challenge, Especially if you’re like me and don’t weed out the duds (photo is out of focus, someone is blinking, etc)!! Sugarbabe Rebecca also organizes by Year > Month > Date, and then she adds key words of the pictures in that folder.
SugarBabe Lydia is one of my organizing gurus!! She also organizes photos by date but tags her photos with keywords. She even uses tags like “silly,” “fun,” or “siblings.” When she is looking for photos to use with specific kits, she can just search for that tag and she has a great array of photos to choose from!! She also tags her photos with “2012 to Scrap” and “2013 to Scrap.” She has smart folders that pull in photos with those tags. After she scraps the photo, she can remove the tag and the photo is automatically removed from the folder!!
SugarBabe Kim does most of her photo organizing in AcDSee. Here is her folder structure. To Scrap > 2012 > 0325 party grandma. When she clicks her folders, she can see all of the photos she has tagged for that category. From there she is easily able to search for a template or kit to go with her photos.
For those of us with YEARS of photos to scrap, designer Julie has a WONDERFUL idea!! When you are overwhelmed with which photos you want to scrap because there are just so many to choose from, create a folder and put a maximum of 10 unscrapped photos for each year in the folder. That’s not to say that your other photos aren’t as important, but if you could choose just 10 memories for a specific year, you wouldn’t have to be so overwhelmed with getting every memory scrapped. When you have just 10 photos in that folder, you can be on the lookout for specific kits to go with your chosen photos. I am in love with this idea!! There are so many times I want to catch up on certain years, but I don’t because I’m never sure which photos to scrap! Sadly, I end up not scrapping any from those years because it can be so overwhelming!!
Do you print your photos? Before I started digital scrapbooking, I spent SO much money on printing photos. I only print the photos that I frame around the house. While considering Project 365, I found a website that has a really awesome idea. With Shuttercal, you can upload your daily photos and journaling. At the end of the month, they print and ship your photos to you and at the end of the year you have a cute little box full of photos. If you don’t do Project 365, you can still implement that sort of idea. Buy some cute storage containers and print your very favorite photos!!
Really, there is no right or wrong way to organize photos. Everyone has their personal preferences. Hopefully, you were able to pick up a few tips and tricks to implement into your photo organization.
