Scapbooking with Stampin' Up!

	Q&A Q: How can I capture all of our family summer fun? A: Some of us like camping, some like the beach, and others prefer a luxury hotel and room service. Scrapbooking is kind of the same. We all have different likes and needs. The great thing is that Stampin’ Up! has a solution for us all, even you! Check out the options and see which one fits you and your family best. Quick & Informal This and That Journals are perfect if you want to capture your memories on the go. They are designed so you can add thoughts, photos, brochures, tickets, and other tidbits as you go. Pack a small bag with a Stampin’ Write Marker or two, your This and That Journal, Remember This and That Rotary Stamp, coordinating Designer Stickers, and Washi Tape, and you’ll have everything you need! Since you can add thoughts and memories right away, you can return from a getaway with your journal complete and ready to share! Since it’s informal, you’ll cherish having other family members jot down some of their thoughts and favorite moments to share, too. Digital Diva My Digital Studio is perfect for our digital world. You take your digital photos (lots of them!), download them to your computer, and then create! No need to print and crop. For the quickest results, just add your photos into any one of our many gorgeous artist-designed photobook templates. Customize it with your journaling and you are done. Even with our great templates you are in control. Add, move, or delete any of the elements as you wish. Have more time and want more customization? Simply make your own photobook using your favorite papers, stamps, and embellishments. You’ll be impressed with the quality and pricing of our print services. One of the often overlooked features of digital crafting is that it is easy to replicate. Need more copies of a photobook as a gift? No problem. The dog ate your photobook or your kids spilled red punch on it - no worries. You can reprint your projects anytime! Photobooks, journals, calendars, and more await your digital creativity! Give Me a Year Calendar scrapbooking is a great solution if you want to share a highlight of memories from the year. You can quickly pick one (or a few) favorite pictures from each month. Add them to the calendar page for that month and you’ll have a collection of photos that gives a great overview of your year and family memories. Calendars can be created traditionally or with My Digital Studio. Using My Digital Studio, you have the choice of artist-designed calendar templates, complete customization, or somewhere in-between. These calendars are useful, you can enjoy them each day, and they make fantastic gifts that your family and friends will look forward to receiving each year! Traditional Rules The world of traditional scrapbooking hasn’t changed - only grown! Maybe you love the hands-on approach of cropping photos, layering papers, and handwritten journaling combined to create scrapbooks that honor and share your special memories. If so, don’t worry, you can still use our great quality, archival, acid- and lignin-free Designer Series Paper and card stock to make your 12” x 12”, 8-1/2” x 11”, 8” x 8”, 6” x 6”, or other size scrapbooks. Create beautiful backgrounds with Stampin’ Around Wheels, create titles in any color with alphabet stamps, journal with coordinating Stampin’ Write Markers, add character with stamps, and finish it all off with the perfect embellishments. These scrapbooks become cherished works of art full of the love with which they were made. Enjoy the Journey However you decide to scrapbook, enjoy the journey! Set time aside on a weekly or monthly basis so you can scrapbook the memories while they are fresh. Contact me today with questions. If you are thinking of becoming a Digital Diva, get our free 30-day trial of My Digital Studio here. Let me help you get started!
© CraftyPerson Production. 2013 Images © Stampin' Up!

That is a section from my June newsletter that I'll be sending out this week.  If you aren't already a subscriber do so by entering your email address underneath the about me section on the left sidebar!

Q and A

	Q&A Q: I love receiving cards in the mail. Any suggestions on how to remember to send cards for any occasion? A: That is a great question! We all love the art of making cards, but sometimes it’s hard for any of us to remember special occasions, write a note to a friend, or even let go of a favorite card! (Yeah, we’ve all been there!) We’ve all seen ideas that sounded great and then when you think about it you know it will fit in your life or you think to yourself sarcastically “yeah, that’ll happen”! So, I’ve got a suggestion that will work for planners and those whose schedules are loose. Here are a couple of tried-and-true tips that will put you at the top of the thoughtful friend list! Plan a Moment If you are a planner, you’ll love this tip. Plan a time into your schedule each week for writing cards. Now this doesn’t have to be a big event; even 15 minutes that you can take to reach out to those you care about is great. I recommend stamping a whole stack of cards - they don’t have to be specific to the person, and keeping them on hand so that you can quickly add a note and get it in the mail. As much as we love the art of stamping, the true magic comes when you share that connection with someone else. Start by checking your calendar to see who has birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, etc. coming up. Next, take a few moments to reflect on your week. Who touched your life this week in a way that makes you grateful or who could use the pick-me-up of a thoughtful note? Now write a couple lines - it doesn’t have to be a lot for someone to know that you care. Grab a Moment If the idea of planning a time to sit down makes you crazy, then don’t! Make a "to go" card center that you can use to write notes when you have a moment and the mood strikes you. Our clear-mount stamp cases are ideal. Just add a bit of your favorite Designer Series Paper under the cover and fill the case with a couple of cards, envelopes, a pen, and stamps. Now drop it in your purse or your car. Next time you are waiting for an appointment, sitting in the carpool line, hanging out at a kids sporting event, taking a lunch break at work, or whenever it is you have a minute, you can open your card case, write a quick note, add the address and stamp, and drop it into the mail. It is easy, fast, convenient, and a thoughtful way to make the most of those little moments. Take a Photo If you are like most stampers, you are afflicted with the “I can’t let it go” bug. You know the feeling - you love a card, want to remember a technique, plan to re-create more just like it, so you hold onto the card instead of sending it. Stop it! Cards are meant to be shared! But you can still keep the look, idea, and reminder by snapping a quick photo with your camera or cell phone. Save the photos in a file for card ideas or several files by stamp set, occasion, techniques, whatever it was that made you love the card. Now keep the photo and share the joy of the card by sending it and everyone wins! Share the Magic Unlike email that gets buried and forgotten, a hand-stamped card is a physical reminder to those that receive it that you thought of them, that you care, and that they are special. So hand-deliver or mail a card today. You’ll love the feeling you get from giving, and you’ll brighten someone’s day in a very special way.
© CraftyPerson Production. Images © Stampin' Up!

Q & A

Q: Recently I saw a cute card with a small, patterned paper envelope on the front. How do you make those? A: Envelopes in a variety of sizes have become all the rage since the Diagonal Plate for the Simply Scored Scoring Tool was introduced recently. The Diagonal Plate makes creating envelopes a breeze – no more templates to trace and cut by hand! Hooray! Plus, envelopes are a great way to show off our beautiful double-sided Designer Series Paper without feeling guilty that we are covering up one of the patterns! While the Diagonal Plate comes with instructions and measurements to make four popular envelope sizes, one of my favorites is the small envelope for love notes! Here’s how you can make the 3-1/8” x 3-1/8” envelopes to hold 3” x 3” love notes: Step 1: Cut a 5” x 5” piece of Designer Series Paper or card stock. Place the Diagonal Plate on the Simply Scored Scoring Tool. Place the paper on the Diagonal Plate. Score the first side at 2-1/4”. Rotate the paper 1/4 turn or 90 degrees. Score at 2-1/4” again. Repeat until all four sides are scored. Step 2: Fold and crease all four score lines. Use a Bone Folder for crisp folds. Use Paper Snips or Square Punch to cut out the triangular scored sections. Step 3: Fold in two side flaps to create the sides of the mini envelope. Add SNAIL, Sticky Strip, or Multipurpose Liquid Glue to the very edge of the bottom flap. Fold that flap up over the side flaps and adhere. The envelope is now complete! You can add the envelope to the front of a card or a scrapbook page. Or use it to hand deliver a special little love note. You can use adhesive to close the top flap, tuck the flap inside the envelope, or use a button or brad and a bit of Baker’s Twine to create a fastener. Have fun discovering all of the fun envelopes and envelope projects you can create with the Diagonal Plate!
© CraftyPerson Production. Images © Stampin' Up! Note: This is part of my monthly newsletter that I send out to my subscribers.  If you would like the whole newsletter each month, leave me your email address in the left sidebar where it says to "subscribe to my newsletter."  You will begin to receive my newsletter the following month. 

Monthly Newsletter

I have been trying to think of ways to improve my business and provide contact with my customers.  Stampin' Up has a monthly newsletter Ecard that I can send but there's not much of a personal touch on my end with the card.  I have been wanting to start making my own newsletters where I can fully add the content I want to send and make it more personal to my customers.  After lots and LOTS of research, I found a FREE :) site that allows me to create newsletters to send to my customers.  It's still a MAJOR work in progress, but it's a start.  Since it's a new year and new beginnings this is where I can make a difference with my business.  If you would like to receive my newly designed newsletter, please provide your email to the left of this post where it says "Subscribe to my Newsletter."  You will be added to my monthly newsletter list and will receive my newsletter around the first of each month.  (That's as long as the kids cooperate!  (Which can be hard with 2 boys aged 2 and 10 months!))  I promise you WILL NOT be added to any other junk mail.  Your email will only be used to send my newsletter with Stampin' Up information!  Just had to clear that up because we all know what a pain in the butt junk mail is.

I look forward to sending you my monthly newsletter which will include current promotions, upcoming promotions and events, samples of Stampin' Up work as well as samples I have created using my own supplies.  This is something you won't want to miss out on.  Sign up today to start receiving my newsletter!