The Bloomin Blog

Santa's wish list

noreply@blogger.com (Bloomin Scrapbooks) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 19:46:00 +0000

Don't forget to send your Santa in to shop for all the favorite scrapbookers on his list! We've got lots of great gift ideas and if you'd like us to point him in a certain direction for you, just let us know!! For the extra good crafters, Santa might want to consider giving the gift of an entire weekend of scrapbooking with us from January 15-17 at the beautiful French Lick Resort. If you've never been, the resort is a treat in itself. Built in the early 1900s, this hotel has a rich history and retains all of its glorious heritage. Online registration begins December 10. Check out their website here. Hope you can join us!

We also wanted to share this Prima canvas album we created to house this year's Christmas photos. Because it comes with both canvas and transparent page protector pages, it provides a great background to try new techniques as well as utilize lots of different textures. The best part--sewing in the book is completely optional!

Here's a closer look at the cover detail. To create the Santa embellishment, use a punch out circle from a Graphic 45 Christmas die cut sheet. Adhere it to a button, then cover it with a clear page pebble.

For the title page, use letter masks to spell a holiday greeting, then spray with Glimmer Mist. Adding buttons to dot the "I" and adhering ribbon gives it a homespun feel.

Create this cute snowman page by spraying a canvas page with Glimmer Mist. Paint two chipboard circles with Ranger crackle paint. Add ribbon scarf, button eyes, pearl smile and a cardstock carrot nose to make your snowman come to life!

On this page, paint the background with acrylic paint and add a cut out from Graphic 45 Christmas paper. Use your Crop-a-dile tool to punch holes down the entire side of the canvas page. Tie in ribbons and jingle bells to give your book a true Christmas feel.

Here's another technique to try. Place a crocheted doily or lace over a canvas page and spray with Glimmer Mist. The lace acts as a mask and once removed, can also be used as a lovely accent on another page.

Use buttons to create a one-of-a-kind Christmas tree:

A few more photos of the outside:

Happy Thanksgiving!

noreply@blogger.com (Bloomin Scrapbooks) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 01:29:00 +0000

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

If you're out doing your Christmas shopping this weekend, don't forget to stop in and see us! We have lots of great sale items and Christmas inspiration ideas on display. If your plans are to avoid the stores this weekend, here's a great weekend project for you to create. It uses the fantastic Christmas papers from Basic Grey, along with a small album we painted pink. This would make a great gift album, or keep it for yourself to house this year's holiday photos.

Christmas Cards from Scraps

noreply@blogger.com (Bloomin Scrapbooks) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:07:00 +0000

Are you one of those crafters that cannot bear to part with even one small leftover scrap of paper, or a scrap piece of ribbon "that I might work into another project"? If so, I'm glad I'm not alone! Ha! The holidays are a great time to make use of those scraps and create beautiful holiday cards. Cards make a perfect canvas for trying out new techniques without worry of ruining an entire two-page scrapbook layout. An added bonus is not having to spend extra money on holiday cards this year. We're also sure those who receive your cards will love having a handcrafted creation made just for them! Here are a few we came up with using scrap papers and notions:

Ideas to note: Use holly leaves from old Christmas decor and buttons as berries. Since it's a card, you don't have to worry about archival safety. You can also cut out scenes from paper (like the sledding dogs), attach it to scrap chipboard then mount on pop dots for a unique card embellishment.

Ideas to note: Who says Christmas cards have to use Christmas paper? You may recognize the script paper as one from 7 Gypsies from a few years ago. Another technique is to use your cool border punches to create a visual design element (like the red strip above) on your card.

Ideas to Note: If your paper is a printed image on a white paper (such as the Santa), color it in with chalks or ink. This also works well with papers printed to look like newpaper ads. Tying thin twine scraps through buttons gives your projects a vintage feel.

Ideas to Note: Cover chipboard shapes with paper to create cute embellishments like this snowman. And don't forget to raid your button and ribbon stash to find the perfect "clothes" for him to wear! (You may recognize these scrap papers as the Cosmo Cricket Christmas line from a couple of years ago. Still so pretty!)

Count Your Blessings

noreply@blogger.com (Bloomin Scrapbooks) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:01:00 +0000

As scrapbookers, this time of year gives us a great opportunity to document why we are thankful. Future generations will be given the gift of a unique perspective into the person you are today. And maybe they'll feel an ever closer connection with you! Here's a page layout to inspire you to try your own!

This layout uses only cardstock and is very simple to create. Cut strips of cardstock in varying widths. Attach them to scrap paper and draw a curve across them. Remove from the scrap paper and cut each strip along the curve. The swirls are cut from black cardstock using a Quickutz die. The title is glittered chipboard letters from Pink Paislee. Add a few rub-ons, photos and flowers to each strip. Quick and easy!

We also wanted to share a peek at an upcoming class project. Hope you'll plan to join us on December 12 to create this two page layout using Graphic 45 papers. The colors work well for Christmas, but as you can see below, it works for any occasion.

Holiday project tips

noreply@blogger.com (Bloomin Scrapbooks) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:26:00 +0000

The holidays are the perfect time to get more from your scrapbook supplies! We used the beautiful Christmas/winter product lines from Melissa Frances just to see how many tips we could find to share with you. Our first project was this Christmas layout:

Tip #1--Add pearls or jewels to chipboard elements to give them some spice. The glittered chipboard holly leaves were nice as is, but adding the pearls helps it really stand out.
Tip #2--Create embellishments from the product packaging. The holly leaves were part of a punch out sheet of glittered chipboard shapes. The photo corner to the bottom left of the photo was cut from a corner of the glittered chipboard packaging (the part that remains after all the chipboard shapes are punched out of it.) It perfectly coordinates and didn't cost a thing!
Tip #3--Use sandpaper to distress stickers and papers. The "Holiday Bear" label had a shiny surface and didn't fit the vintage feel of the rest of the layout. Lightly sanding the top and adding ink makes it fit right in.
Tip #4--Use your layout leftovers to make a card:

Tip#5--Make a vintage star to use on the card! Ink the edges of a chipboard star. While the ink is wet, paint the star with Ranger crackle paint so some of the ink blends into the wet paint. Using a hairdryer to dry the paint will cause it to really crackle (more than air drying does). Thread twine through button and tie a bow, then adhere it to the star.
Tip #6--Recycle household product packaging to make a COOL holiday gift container. Here's how. Cover an empty clean cardboard package with patterned paper. We started with this container:

We added our leftover scraps from the layout and card projects to create this unique package just ready to hold candy or other Christmas gift goodies!

Only 60 Days Until Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Bloomin Scrapbooks) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:05:00 +0000

With Halloween only a few days away, it's hard not to think ahead and realize Christmas will be here before we know it! If you're one of those who loves the holidays and can't wait to get started on Christmas crafts and handmade gifts, here's a project for you to try-- an adorable Christmas star wreath from Kaisercraft.

The wreath is comprised of wood stars, ready for you to personalize to create your own special keepsake.

We couldn't wait to try this project ourselves! Here's what we did. The stars are packaged so two stars are attached together with thin wooden strips. Using very gentle pressure, we broke the thin strip so each star was separated. To smooth the edge and remove any evidence of the wood strip, we sanded each star.

Then we inked the outside edge and top edges of each star with brown ink.

Using each star as a template, we traced around each and cut the paper just inside the pencil lines.

This step was repeated for each star and the papers were adhered to each star. For two stars, we used photos rather than paper. Double sided paper works great for this project since the colors on each side are typically made to coordinate. Once all the stars were covered, the stars were assembled and adhered to the wood circle base. A liquid adhesive works well to assure the parts stay together. If you'd like a hanging loop on the back of the wreath, attach it to the wood circle base prior to gluing the stars to it.

For six of the top stars, we added jingle bells. To do this, we punched holes in the stars with the Cropadile.

We put ribbon through the holes and tied a bell to the top. Back of star:

Front of star:

The completed project!

Hope you'll give this fun project a try!!

October Page Kit

noreply@blogger.com (Bloomin Scrapbooks) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:17:00 +0000

Just wanted to give you a quick look at the October page kit that will be available later this week. It features some of our favorite papers from Pink Paislee. With this kit, not only will you get the lovely papers, but also a complete sheet of matching alphabet stickers, matching rub-ons and a whole set of Pink Paislee specialty brads (including some covered in corduroy!) The colors work great for fall, and with the alphabet stickers you can personalize the title to fit your photos. Happy Autumn!

Vintage, vintage and more vintage!

noreply@blogger.com (Bloomin Scrapbooks) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 03:58:00 +0000

If you love all things vintage, especially when it comes to scrapbooking and cardmaking, we've got some goodies you'll be sure to love! Check out these beautiful vintage papers from Webster's Pages. You'll be amazed at the high quality and sturdiness of these lovely double sided papers. Just take a look at a few of their stunning lines we now have in stock:

Also, hope you can join us this Saturday, September 26 to create this vintage inspired recipe book using Graphic 45 papers. We'll be binding it with the Zutter Bind-it-All, so if you've not had a chance to try using the Zutter, this is your chance! If cooking and recipes aren't your "thing" this book would also work great as a mini album with a cooking theme. Rather than recipes, you could showcase photos of special meals or cooking influences in your life. The book features many tags that can be used for easily removeable recipes or maybe even journaling about past cooking attempts gone awry! You know, like the time as a teenager you decided to surprise your mom by getting up early and making scrambled eggs for her for breakfast. And how when the scrambled eggs ran all over her plate, she suggested putting them back in the skillet because "I like my eggs really hot." Not saying that ever happened to anyone here at Bloomin' Scrapbooks... um no,...absolutely not...! :-)

Happy Labor Day

noreply@blogger.com (Bloomin Scrapbooks) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 02:24:00 +0000

Hope everyone had a fun, relaxing and safe Labor Day weekend!

Just a reminder we're still collecting hand made cards to send to the troops in Afghanistan. Our "card drive" has been extended to the end of September. The soldiers request the cards we make so they can send them to their families here back home. Many of them are stationed in areas where it is very difficult to purchase daily use items, including greeting cards. The types of cards most requested by the troops are:

Cards for children (many of our troops are parents)
Holiday cards
Thinking of you
Love you/miss you

Bloomin' Scrapbooks will supply envelopes for those cards made standard A2 size, approximately 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" (i.e. the size of card you get if you use half of an 8-1/2" by 11" sheet of paper.) Please remember, no glitter or Stickles can be used on the cards. Glitter is detected by enemy survelliance equipment. Even a small amount of glitter that finds itself on a soldier's uniform can literally put his or her life in danger.

"Whoo Loves You"

To create the owl: Punch large oval for body. Punch three heart shapes,

use two upside down for ears and bottom of one for beak.

For feet, punch two small petaled flowers then cut in half.

Use buttons for eyes. So simple!

We've got a few cards to show you. For both stampers and scrappers, this is a great way to use those scraps you may have laying around as well as an opportunity to try out new techniques. And if you'd like, take a photo of the cards you make then email them to us here. We'd love to feature your creations on the Bloomin' Blog!

Tip for Making Memories Trimmer Owners

noreply@blogger.com (Bloomin Scrapbooks) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 04:24:00 +0000

Here's a tip for those of you who may own the "Making Memories Precision Paper Trimmer." In a moment of inspiration (that maybe wasn't too wise!), I decided to use it to cut thin chipboard. After that, it seemed to want to rip any paper I tried to cut, giving it a distressed edge look. Unfortunately distressed edges were not what I was after!

If you've had this happen with this particular paper trimmer, try these steps:

Slide the red button (located at the top right in the photo above) in the direction of the imprinted arrow.
You can now remove the silver slider bar.
Remove the rotary trimmer black plastic part from the silver slider bar. (i.e. remove the black thing you slide when you're cutting; it's the part with the "M" on it.)
Check for any tiny strips of paper that might be stuck in the cutting groove in the base of the trimmer. Remove any you find.
Here's the cool part! One of the great design features of this trimmer is it's self sharpening blade. When it starts ripping paper, it's usually because the blade has dulled. Take the black casing you removed in step three, and place it in the cutting groove but without the slider bar for now.
Move the casing along the cutting groove. As you move the casing, very slightly apply pressure so the rotary blade is moving along the left side of the cutting groove. You may hear a light metal-to-metal sound, similar to the sound a knife makes when it is moved along a sharpening stone. Do this several times to resharpen the blade.
Reassemble the trimmer.

Just like magic, it cuts clean and smooth again! Hope you don't find yourself needing this tip but in case you do, give it a try. (And maybe another tip is don't cut a big stack of chipboard with your "paper" trimmer! Ha!)

Welcome Kimber McGray!

noreply@blogger.com (Bloomin Scrapbooks) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 23:28:00 +0000

We are so excited that within only a few short weeks, we've had the opportunity to welcome two well known celebrity scrapbookers to Bloomin Scrapbooks! If you didn't get a chance to meet Kelly Goree a few weeks ago, you won't want to miss the chance to take a class from Indiana's own Kimber McGray. Kimber's clean, bright and graphic style earned her a spot on the Creating Keepsakes Magazine Hall of Fame. She has designed for several industry manufacturers including Jillybean Soup, Core'dinations, We R Memory Keepers, and Unity Stamp Designs.

So be sure to mark your calendar for her class on Saturday, September 19 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. As an added bonus, lunch is included in the cost of the class. Just take a look at the fun pages she will show us how to create using new products from Jillybean Soup:

Kimber has recently authored "Scrapbook Secrets", a true inspiration for creating amazing scrapbook pages. We do have copies of her book available and we're sure she would love to autograph one for you!

Please call or stop by soon to reserve your spot. Hope you can join us!

Congratulations!

noreply@blogger.com (Bloomin Scrapbooks) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 20:51:00 +0000

Congratulations to Linda Connolly for winning the Grand Champion award in scrapbooking at the Monroe County Fair! Stop in to see Linda's winning entry currently on display at Bloomin' Scrapbooks.

Support our troops

noreply@blogger.com (Bloomin Scrapbooks) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 16:38:00 +0000

Calling all card makers---we've learned of an exciting opportunity to help our service men and women currently stationed overseas. As you might imagine, access to many items we take for granted each day are limited in the countries where they are serving. One of those items is greeting cards for when they want to send a note or something special to a loved one back home.

So, here's where we come in! Bloomin' Scrapbooks is collecting handmade cards to send to a division currently stationed in Afghanistan. If you would like to contribute, please bring your cards into the store by September 15. We will provide envelopes for each card, so we ask they be standard size, either 3.5 by 5.5" or 5" x 7". The cards should also be white inside so the soldiers are able to easily write notes or letters inside them.

It's an amazing thing when a hobby we love can make a difference in the lives of others. And in this case, it's a "double bonus." The soldiers will appreciate being able to send a beautiful card to their loved ones, and no doubt the final recipient will cherish it!

Only two more weeks until Kelly Goree is here!

noreply@blogger.com (Bloomin Scrapbooks) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 23:27:00 +0000

Don't forget to mark your calendars and sign up for one of our few remaining slots in the classes Kelly Goree is teaching here on Friday, August 14 from 4-9 p.m. Even if you may be unfamiliar with Kelly, you've likely seen her work in scrapbooking magazines (including the recent cover layout of the April 2009 Creating Keepsakes magazine.) Here's more about Kelly:

Kelly Goree lives in the beautiful horse country of Kentucky with her husband of 11 years and her three rambunctious little boys. She was introduced to scrapbooking in early 2000 just after her oldest son was born and it quickly became a favorite hobby then all-out passion. She'll tell you if she's not out chasing her boys, you can find her scrapping! Kelly is a full-time staff designer and instructor for BasicGrey where she is a driving force in designing work for classes, tradeshows, catalogs, and special events. In 2006 she had the honor of being a Memory Makers Master and has over 300 published works that can been seen in the pages of Memory Makers, Creating Keepsakes, Better Homes & Garden's Scrapbooks Etc., Scrapbook Trends, Paper Trends, Scrapbooking & Beyond and other scrapping and paper arts publications.

We are so fortunate to have Kelly here with us to teach two 2-page layouts using two of the newer lines from Basic Grey. Kelly has lots of techniques to teach us including:

using Basic Grey Olio full color rub ons
paper piecing
how to create fun title and journaling blocks
make your own notebook paper
how to cut apart stickers, rub-ons and paper to make your own personal design
adapting layout sketches to fit your photos while keeping the design cohesive

Here's a look at one of the layouts Kelly will be teaching using the Basic Grey "Lemonade" papers. Just beautiful!

Quick and Easy Scrapbooking

noreply@blogger.com (Bloomin Scrapbooks) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 00:12:00 +0000

Next time you want to scrapbook but are feeling short on time, try a quick and easy layout like this one. It features two sheets of black dotted cardstock, one sheet of red dotted cardstock and some letter stickers. Not only is this layout quick to make, it also uses minimal supplies and is easy on your pocketbook! If your quote takes more letter stickers than you have on hand, attend one of our crops and use our die cut machine to cut your own title.

Jumpstart your journaling

noreply@blogger.com (Bloomin Scrapbooks) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 23:04:00 +0000

No doubt your friends and family members each have certain personality traits that make them unique. If you can't take a picture of it, how can you showcase it in your layout? Try this: gather some favorite photos of the individual and write about their special uniqueness.

As an example, my daughter has a very dry sense of humor and often quotes movie lines she thinks are hilarious. To be honest, I don't always "get" the things she finds amusing...but I want to document how endearing it is to me. Even though I don't have a photo of her sense of humor, it's an important part of who she is. In this layout, I discuss her sense of humor and included a movie quote I hear her say almost every day.

Part of this layout features a fun technique we wanted to share. On the left side of the layout, we cut off half of one of these fun Maya Road screens:

Behind different sections, we backed it with coordinating papers from Basic Grey. Hope you'll give it a try!

Canvas album

noreply@blogger.com (Bloomin Scrapbooks) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 03:25:00 +0000

We've restocked the beautiful canvas albums from Prima so if you didn't get one the first time, now is your chance! These 8x8" albums feature a plain canvas cover with 5 canvas inner pages and 5 transparent page protector-like pages. This is one of those albums where you can really let your creativity go crazy! Here's one we did, and wanted to share some techniques you might like to try.

For the cover, a liquid adhesive was used to attach a crocheted doily. The flowers are some new flower sprays we just got in, also made by Prima. The larger pink Prima roses come in a package of five, and were originally white. We sprayed dark pink Glimmer Mist on a paper towel, then lightly colored the outer rose petals for a subtle look. The title was stamped directly onto fabric and a Melissa Frances key was added for a vintage look.

Here's a look at some of the inside pages.

This page used alphabet masks (cardstock letters or letter stickers would work too) that were sprayed over with alternating pink and blue Glimmer Mists. Once the letters were pulled up to reveal the white canvas, each letter outline was hand stitched. The canvas pages are actually two thicknesses of canvas stitched together with a cotton sheet between them. This allows you to stitch through a single thickness without the stitches showing on the backside.

Another technique we tried was to print the journaling and a favorite photo onto inkjet t-shirt transfer paper and iron it onto the canvas! Outlining the journaling with a permanent marker gives it a more handmade look. Then we added more Prima flowers... and you might recognize the butterflies as ones cut out of our favorite Graphic 45 papers!

The technique used on the canvas page above was to paint directly on the canvas with a Ranger Acrylic Paint Dabber. (On the Prima website, they recommend painting Artist Gesso medium on the canvas to assure the paint doesn't soak through to the other side. It works like a charm. If you want more details on Gesso, email me here.) We also used a cute section of one of our new papers from Cosmo Cricket.

The transparent page protector pages were just as much fun as the canvas ones! We tore doublesided Graphic 45 paper so it would be smaller than the page protector to allow the canvas page next to it to show through. We also decided to put goodies both inside and OUTSIDE of the page protector to give the album a textured feel. On the layout below, the paper and a swatch of lace are inside the page protector. The photo, green photo mat and the Prima flower are all attached to the outside of the vinyl page protector.

The page below features a vintage handerchief placed inside one of the page protectors. A button sewed to the top keeps the page protector closed and prevents the handkerchief from falling out. The photo is adhered to the outside of the page protector.

My personal favorite page of the album is the one below. Since this book features pictures of my mother's childhood, I sewed some found "little girl treasures" that belonged to her into the page protector. If you don't have a sewing machine, you could easily hand stitch or staple in a similar fashion. If you don't like how staples would look, they could be easily covered by gluing ribbon over the top of them. This album works wonderfully for showcasing memorabilia other than photos!

(The charm in the very center says "Forget Me Not")

Hope you'll give one of these canvas books a try! This one has a sewing/vintage theme so it features more stitching and fabric notions, but the possibilities are truly endless. We'd love to see what you create with this album. Just email us a photo and we'd love to share it on the Bloomin' Blog as an inpsiration to others!

Let's go to the fair!

noreply@blogger.com (Bloomin Scrapbooks) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 02:11:00 +0000

Summertime means county fair time and our own Monroe County Fair is July 25- August 1. For those of you who are Monroe County residents, we hope you'll plan to exhibit your scrapbook creations in the Fair's Scrapbooking Division. Bloomin' Scrapbooks will be providing both the Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion Awards, so start planning your entries now! Entries will be accepted at the fairgrounds on Wednesday, July 22 between 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. This year separate categories have been created so you can use both 12x12 and 8.5x11.

Each class listed below will have a Champion and a Reserve Champion for both page sizes if merited. One overall Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion will be selected for the Scrapbook Division.

EVENT CLASS CATEGORIES:

Birthday
Weddings
Graduations/Reunions
Sports/Athletics
Any other

HOLIDAY/SEASONS CLASS CATEGORIES:

Spring/Easter
Summer/ July 4th
Halloween
Fall/Thanksgiving
Christmas
Winter/New Years
Religious Holidays
Any other

ACTIVITIES/ORGANIZATIONS CLASS CATEGORIES:

Scouts (boys and girls)
4-H, School Clubs
Music
Military
Any other

PLACES CLASS CATEGORIES:

Vacations
School
Zoo
Pool
Beach
Other

FAMILY & CHILDREN CLASS CATEGORIES:

Playtime/Dress-up
Brother/Sister
Parent
Baby
Grandparents/children
Pets
Cousins/Aunts/Uncles
Other

OUTDOORS CLASS CATEGORIES:

Camping/hiking/hunting
Fishing/boating
Picnics
Gardening/farming
Other

MISCELLANEOUS CLASS CATEGORIES:

Portraits
Black and White
Heritage
Stamping
Brag Book
Calendar
Recipe book
Other

SCRAPBOOKING PROJECTS CLASS CATEGORIES:

Purse/tin
Scrapbook frame
Clock/mouse pad
Other

We can't wait to see all your amazing entries. See you at the fair!

(And don't forget, the SHOP HOP starts TODAY!!!)

It's time for a road trip!

noreply@blogger.com (Bloomin Scrapbooks) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 01:11:00 +0000

Picture this... you on a road trip to "paradise" with a group of your best scrappin' friends, what could be better?! Sound good? Well now is your chance! Once again we're a participant in this year's annual Southern Indiana/Northern Kentucky "Shop Hop".

Here's how it works. For only $5, we have "passports" available with a list of 10 scrapbook stores in our area. When you shop at each store, present your passport to get 20% off your entire purchase. Stores will be featuring free make-n-takes, prize drawings, snacks and surprises just for Shop Hop Passport holders. Each store will stamp your passport. At your final destination, leave your completed passport to be entered in the GRAND PRIZE DRAWING--a weekend for two at Bear Scrap Retreat!!

The Shop Hop starts this Friday, July 10th and goes through Sunday, July 26. Check out the official Shop Hop blog for ongoing updates and a list of all the participating shops. To make it even more fun, this year's Hop has a summer luau theme.

So call your scrapping buddies and start planning your fun roadtrips! At Bloomin' Scrapbooks, our free make-and-take will be this cute four page album designed by our own celebrity designer Lisa Dorsey. (One of Lisa's cards is featured on the COVER of the current newstand issue of Paper Crafts magazine!) And we have another special surprise for in store for shop hoppers. Let's just say... don't forget your camera so you'll have "proof" you really did take a trip to "paradise"!

Circle of Friends

noreply@blogger.com (Bloomin Scrapbooks) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:13:00 +0000

If you're like us, one of the best things about scrapbooking is meeting new people and making friendships through our shared enjoyment of the same hobby. In honor of all the friendships in our lives, we have a Basic Grey Circle of Friends chipboard album kit available. Here are a few photos of the project... and maybe you'll recognize some familiar friendly faces! Stop in to see the completed album.

Rolling, rolling, rolling...

noreply@blogger.com (Bloomin Scrapbooks) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 02:53:00 +0000

Here's a new technique we've seen and just had to give it a try. Remember those paper beads we used to make as kids? Well who says they can't look great on a scrapbook page or card! On this layout, we used the beautiful vintage papers from Graphic 45. (Who says you can't use beautiful papers like these for a pet page?!!)

To make the rolled paper strips below the leftmost photo, cut small rectangles in various sizes. Roll them into a tube shape and use adhesive to keep them from unrolling. This is a great way to use your scraps to make an inexpensive yet very interesting page or card accents. Here's a closer look:

Hope you'll decide to give it a try!

Eight Layouts in Three Hours!

noreply@blogger.com (Bloomin Scrapbooks) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 01:45:00 +0000

Don't forget to mark your calendar for our popular "8 Layouts in 3 hours" class, this Saturday June 13. It's a great way to get caught up on your scrapbooking as well as trying out new papers and design ideas. And what's better than going home with eight COMPLETED layouts?! Here are just a couple of the layouts we'll be creating:

Be sure to stop back by soon. We've got a new technique to show you...!

Class Sneak Peek

noreply@blogger.com (Bloomin Scrapbooks) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 00:10:00 +0000

Here's a sneak peek at the June page of the month class we're having on June 18. We'll be using:

Distress Stickles

These Tim Holtz masks:

Paint Dabber:

Graduation Gift Albums

noreply@blogger.com (Bloomin Scrapbooks) — Sun, 31 May 2009 19:40:00 +0000

Here's an idea for a quick gift album for the Graduate in your life. Albums that document the graduate's life make amazing gifts but are often very time consuming. If your special graduate has a particular hobby or interest, consider pairing photos of the hobby with life advice. Often our children's interests are great for teaching them life lessons, even if they don't realize it at the time. They will enjoy seeing photos of themselves doing something they love and you get an opportunity to share words of wisdom.

Below is an example of this type of album recently created for my nephew's high school graduation gift. I wanted to give him a keepsake that would document his love of hunting and at the same time reflect how his approach to hunting could also serve him well in his post-high school life. The life parallel's included:

"Sometimes you have to get your hands dirty"
"Do what you love"
"Be Safe"
"Aim before you shoot"
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take"

(To be honest, I was initially unsure of how excited an 18 year old boy would be about receiving a scrapbook. Because each page showed him doing the thing he loves, he immediately showed it to all his other teenage friends in attendance!)What are your graduate's passions? Maybe basketball, scrapbooking, 4-H, a musical instrument, restoring a car?? Consider the skills they've developed as a result of pursing it. You'll be surprised at how quickly an album like this can be made. And your graduate will love it!

Sneak Peek

noreply@blogger.com (Bloomin Scrapbooks) — Sun, 31 May 2009 18:40:00 +0000

Here's a sneak peek of the June page kit, available soon!