Gretchen Barron

Multi-Cultural Birthday Kids Scrapbook Layout

 

Hello everyone and Happy Saturday! I'm so excited to share with you the scrapbook layout that I created for U Stamp with Dawn & Friends Knock Out Punches 2011!!! Just look at this fun layout with it's bright colors and happy little people with sweet personalities! You can get all the details for this and dozens of other "knock out" projects by subscribing to Dawn's latest Online Class. Believe me, it packs a powerful punch and will give you months of project ideas and tutorials! Have fun and Happy Scrapping!

 

November's Scrapbook Club Kit -- Give Thanks!

Hello everyone! It's time to reveal the November Online Scrapbook Club Kit.  This month's kit is all about Giving Thanks! In beautiful jewel tone colors, you can celebrate the fall and Thanksgiving seasons with inspirational quotes and lovely embossed Die Cut Leaves as you preserve your precious family memories and photos.

Here's the information on my Online Scrapbook Club:

I’m now offering Scrapbook Kits, available for individual purchase or as part of a 6 or 12 month club membership. Each kit includes supplies you need to complete an 8.5 x 11” 2-page layout – cardstock and paper, embellishments, die cuts, etc. Each kit will also include extra supplies and layout suggestions so that you can create a 12x12 double-page layout USING YOUR OWN 12X12" CARDSTOCK!

Included with each kit is an instruction page with photos and ideas for adapting your layouts to either 6x6 or 12x12” formats. (Note: adapting the layouts to 12x12 size require the use of your own 12x12" cardstock - this is the one item not received in the kit). Note: Scrapbook Kits will not include stamped images but may, from time to time, include printed graphic images and texts. Any stamp sets or stamped images used in the kits must be purchased separately. Instructions for each kit will include names and ordering information for stamp sets used in the photos.

The November Give Thanks Kit (pictured above) includes: Old Olive, Cajun Craze, More Mustard, Cherry Cobbler and Whisper White cardstocks, a printed page which includes the Title Block and several inspiration quotes, a packet of 25 Die Cut and Embossed leaves, and ribbon to make the layout as shown. There are enough extra supplies included to adapt the layout to a double-page 12x12 spread, using your own 12" cardstock. Tips, photos and instructions are included to show you how you can adapt your pages to either 12x12 or 6x6" formats.

Tools and Supplies Needed for the Give Thanks Kit include: SNAIL adhesive, a paper cutter, paper snips, Cherry Cobbler Classic Ink pad and a sponge and Stampin' Dimensionals. No stamp sets are required for this layout.

 

 

You can participate in my Online Scrapbook Club

Three Different Ways!

Individual Kit Purchase -- Purchase anytime. Price for kits ordered individually is $7.95 per kit plus an additional $3.00 for S&H. If ordering multiple kits (not as a club membership), please e-mail me first for reduced shipping fees. Click HERE to view my Scrapbook Page Online Catalog with all the current kits available. More will be listed soon!

6-Month Club Membership – Join anytime – $57.95 for 6 double-page layouts (8.5 x 11”) sent once each month for 6 months. This is a $10 savings over the individual purchase price. Your subscription begins in the month that you join the club.

12-Month Club Membership – Join anytime -- $110.00 for 12 double-page layouts (8.5 x 11”) sent once each month for 12 months. Your subscription begins in the month that you join the club. This is by-far the best deal with a savings of $21.40 over the individual purchase price. PLUS!!! 12-month club memberships receive a FREE 6x6” Stampin’ Up! Album of your choice (choose from 4 possible designs), a $10.95 value (mailed with your second club membership layout). Total value of the 12-month Club Membership is $142.35

The Monthly Club Kit will be promoted on my blog during the first week of each month. Club Kits are shipped out around the 10^th of each month.

Additional Scrapbook Kits (not as part of the Club Membership) will be listed several times each month and are available for individual purchase at any time. Click HERE to view my Online Scrapbook Kit Catalog.

Additional Club Membership Benefit – Scrapbook Club Members Receive a 10% discount on any Stampin’ Up! Orders placed through me (via e-mail or phone) during your Club Membership period.

Payments – Payments for Club membership subscriptions, individual Page Kits and Stampin’ Up! Orders are typically made through PayPal and can be ordered by clicking on the PayPal buttons at the bottom of this post. If you would like to use another payment method (Cashier’s or Personal Check), please contact me directly by e-mail. Additional time for check clearance may be required.

Please Note: Club Membership is limited to US Customers ONLY. Individual kits may be shipped internationally for an additional fee. Please make arrangements by e-mail before ordering.

So, what do you think? I hope you're as excited as I am and just wait until you see some of the kits that will be coming to you soon! Get your membership started today by clicking on the PayPal buttons below!

12 Month Club Membership

Choose your FREE 6x6 Album:

1 - Cherry Trim (from the Holiday Mini Catalog)2 - Chateau Memories3 - Expresso Classic4 - Polka Dot Party

 

6 Month Club Membership

 

Individual Purchase of the Give Thanks Scrapbook Kit

**NEW** Remember When Scrapbook Kit

Hello everyone and welcome to Inspiration in Action!

As promised, I have another new Scrapbooking Kit for you ... this beautiful Remember When kit reminds me of my grandmother. She loved pink and doilies I have the perfect photo of her for the first page.

But this kit can be used for more than photos of grandmothers ... how about baby photos of little girls, wedding or baby showers, mother's day, a special trip or event, even a reunion! The possibilities are endless!

Included with each of my scrapbooking kits is an instruction page with photos and ideas for adapting your layouts to either 6x6 or 12x12” formats. (Note: adapting the layouts to 12x12 size require the use of your own 12x12" cardstock - this is the one item not received in the kit). Note: Scrapbook Kits will not include stamped images. Any stamp sets or stamped images used in the kits must be purchased separately. Instructions for each kit will include names and ordering information for stamp sets used in the photos.

Here's what you get in the Remember When Scrapbook Kit: Pretty in Pink, Melon Mambo and Whisper White cardstocks, a packet of DSP and Cardstock Die Cut Butterflies in two sizes, 4 Laser Cut Paper Doilies in Pumpkin Pie and Melon Mambo (2 of each color and they reverse to white), Melon Mambo Polka Dot Ribbon and an Antique Brad. There are enough extra supplies included to adapt the layout to a double-page 12x12 spread, using your own 12" cardstock. Tips, photos and instructions are included to show you how you can make the double page 8.5 x 11" layout and then also adapt your pages to either 12x12 or 6x6" formats. Tools and Supplies Needed for the Remember When Scrapbook Kit include: SNAIL adhesive, a paper cutter, Stampin' Dimensionals, Basic Adhesive Pearls, paper snips, White Embossing Powder, a Heat Tool and Pretty in Pink and Melon Mambo Classic Ink pads. Suggested Stamp Sets are: Hello Doily Background Stamp, Word Play and Delicate Doilies.

The Remember When Scrapbook Kit sells for $7.95 per kit plus an additional $3.00 for S&H. If ordering multiple kits (not as a club membership), please e-mail me first for reduced shipping fees. Shipping fee is for orders shipped within the US only -- e-mail me if you would like to ship this kit internationally. Order by clicking on the PayPal Button below.

 

Join the Inspiration in Action Online Scrapbook Club!

6-Month Club Membership – Join anytime – $57.95 for 6 double-page layouts (8.5 x 11”) sent once each month for 6 months. This is a $10 savings over the individual purchase price.

12-Month Club Membership – Join anytime -- $110.00 for 12 double-page layouts (8.5 x 11”) sent once each month for 12 months. This is by-far the best deal with a savings of $21.40 over the individual purchase price. PLUS!!! 12-month club memberships receive a FREE 6x6” Stampin’ Up! Album of your choice (choose from 4 possible designs), a $10.95 value (mailed with your first club membership layout). Total value of the 12-month Club Membership is $142.35

The Monthly Club Kit will be promoted on my blog during the last week of each month. Club Kits are shipped out around the 10^th of each month.

Additional Scrapbook Kits (not as part of the Club Membership) will be listed several times each month and are available for individual purchase at any time.

Additional Club Membership Benefit – Scrapbook Club Members Receive a 10% discount on any Stampin’ Up! Orders placed through me (via e-mail or phone) during your Club Membership period.

Limited Time Charter Member Club Sign-up Bonus! From now until October 31, 2011, receive an additional FREE scrapbook Kit with your first Club Membership shipment. FREE scrapbook kits will be selected by me from a selection of those I have available. FREE kits may use discontinued or retired product. Each FREE kit will include the same instruction/adaptation page as the monthly kits, along with all supplies needed to complete a 2 page 8.5x11” layout.

Payments – Payments for Club membership subscriptions, individual Page Kits and Stampin’ Up! Orders are typically made through PayPal and can be ordered by clicking on the PayPal buttons at the bottom of this post. If you would like to use another payment method (Cashier’s or Personal Check), please contact me directly by e-mail. Additional time for check clearance may be required.

Please Note: Club Membership is limited to US Customers ONLY. Individual kits may be shipped internationally for an additional fee. Please make arrangements by e-mail before ordering. If you subscribe to the Scrapbook Club before October 25, 2011, your first kit will be Fright Night.

So, what do you think? I hope you're as excited as I am and just wait until you see some of the kits that will be coming to you soon! Get your membership started today by clicking on the PayPal buttons below!

12 Month Club Membership

Choose your FREE 6x6 Album:

1 - Cherry Trim (from the Holiday Mini Catalog)2 - Chateau Memories3 - Expresso Classic4 - Polka Dot Party

 

6 Month Club Membership

 

New Sketch Challenge on Soul Scrappers

Hello everyone and welcome to a new Sketch Challenge over at Soul Scrappers!  If you don't know about this site, you really need to check it out. There are tons of challenges, inspiration, tips and ideas for your scrapbooking projects!

You can see the sketch on the left ...

And here's my inspiration layout! I just love doing heritage layouts. For one thing, I have an incredible and amazing stock of old family photos that have been digitized and when I transform these photos into scrapbook pages, I feel so privileged to be preserving these precious memories for generations to come.

Now, isn't this better than having them all thrown in a drawer (ahem ... MOM?)

I do hope you'll try your hand at this scrapbooking sketch. Make sure and tag it with "SC18" if posting it in a public forum.

 

I created my layout with My Digital Studio but if you're doing traditional scrapbooking, you might want to check out my DSP and Ribbon Samplers. It's not too late to place orders for the new ribbon and DSP stamplers from the BIG Idea Book & Catalog. I'm taking orders now -- supplies will be ordered each Friday so get your order in soon to make the deadline! More information can be found HERE.

 

Also, the Test Tube Gift Card Holders have been very popular and I continue to send out kits as quickly as I can put them together. Have you ordered yours yet?

 

I'm so glad you stopped by today and hope you come back soon! Happy Stamping and Scrapping! 

The Ladies Who Lunch and a New Scrapbooking Sketch Challenge!

Hello everyone! There's a new Scrapbooking Sketch Challenge this morning on Soul Scrappers-- SC12. This is a fun one with room for 4 photos and lots of journaling! I do hope you'll play along! If you're not familiar with Soul Scrappers, it's a fun and interactive (and free) Ning community of like-minded folks who love scrapbooking.

There are several challenges going on all the time and you have a fun two weeks to post your challenge projects, which is great for the procrastinators among us (myself included!).

Just click on the Soul Scrappers link above to join and make sure you mention my name in the comment line!

And here's my inspiration layout for this challenge! I had such fun doing this with My Digital Studio!I can't tell you how much this tool from Stampin' Up! has transformed my scrapbooking. I still love traditional scrapbooking, don't get me wrong, but My Digital Studio makes it so easy to put your pictures and words on the page. You can print out your layouts (either at home or professionally) and then embellish with ribbons, buttons, bows, brads and any number of other goodies to make Hybrid pages, knowing that the Stampin' Up! colors will remain true and that everything will coordinate. You can also quickly and easily design your layout on MDS and then if you want to do a totally traditional layout, you can more quickly put it together, using your MDS version as your guide! And of course if you simply want to leave your MDS creation totally digital, you can share it with family and friends by e-mail, on your blog, on your computer or TV screen or a digital photo frame! It's so much fun and is a great tool to help you with all kinds of paper crafting, not just scrapbooking!

For this layout, I used the Vintage Vogue Digital Download to embellish my photos. It certainly made for a quick, easy and fun layout! That's another great thing about My Digital Studio, from time to time, Stampin' Up! offers affordable download packages with some of the newest stamp images, papers and embellishments. And once you have them downloaded into MDS, you can use them to your hearts content, forever! You'll never need to replenish your supplies and order more -- you can just print out your favorite papers and images and use them over and over in your crafting! And if you order MDS from me, you've got me as your personal creative coach to help you learn the program, answer questions, and to lend you inspiration!

If you would like to order My Digital Studio for yourself or would like more information on this great crafting tool, e-mail me at [email protected] or go to my Online Ordering Site and click on "shop now" at the top of the page!

Journaling 101 Online Scrapbooking Course -- Get Ready to Take Your Scrapbooking to the Next Level!

I was honored recently when Erika Martin asked me to join her Design Team for another round of Journaling 101, her popular online Scrapbooking Course!

While it's true that a picture is worth a thousand words, if you are like most of us, you find it difficult to put words on your scrapbooking pages which help the pictures tell the story. Perhaps you ...

• Don't feel like you have anything to say
• Don't feel like you're a writer
• Don't want to take the time to do the journaling
• Just plain don't know where to begin

If any of these excuses sound familiar to you, then Journaling 101 might be just the ticket to help you take your scrapbooking to the next level. Throughout this 12-week course, you will discover the writer within you. Through weekly journaling exercises and scrapbooking assignments, you will practice ways to add the important words to your scrapbook pages which will truly tell the story that you want to pass down to future generations. If you want to create artistic and creative albums and want to tell the stories but need help to get started, then you will enjoy this 12-week course.

 

Each week, you will receive a PDF document in your inbox with exercises to help you get started; tricks, tips and ideas to explore; an assignment and challenge which will help you explore different ways to add journaling to your pages; examples from Design Team Members; Sketches to stir your creativity; a gallery to upload your creations and share them with other Journaling 101 participants and Design Team Members; an interactive forum with discussions on each week's tasks

 and lots of support and encouragement from Erika and the other Design Team Members. You can take the course at your own pace. If things get busy and you don't have time to get to it for a week or two, it's no problem. The weekly PDF documents can be printed out or saved for future reference. All the classes will be available to you through October 4th, so you can come back to them when you're able.

 

 

If you're already a scrapbooker or even if you've never scrapbooked before.....this course has something for everyone! It doesn't matter where you live or what you scrapbook with, this course has been created for everyone!

 

Here's what previous Journaling 101 graduates have had to say about this course ...

 

"Thanks for the inspiring questions and photos, and for allowing me to feel not guilty about making scrapping only about embellishment after embellishment (at times I think it seems that over the past few years it has become a competition about how much decoration you can fit on a page, not the photos and the story). This is a insightful journey, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart". -Jo K.

"Thanks Erika - By being involved in this I am finding that I can get so much more done as well as get a page or two done each week. The anticipation as well as the thought processes are great"! - Joanne M.

 

The course begins Monday, May 10th although since you have the ability to work at your own pace, you can begin it anytime. If you decide to register, please be sure and let Erika know that you heard about it from me by putting my name and a note in the comment section of the registration form.

 

I'm excited about this journey that we're about to embark on and would love to take it with you! Check out the registration page today and if you have questions, don't hesitate to let Erika or myself know!

 

Happy Scrapbooking, everyone!

I was honored recently when Erika Martin asked me to join her Design Team for another round of Journaling 101, her popular online Scrapbooking Course!

While it's true that a picture is worth a thousand words, if you are like most of us, you find it difficult to put words on your scrapbooking pages which help the pictures tell the story. Perhaps you ...

• Don't feel like you have anything to say
• Don't feel like you're a writer
• Don't want to take the time to do the journaling
• Just plain don't know where to begin

Let's Go fly a Kite -- It's Easy with My Digital Studio!

Happy Monday Morning, everyone! I'm bringing you a brand new Sketch challenge this morning from Soul Scrappers! What's that? You don't yet know about Soul Scrappers? How could that be? Soul Scrappers is a growing online community of folks who are interested in scrapbooking their memories with an emphasis upon telling your story through journaling!

We've got a ton of resources available for you on Soul Scrappers, there's an online forum to use for help, support and just to get-to-know everyone, and there are several challenges each week to stir your creativity, jump-start your MoJo, and encourage you to learn new techniques and explore new ideas. This sketch challenge is just one of several that are on-going throughout the week. And one of the great things about Soul Scrappers Challenges -- you have two weeks to complete your project and upload it to the website.

So, if you're not already a member of the Soul Scrappers community, run, don't walk, to www.soul-scrappers.ning.com and sign up today. It's free and it's great!

Okay, now that my commercial is over, here's my page to go with today's new sketch. This page came together quickly and easily using My Digital Studio, the great new Scrapbooking and Crafting software from Stampin' Up!

I pulled the colors from the bright colors of the winged kite and the gorgeous blue sky of that April day. This page probably took less than 10 minutes to complete -- start to finish. That's how quick and easy MDS (My Digital Studio) is. All the colors on MDS coordinate perfectly with all the beautiful Stampin' Up! colors that we've come to know and love. And once you create a page in MDS, it's ready to view digitally, to print out on your own home printer, or to have professionally printed and sent to your home. It's oh, so cool!

For more information about My Digital Studio, or to have your questions answered, or if you want to purchase a copy of this great software for yourself, contact me at [email protected].

That's it for today! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Soul Scrappers Sketch Challenge SC3

Good morning, everyone! I'm so excited! Last week I told you about a new Scrapbooking site called Soul Scrappers-- a new community of scrapbookers and stampers who really want to learn to put more of themselves into their scrapbooking! Today is my first Sketch Challenge created for Soul Scrappers.

To join Soul Scrappers, simply go to http://www.soul-scrappers.ning.com and request to become part of the group. You will be challenged several times a week with great sketches and other challenges, as well as tips, information and inspiration from the Design Team and Others.

And if you want to try your hand at this week's Sketch Challenge, I would be thrilled and excited to see what you do with my sketch.

Okay, speaking of doing something with the sketch, here is the layout that I created for today.

Pulling my color inspiration from my daughter's pajamas, I used Tempting Turquoise, Lovely Lilac and Almost Amethyst, along with Whisper White. I used Textured Cardstock for this 12x12" layout. The sketch can easily be adapted for a square layout of any size. I used the Scallop Trim Corner and Border Punches and 5/8" Whisper White Satin Ribbon. I also used the Heart to Heart and Full Heart Punches, along with the Scalloped Heart Embosslet and the Big Shot. The Stamp set is I {Heart} Hearts.

I'm so glad you stopped by today and I do hope you are inspired to try some scrapbooking this week!

If you haven't yet, I invite you to check out my latest Kit and Tutorial offering -- the Whimsical Wings Gift Box and Mini Cards set! Perfect for Easter, Mother's Day, spring birthdays, showers and weddings, Whimsical Wings is a delight to create, give or keep for yourself!

Do you want to see what else is available to purchase on Inspiration in Action? Check out all the Tutorials and Kits that are currently available HERE!

Putting Soul into Your Scrapbooking!

Hello everyone! I want to tell you about an exciting new project that I'm privileged to be part of ... The Soul Scrappers!

• Do you want to learn how to put more of yourself into your scrapbook pages?
• Do you want to learn how to express yourself better on the pages of your scrapbooks?
• Do you want to be part of a community of like-minded people who love to scrapbook and share ideas?
• Do you want to be challenged and motivated to put more of yourself in your pages?

Then I invite you to check out the new Soul Scrappers! Just click on their banner above to learn more and join! This is a brand new ning community begun by Erika Martin and as part of the Design Team, I can tell you we've got some exciting things planned for you. The fifteen Design Team members will be planning several challenges each week to help motivate and inspire you in your scrapbooking. Challenges will be in several different areas -- techniques, themes, digital, sketch and more. In addition, there are all kinds of tutorials, samples and advice to help you get started or to motivate you to keep going. There is truly something to inspire everyone here.

Here's my very first challenge project for Soul Scrappers! One of this week's challenges was to use the transparency feature in your digital scrapbooking! I created this page using My Digital Studio, Stampin' Up's! wonderful new solution to digital crafting of all kinds.

With MDS, this page went together quickly and easily! I used some of the new Sweet Pea Collection downloads. What fun!

I do hope you'll check out Soul Scrappers by clicking on their banner above. And if you have questions about scrapbooking or My Digital Studio, feel free to ask. I'll do my best to help you out!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you'll come back soon!

If you haven't yet, I invite you to check out my latest Kit and Tutorial offering -- the Whimsical Wings Gift Box and Mini Cards set! Perfect for Easter, Mother's Day, spring birthdays, showers and weddings, Whimsical Wings is a delight to create, give or keep for yourself!

Do you want to see what else is available to purchase on Inspiration in Action? Check out all the Tutorials and Kits that are currently available HERE!

Summer Scrapbooking

This week's challenge on Late Night Stampers is to make projects with Summer Themes so I thought it would a perfect opportunity to do some Summer Scrapbooking Layouts (not to mention the fact that I am SOOOOOOOOO far behind on my personal challenge of 20 pages for the month of May - Yikes!). This first layout was so much fun to do. Do you recognize the border on the bottom? Isn't it cool and doesn't it look just like waves? That was what I thought the first time that I used the Swirly Decorate Strip Sizzlet Die and saw the negative image that was left after I carefully peeled away the delicate swirl. For this layout, I cut one swirl in Ballet Blue and another in Tempting Turquoise. I used the negative "left-over" (the part that would normally be thrown away) of the Tempting Turquoise and then laid the Ballet Blue swirl over the top for some perfect waves! Looks like Surf's Up! Using the stamp set, Life's a Breeze, I stamped some coordinating beach accessories in Green Galore, Tempting Turquoise and Ballet Blue. Okay -- it's not a masterpiece, I know! But it was a fun page to put together and works well with the light-hearted, fun images of this pre-school Beach-Day party!

This next layout uses one of my all-time favorite pictures of Bethany. It was one of those happy accidents that I just happened to capture during a family Memorial Day picnic in 2005. The photo is so wonderful that I purposely kept the layout clean and simple to focus on the detail in the photo -- from the content look on her face as she bites into the sweet summer goodness to the drip of watermelon juice that can be seen on her chin. Perfect!

I used Rose Red, Kiwi Kiss, Glorious Green, Raspberry Tart DSP, Kiwi Kiss Satin Ribbon, Define Your Life Stamp Set, a Black Stampin' Write Marker and the Serif Essentials Alphabet Die Set.

I hope to be back later today with more (if I get a chance to stamp and play).

Check out my $5 project tutorials HERE.

Click HERE to see Class-on-the-Go Kits and Cards that I currently am selling.

Until later, thanks for looking! Blessings, Gretchen