Gettin' By

Give-It-Away Thursday: Big Picture Classes

I'm kicking off this Thursday with some exciting news from Big Picture Classes! Today their newest class, The Phone Photography Project opens for registration. I'm excited to be a contributor to this class, because like many scrapbookers, my iPhone has become my go-to camera and I'm always looking for ways to improve and perfect my phone photography.

The Phone Photography Project is a month-long workshop where you'll learn to take better photos with the camera you always have with you. Document your summer adventures—with help from 32 incredible instructors who will be issuing daily smartphone photography challenges, as well as:

• dozens of tips and tricks from the pros for taking better photos with your mobile-phone camera
• a handbook of 60+ photography app reviews for iPhone and Android, so you know which are worth your time and money
• dozens of project ideas for getting photos off your device and into your world
• interaction with 32 experienced iPhoneographers and Androidographers, and hundreds of fellow students in a private classroom and on Instagram
• giveaways, contests, discounts, bonus downloads, and fun fun fun!

Here's a nifty video preview of some of the fun you'll find in this class:

Right now you can register for the introductory price of $39, but this price won't last long, so don't delay!  You can find out all the important details at Big Picture Classes. I hope you'll join us for this fabulous fun summer course!

And while we're on the topic of Big Picture classes, I have a spot to give away in the fabulous May Flaum's newest adventure, Camp Scrap:

Camp Scrap 2013 is the place to be this summer! Spend the entire month of June scrapbooking with May Flaum and hundreds of her closest friends in an online, choose-your-own-adventure paper crafting camp. You'll enjoy more than 40 new and exclusive projects from May, a dozen "mini class" videos with accompanying handouts, daily emails, a bustling student message board and gallery, and more!
 
This 4-week workshop includes all the fun, instruction, and inspiration you'd find at an in-person scrapbooking retreat. But you get to participate entirely from home in your shorts and flip-flops (or whatever counts as your comfort gear for summer).

If you'd like to be entered to win a spot at Camp Scrap, just leave me a comment today telling me what you're most looking forward to this summer! I'll randomly pick a winner from the comments on Monday, May 13. And let the countdown to summer begin!

UPDATED WITH WINNER:

Give-It-Away Thursday: Basic Grey Album Kit

I'm not a huge mini-album maker, but I've had the chance to work with some of the new Basic Grey journals and they just might convert me! The slightly-larger-than-mini size (7" x 9") means there's more room in these sturdy binders for your photos and memorabilia. And the coordinating insert pages (die cut tab pages, printed inserts and photo sleeves!) make it super easy to create an adorable and functional album quickly. Because if I can't do it quick - it won't happen!

Right now (but only until May 12!) Basic Grey has special pricing on two album kits from their popular Knee Highs & Bow Ties line. For only $25, you'll get a 7x9 album with 5 tab pages, 5 designer insert pages and 6 page protectors, plus a 6x6 pad, element stickers, chipboard shapes, mini alphabet stickers and a book of snippets:

Today I'm giving away one of these album kits to a lucky reader! Just leave me a comment telling me your favorite Basic Grey product right now.** I'll pick a random winner from the eligible comments on Saturday, May 4.

Happy Thursday!

**Giveaway is open to all readers, both US and international. If you are not signed in to Typepad when commenting, please be sure to leave an email where you can be contacted. A winner will be randomly selected on May 4, 2013 and contacted via email. Prize will be shipped out the week of May 13.

UPDATED WITH WINNER:

Congrats to Sarah, winner of the album kit! Stop by next Thursday for another giveaway!

Everyday Storyteller 2 | Blog Hop

Welcome to the Everyday Storyteller 2 Blog Hop! I'm excited to be a contributor to this fabulous book and to be offering you a chance to win the book before it even goes on sale.

Everyday Storyteller 2 is a brand new idea book offering more than 100 tips, tricks and techniques for scrapbooking. Go behind the scenes with 33 of your favorite memory keepers to see how they capture moments, tell stories and document their best memories. Sign up for the VIP list to be the first to know when the book is released and receive an exclusive discount.

Each book contributor participating in the blog hop is giving away an eBook copy of Everyday Storyteller 2. If you'd like to enter, use this entry link or click the graphic below to complete your entry form. You must enter by 11:59pm PDT on April 30, 2013 to be eligible. You may enter from each stop. Winners will be contacted directly as well as posted at everydaystoryteller.com on May 1, 2013.

And here's a list of the other participating contributors, so be sure to stop by their blogs for more chances to win!

Tangie Baxter
Kerri Bradford
Joscelyne Cutchens
Catherine Davis
Patty Debowski
Karla Dudley
Leah Farquharson
Karen Grunberg
Jenni Hufford
Donna Jannuzzi
Amanda Jones
Mandy Koeppen
Riikka Kovasin
Kami Leonard
Amy Mallory
Amy Martin
Ann-Marie Morris
Celine Navarro
Lynnette Penacho
Kelly Purkey
Krista Sahlin
Linda Sattgast
Cindy Schneider
Wendy Smedley
Elisha Snow
Amy Sorensen
Neisha Sykes
Jill Sprott
Laura Vegas
Allison Waken
Crystal Wilkerson
Jennifer Wilson

Finally, I'll leave you with a little sneak of some of my projects from the book, all of which feature one of my favorite design techniques - grids!

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful Tuesday!

Gardeners' Digest | Two Peas in a Bucket

 

Welcome to this month's edition of Gardener's Digest, a blog hop that highlights some of the cool stuff going on at Two Peas in a Bucket! Today I'm giving you a peek at one of my latest projects, as well as featuring an inspiring layout from the Two Peas Gallery, and sharing some of my current product faves. And hey - there's a pretty good giveaway, too!

Today, my monthly contribution to the Seeing Double series goes live, and I'm using some of the new Prima stencils and spray mist to create a layout and a card. I'm finding that stencils (or masks) are a great way to use mist without the unpredictibility (re: mistakes!) that spray mist sometimes cause. Here's sneak from one of my projects:

Hope you'll check it out and let me know what you think!

I love finding a few spare minutes to browse the Two Peas Gallery! This layout by Missy Whidden caught my eye with the colorful misting and stamping. The small details - like the torn papers framing the page and the hand-drawn photo frames - make this a fabulous design:

Five things I'm loving (and using!) right now:

Up for grabs today is an unique mini album from Maggie Holmes' Crate Paper collection. This 6x9 clipboard-style album has eight pages of mixed media (patterned paper, vellum, and transparencies) to create an adorable projects!

If you'd like to be entered to win this album, leave me a comment below and tell me your favorite cardstock color.  I'll pick a winner next Wednesday, March 27 and announce it at the bottom of this post.

Next, please hop on over to the fabulous Melissa Stinson's blog for more Gardeners' Digest. And happy Friday to you all!

Congrats to commenter #59 - Mary Mac, the lucky winner of the mini album!

Gardeners' Digest | Two Peas in a Bucket

 

Welcome to the February edition of Gardener's Digest, where the Garden Girls highlight some of the great stuff going on at Two Peas in a Bucket! Today I'm giving you a peek at one of my upcoming projects, as well as featuring a beautiful inspiration piece from the gallery, and sharing some of my current favorite products. And of course, the best part - I've also got a fabulous giveaway below! So let's get rolling...

Debuting today in the garden is my second Seeing Double video, so I hope you'll pop over and take a look! I'm using a cool little 6x6 paper pad from the American Crafts XOXO line to create a layout and a tag with a striped background. Here's a little peek:

And if you have any suggestions for products you'd like to see used in future videos, I'd love to hear them!

There's so much beautiful work in the Two Peas Gallery! I fell in love with this layout by Michiko.K because of its soft colors, perfect layering, and gorgeous texture. Every little detail is perfection and the layout truly is just like the title...lovely!

With the plethora of new products on the market right now, it was hard to pick just five! But here are some of the supplies I've used (and loved) recently or that I have plans for using in the very near future:

1. Prima Camera Stencil ($4.99)
2. Pink Paislee Resistable Stars ($4.99)
3. Glitz Design WhatNots ($4.99)
4. Studio Calico Wesley Alpha Stamps ($7.50 on sale!)
5.  Jenni Bowlin Studio Domino Chipboard ($4.50)

Want to experience the new Art Class with Wilna Furstenburg? (you can learn more about the class in this adorable video). If you'd like to be entered to win a spot in class, leave me a comment below and tell me what your current favorite product is (new or old!) I'll pick a winner on Monday!

And now, please hop on over to the talented Corrie Jones' blog for more fun goodies. Have a fantabulous Friday, my dear friends!

Congrats to Keathe S (Two Peas username atmmama), who is the winner of the spot in Wilna's class - yay!

 

Give-It-Away Thursday: Basic Grey

It's been awhile since I've had a giveaway, so let's remedy that today, shall we? I've got a Basic Grey Serenade collection pack that needs a new home. Here's a few of the layouts I've made using this gorgeous line:

S U P P L I E S :

S U P P L I E S :

So if you'd like to win the Serenade collection pack, just leave me a comment today telling me what your favorite new Basic Grey CHA release is (you can view them all here!)**  I'll pick a winner on Monday!

And enjoy your Thursday, peeps!

**Please be sure to leave a contact email in your comment if you are not signed in to Typepad.  Comments will remain open until the morning of February 11 (whenever I 've consumed enough caffeine to function) and the winner will be randomly drawn from the comments, announced at the bottom of this post, and contacted via email (if possible). Internationals are welcome to enter, but you'll have to pay postage on the shipment. And that, dear readers, completes the fine print.

UPDATED WITH WINNER:

Gardeners' Digest

Welcome to my very first edition of Gardeners' Digest, a blog hop where you'll get a glimpse of some of the cool things happening over at Two Peas in a Bucket. I'm excited to share with you what I've been working on for the Garden lately, as well as some products and gallery items that are inspiring me. And it wouldn't be a blog hop without a fun giveaway, so don't miss your chance to win below!

On Friday, I'm sharing my first video in the series Seeing Double, where I'll show you different applications for the same Fiskars punch (this awesome Quilt Star from Jenni Bowlin!) Here's a sneak of one of the projects I'll be featuring:

I'll be totally upfront and tell you that making videos scares the bejeezus out of me. The whole process of filming and talking while scrapping makes my palms sweaty and my voice crack, neither of which make for a very good onscreen presence. (Unless you happen to be gunning for the role of Napolean Dynamite. Hey - I might be onto something here!)

So if you'll overlook any awkwardly nervous moments that might occur, I'll send you some chocolate from my top-secret stash. Just kidding. I ate it all in a nervous feeding frenzy while trying to finish this video.

I recently came across this stunning digital layout by Brynn Marie in the Two Peas Gallery. I adore her use of an enlarged chevron background and the various stamped images she layered together:

Even though hers is a digital page, I've found so many elements I'd love to incorporate in a traditional paper page:  the pastel background with pops of bright orange and yellow; the large monogram initial; the zig zag stitching connecting two tags; and the imperfectly aligned title.

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, I'm thinking these five products would be invaluable for holiday cards & gifts:

I'm especially loving mixing & matching pieces from some of my favorite manufacturers. The Fourteen collection from Crate Paper and the True Love line from Basic Grey work wonderfully together. And have you seen the new stamp designs from Mama Elephant? I've added the Midnight Letters and On Target sets to my wish list - so fun!

And now for the best part - a giveaway! Up for grabs is a spot in Julie Campbell's new class, A Journey Into Cardmaking. Julie will start out by teaching you card making basics and you will create a card organizer to file away all the new cards you'll be designing. You'll then travel on to gain greater design skills. You’ll dive into design principles and learn how to create an eye pleasing design. You’ll learn all about composition & balance in a way that will take your cards from good to great!

If you'd like to be entered to win a spot in Julie's class, just leave me a comment below telling me what scrapbook tool you've used most in the last month. I'll pick a winner on Friday.

Now hop on over to Paige's blog for more Gardener's Digest! (And have a great Tuesday!)

UPDATED WITH WINNER:

Give-It-Away Thursday (On Friday): The Curious Scrapbooker's Field Guide

Yeah, I know it's Friday, but flying home on Monday from CHA has set my whole week back by a day. So we're just gonna pretend that it's Thursday, that I have my act together, and that I managed to get this post done on time. And if you'll do that for me, I'll totally let you pretend it's Friday for the rest of the day. Oh wait...

While I was at CHA, I got to room with with the fabulous May Flaum and I can now say firsthand she ROCKS. Not only was she a great roomie (she helped me overlook the gross green carpet and marginal HVAC in our hotel room by reminding me the money we were saving could go toward happy hour drinks - a girl with her priorities in line!) but she's also dang amazing scrapper and teacher, too.

Today I'm giving away a spot in May's class, The Curious Scrapbooker’s Field Guide: 12 Weeks of Techniques and Creative Play. If you're looking to jump start your creativity in 2013, this is the class for you!

 
It's a wild world of possibilities out there when it comes to scrapbooking. Patterned paper winds up on a mixed media canvas, while an artist's gesso finds a home on a traditional scrapbook layout. Stamps aren't only for cards anymore—they get used on any and everything. With all of this going on, wouldn't it be nice to have a guide to walk you through the many possibilities out there?

 

During each of the 12-weeks of class, there will be a focus on specific techniques and products. Adding texture, stitching, mists, stamping and everything else she could think of—May has created a class full of information and inspiration. Students will find scrapbook layout project examples each week as well as projects such as cards, tags, altered projects and mixed media canvases. This class features a new colorful PDF handout and videos each week, and an A-Z basics library of 26 videos.

The class starts on January 31 and right now, May is offering $5 off the registration for my blog readers. Just use the code LEARNWITHMAY when you sign up.

And if you'd like a chance to win a spot in the 12-week class, just leave me a comment here today and tell me one of your scrapbooking goals for 2013.  I'll pick a winner on Monday (and if the winner is already registered, the class fee will be refunded.)

Now go enjoy your Thursday! Er, Friday.

UPDATED WITH WINNER:

Introducing Modern Mercantile!

I'm so excited to share with you all my newest adventure in scrapbooking - a paper line for Jenni Bowlin Studio!  I've spent the last several months designing, tweaking, learning, questioning, stressing, second-guessing (and possibly having more than few melt downs!) But I'm so proud of the end result and I hope you'll love it as much as I do.

Modern Mercantile has all the vintage elements you'd expect from JBS, but with a bit of modern flair thrown in, all in a fresh color palette for spring. And of course, I can't scrap without my kraft cardstock, so that staple makes an appearance in the line too. There are six double-sided papers, one sheet of tags, and one sheet of 4x4 mini papers:

The papers will be making an appearance in the February JBS Mercantile kit and will be shipping to stores at the end of the month. As a special treat for my readers, I'm giving away a set of these papers - just leave me a comment to be entered in the drawing. I'll pick a winner on Thursday!

Today I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Fed Ex man with my box of sample papers so I can get my scrap on creating a few things for the JBS booth at CHA. I'll be heading to Anaheim on Friday and am looking forward to a great show and catching up with scrappy friends.

Wishing you all a happy, happy Monday!

 

UPDATED WITH WINNER:

Give-It-Away Thursday: Start Here with Lisa Truesdell

When Lisa asked me to contribute a layout to her latest Two Peas workshop, I answered with a resounding YES!  I love the process of finding inspiration "jumping-off" points to get designs rolling, as it's very much how I scrap myself. And today I'm giving away a spot in the workshop to one lucky reader!

Here's a bit more about the Start Here workshop:

"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working." - Pablo Picasso

Get a jump on inspiration with Start Here. In this workshop, Lisa Truesdell will give you the tools to turn almost any image into a jumping off point for your next layout. You'll learn to break down images into smaller elements and use them to inspire your page's color combo, design, or even new techniques. We'll talk about finding images you love and identifying what grabbed you about them, and how to put that inspiration to work! Lisa is joined by twelve talented contributors who will each be sharing a page based on one of Lisa's inspiration pieces, as well as their thoughts on finding starting points in unexpected places.

Included in the workshop are 27 brand-new scrapbook pages (15 from Lisa and 12 from her contributors) showcasing a variety of interpretations of inspiration pieces, 3 printable PDFs and 3 brand new videos following Lisa as she makes a layout starting with an inspiration piece.

Lisa's talented contributors include Allison Waken, Ashley Calder, Becky Novacek, Doris Sander, Erica Hernandez, Emily Spahn, Kelly Noel, Kristina Nicolai-White, Laura Kurz, Lexi Bridges, Lisa Dickinson, and Marcy Penner

The content of this workshop is available immediately upon purchase ($12). The lessons are available for you to work at your own pace and can be accessed in the "Workshops" section under "Classes & Events." A private message board forum is also available to ask Lisa questions and connect with other participants.

•    •    •    •    •    •    •    •  

Sounds fabulous, right?!  And here's a little sneak of the layout I contributed to the workshop:

If you'd like to be entered to win a spot in this class, just leave me a comment below telling me how you typically begin a layout. The giveaway is open to everyone - even internationals!  I'll randomly select a winner on Monday, December 17.  If the winner has already purchased the workshop, their money will be refunded (or they can give the spot away to a friend!)

Enjoy your Thursday!

UPDATED WITH WINNER: