Weekly Warm-Up: Contain Your Holiday Cards
11/30/2009 at 4:00 am | Posted in weekly warm up | 10 CommentsTags: cards, Christmas, Christmas cards, Creating Keepsakes, Creating Keepsakes magazine, creative editor, Elizabeth Kartchner, holiday, holiday card keeper, Jennifer Carreiro, Megan Hoeppner, Scrapbooking, weekly warm up
It’s December Eve, which means our mailboxes are about to get a lot more exciting—with holiday greetings breaking up the usual junk mail and bill monotony. Hooray! I adore opening my box to find photos, handwritten notes and beautiful cards waiting for me. Throughout the month, I hang these happy hellos in my home. (See my blog for a few creative card-display ideas.) It’s when January rolls around that I reach a dilemma—do I keep the cards or recycle them? And if I keep them, do I simply store them in a boring cardboard box where they’ll likely never be seen again?
I’m happy to say that Jennifer Carreiro, a Creating Keepsakes reader, has found the answer to my quandary. Check out her stunning card keepsake book!
2008 Christmas Cards by Jennifer Carreiro. Supplies Patterned paper: My Mind’s Eye and The Paper Company; Ink: Clearsnap; Chipboard: K&Company; Ribbon: C.M. Offray & Son; Brads and metal tag: Making Memories; Jump ring: 7gypsies; Colored pencil: Newell Rubbermaid; Adhesive: Glue Dots International and Pioneer Photo Album; Other: Cardstock and star charm.
Jennifer created this album with just a few supplies, and she now has a beautiful way to preserve all her cards, photos and letters. Make your own keepsake book this year in just a few simple steps. Here’s how:
1. Gather all the cards you want to save. Don’t feel like you have to save them all. I’m sure your insurance company will understand if their greeting card ends up in your recycle bin.
2. Cut your book covers from chipboard using your largest greeting card as your template. You’ll want your covers slightly larger than your largest greeting card.
3. Dress up the cutout covers with patterned paper and embellishments. If you choose to make a new book each year, you can add the year to your cover with letter stickers, stamps, rub-ons or chipboard. Attach a pretty ribbon to the back cover so you can wrap it around the front of your book and keep it shut after your greetings are inserted.
4. To insert your greeting cards, punch a hole in the corner of each one as well as in the corners of the chipboard covers, then punch holes in your covers and group them all together with binder rings.
Isn’t this an easy and awesome idea? Thanks so much for sharing it, Jennifer.
Here’s a variation created by Elizabeth Kartchner. She’s not only grouped her holiday greetings together but also her family photo and other Christmas memorabilia from the same year.
Holiday Album by Elizabeth Kartchner. Supplies Art journal, patterned paper, felt, binder rings, ribbon, button, paper flower, rub-ons, tag, stamps, ink and clip: Evalicious (from a kit); Adhesive: Pioneer Photo Albums; Other: Thread and pen. As seen in the December 2009 issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine.
With this idea, you can enjoy those heartfelt sentiments year after year and avoid the agonizing do-I-keep-or-don’t-I scenario. The answer is now a resounding keep!
Do you have ideas for containing your holiday cards, letters and photos after the season is through? Or perhaps you recycle those greetings and do something delightful with the pieces? We’d love to hear your ideas in the comments section of this post.
Happy soon-to-be December!
—Megan Hoeppner, Creative Editor
Guest Bloggers: Lisa Bearnson, This Is Your Life
11/27/2009 at 4:00 am | Posted in guest blogger, Uncategorized | 1 CommentTags: Creating Keepsakes, Creating Keepsakes magazine, Deanna Lambson, Don Lambson, free downloads, Free Font Friday, Jana Lillie, Lisa Bearnson, Loni Stevens, Stacy Julian
As CK’s week honoring Lisa Bearnson wraps up, the Creating Keepsakes team has invited several guest bloggers who have worked with Lisa over the years to share their memories.
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The Beginning
As you might suspect, Lisa Bearnson was the world’s greatest business partner. Experts told us we needed over a million dollars to start a national magazine. Our gut, Lisa’s enthusiasm and thousands of idea-hungry scrapbookers proved ’em wrong! Sure, we had to endure obstacles we’re sure Lisa will never forget:
* Raised eyebrows from coworkers at WordPerfect Magazine when Don and Lisa left for a long lunch at Lisa’s house for the 50th time.
* Accidentally charging some of our premiere subscribers’ credit cards five times. Oops. (Don’t worry, we fixed it.)
* A pregnant Lisa sleeping on the couch while Don snoozed on the floor at our first press check in Liberty, Missouri.
* 40,000 copies of our premiere issue sitting for days in a semi truck and missing its mail date due to the looming presidential election of Bill Clinton.
* Our custom water bottles produced for the HIA trade show that proclaimed “Creating Keepsakes, the Scraping Authority!” (Notice the typo.)
* And there is one that Don will surely never forget: having to change little Collin’s diaper during a long lunch meeting!
All in all, we are grateful the amazing Lisa Bearnson is just what she seems—a real believer in the joys and blessings of scrapbooking, an energetic visionary who is not afraid to work and work and work to see a dream come to life, a woman who is charitable at every turn, and a dedicated wife and mother whose devotion to God and family are unquestionable.
We are so glad to still continue to count you a friend, Lisa, and we’ll watch for your occasional appearances in the magazine!
—Don (cofounder of Creating Keepsakes magazine) and Deanna Lambson
**
The Early Years
I first met Lisa Bearnson at WordPerfect Publishing. She was smart, talented and fun, and I had no idea she would bless my life for years to come. When she asked me to help edit articles on her new publication, I said yes. I loved its focus on preserving memories, and I could see scrapbooking staying super-hot for a year or two. Little did I know! That small start grew into 13 cherished years with Creating Keepsakes magazine.
Over the years, I have watched Lisa champion the importance of family, friends and memories. She is kind and genuine, and it’s so refreshing that she can laugh at her less-than-perfect moments. It’s not every day a person accidentally gives up her seat on a plane!
Thank you, Lisa, for your incredible spirit and heart. You have touched my life and inspired me in ways I will never forget!
—Jana Lillie
P.S. When Kristy Banks and I had our youngest babies, Lisa insisted on a quick photo shoot at her house (see the image above). She’s gifted with a camera, and she knew how much the photos would mean in years to come. Thank you again, Lisa.
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Influencing Others
Lisa is an amazing listener and very encouraging. A long time ago, Lisa listened to me and my ideas. Lisa told me my ideas were good and inspiring, and Lisa gave me the opportunity to share my ideas with others. Without Lisa’s influence, there would be no Stacy Julian in scrapbooking. There would have been no Simple Scrapbooks magazine and therefore no Big Picture Scrapbooking.
This entire industry owes a debt of gratitude to this woman for her might and her moxie.
I am thankful for Lisa.
—Stacy Julian
**
I love my dear friend Lisa to pieces! I love that when Lisa believes in you, SHE REALLY BELIEVES IN YOU. From the minute I met Lisa in 2002, she made me feel like she had 100% faith in me and my abilities, which I have appreciated so much! Over the last seven years, she has provided me with opportunities with the magazine, QVC, Kit of the Month and more. I could never have imagined those opportunities when I first became passionate about scrapbooking. It’s been such a journey—an awesome ride!
Some of my favorite memories of working with Lisa include, but are not limited to, the following:
* Creative brainstorming meetings with the team in her home. They always felt more like friend time rather than work. So many creative ideas came from each direction. The meetings were a lot of fun.
Kristy Banks, Lisa Bearnson, Loni Stevens and Kerri Bradford
* Photo shoots where Lisa was willing to hold a rat or jump off her stairs 20+ times for the shot we needed. She was always willing to do anything required of her and be a good sport along the way. (I took these two photos of her during one such shoot.)
* The gag gift she gave our QVC team at a Christmas party one year. After the prank, she gave us an amazing over-the-top present. She has a great sense of humor and is always so giving.
* The time we were rear-ended in her car while leaving a restaurant. She tried to set me up with the cute, single officer writing up the report. Ahhh, she’s a good friend.
* The time she accidentally used a permanent marker on a dry-erase board to help connect the dots and illustrate a story she was sharing with us as friends. Totally funny! Sheer panic ensued, followed by a home remedy to remove all evidence of the permanent marker.
* Time spent helping with the album she presented to a guest when she appeared on Oprah. That was a group effort pulled together in under 24 hours. It was crazy!
There are so many memories—I could go on and on. Working with Lisa has been amazing and a lot of fun. I feel absolutely blessed to know her and to call her a friend. I don’t know how I became so lucky. She has a heart of gold and has done so much for me and others over the years. She is someone I admire and respect so much.
Thanks for taking a chance on me, Lisa! I am forever grateful. Love ya!
**
Free Font Friday
P.S. Don’t miss the special Free Font Friday download available this week. This week’s font is LB Lisa B—Lisa’s own font! You can download the font for free here.
Happy Thanksgiving!
11/26/2009 at 4:00 am | Posted in Holidays | 2 CommentsTags: Becky Higgins, Christi Spadoni, CK, Creating Keepsakes, grateful, gratitude, holiday, holiday cards, Joscelyne Cutchens, Lara Penrod, Mandy Douglass, November 2009, November issue, Scrapbook, Scrapbooking, Thank You, Thanksgiving
I love this time of year. The leaves have all turned colors. The air is crisp. And pies are baking in the oven. In my family, Thanksgiving means pie season! My mom hates to make pies, so she only does it at Thanksgiving. But she makes everyone’s favorite, so we end up with about a dozen pies. What’s not to love about a dozen pies? (I think Joscelyne Cutchens agrees.)
"Homemade Pie" by Joscelyne Cutchens. Creating Keepsakes, Nov. 2009
I also love this time of year because there’s a built-in reason to be more consciously grateful for all I have in my life. I’ve made it a tradition to write down each of the things I’m grateful for as I think of them throughout this month. The list gets pretty long, and I realize how truly blessed I am and how great my year has been.
A few years ago, I decided to add to that tradition by letting the people in my life know how grateful I am that they are the people in my life. To that end, I’ve been making thank you cards and sending them to arrive the week of Thanksgiving. Inside the cards I write a little note about why I’m grateful the person is in my life. Each year the list for cards gets longer too, and I’m grateful for that. You can never have too many great people in your life.
"Thankful" card by Mandy Douglass. Creating Keepsakes, Nov. 2009
This year, I’m grateful to be at Creating Keepsakes with all the wonderful, creative and caring women who work here. They’ve made my new job a joy, and I’m grateful they are in my life. (In fact, I may even create a card for each of them based on the Mandy Douglass design above or this Becky Higgins design below.)
"So Thankful for You" card by Becky Higgins. Creating Keepsakes, Nov. 2009
And all of us at Creating Keepsakes are grateful for you. We love that we get to share your creativity and passion. We’re grateful for your support. We’re grateful you are open and honest in sharing with us what will make Creating Keepsakes a better magazine for you. Thank you for being the people in our lives who give us a reason to come to work, to create and to share our passion for scrapbooking!
Don’t forget to photograph the fabulous feast you enjoy today, like Christi Spadoni did for the layout below!
"Aunt Sheila's China" by Christi Spadoni. Creating Keepsakes, Nov. 2009
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
—Lara Penrod, Senior Editor
P.S. In the spirit of Black Friday tomorrow, we’re offering an incredible sale at our shop. The sale consists of discounts of over 60% off select products PLUS free standard shipping and handling (on U.S. orders only) on purchases of $25 or more. You’ll even find books and CDs as low as $5. The sale ends at midnight on Monday, November 30. Check out ShopScrapandPaperCorner.com for these great deals.
A Look Back through the Years
11/25/2009 at 3:29 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 1 CommentTags: Brittany Beattie, Creating Keepsakes, Creating Keepsakes magazine, Lisa Bearnson, Lisa farewell
Lisa Bearnson is a genuine “people person.” Everyone she meets becomes an instant friend to her. If you run into Lisa on the street, she’ll take time to stop and chat so she can get to know you. And of course, there’s always time for a photo op. Here’s a look back at some photos of Lisa at various events, along with just a handful of the many publications she’s created.
We could never forget the videos she’s shared with us, including these two.
And last but not least, here’s a peek at the fun times we’ve had with Lisa in the CK office. I bet you didn’t know she’s a champion leg wrestler. She’s undefeated in the Creating Keepsakes office. Here, she’s teaching Fred Brewer (former editorial assistant) the game, and then you’ll find a rematch a year later.
—Brittany Beattie, online senior editor
Lisa’s Pages through the Years
11/24/2009 at 4:00 am | Posted in Uncategorized | 5 CommentsTags: CK, Creating Keepsakes, Joannie McBride, Lisa Bearnson, Scrapbook, scrapbook pages, Scrapbooking, Tribute
Scrapbooking and Lisa Bearnson go hand in hand. There’s no way we’d be able to think of one without the other. Lisa is to scrapbooking . . . well, what jelly is to peanut butter. Does it get any better than that?
Although Lisa’s style may have evolved over the years (both on her pages and in fashion), those who know her well also know she is very much the same amazing Lisa who started this magazine so many years ago! She’s sincerely one of the most genuine and selfless people ever. We are incredibly honored to have had the opportunity to work with her and to be a part of such an amazing venture. We’d like to show our appreciation to Lisa by sharing with you a look at her pages and projects throughout the years. Enjoy!
(Nov/Dec 1996) This card from the first issue of the magazine represented a new start and a time in Lisa’s life to shine and to allow others to shine as well.
(Sept/Oct 1997) Scrapbooking has always been about family and preserving family memories. It’s all the better when you can get your family involved in the memory-keeping process.
(Sept/Oct 1998) Lisa taught us to record important facts about our loved ones and to do it in fun, new ways!
(July/Aug 1999) And remember how she taught us about capturing the everyday moments too, because we’ll want to remember them—and so will others.
(February 2000) We learned that recording traits and characteristics will not only be special to our immediate family but to the generations to come as well.
(May 2001) Lisa also inspired us to create clever announcements and to record our special occasions.
(April 2002) She shared personal memories so we could get to know her and her family better.
(March 2003) Lisa said to let kids be themselves in photos, because that is who they are. And really, who wants perfection all the time?
(October 2004) She encouraged us to capture the milestones in life and to do so wholeheartedly.
(December 2005) We learned that it’s important to record our blessings—because the world could use a little more happy!
(April 2006) Whatever our traditions and no matter what time of year, Lisa encouraged us to document them.
(June 2007) We were reminded to scrapbook the little moments in life, because often those moments are the ones that mean the most.
(May 2008) So that future generations would know about our loved ones, Lisa invited us to think about those who came before us and the impact they had on us and the world—and to capture them in our scrapbooks.
(December 2009) Above all, Lisa taught us to appreciate the life we have and to treasure the moments we get to spend with the ones we love.
Lisa, here’s to all your new adventures and a huge THANK YOU for what you’ve done for this hobby! We love you.
—Joannie McBride, Assistant Editor
Thank You, Lisa!
11/23/2009 at 4:00 am | Posted in Uncategorized | 21 CommentsTags: Brittany Beattie, Creating Keepsakes, Creating Keepsakes magazine, Erin Bayless, Janice Barfuss, Jennafer Martin, Joannie McBride, Lisa Bearnson, Lori Anderson, Megan Hoeppner, Neko Carrillo, Thank You
This is Thanksgiving week in the U.S., and we want to take this opportunity to thank our founding editor, Lisa Bearnson. Long ago (1996 to be exact), she set out on a mission to create a scrapbooking magazine that would inspire people to document their lives. Her message of memory keeping has resonated around the world, and thousands of people participate in this hobby we all love dearly because of Lisa’s vision and the inspiration found in Creating Keepsakes magazine. Ask anyone who scrapbooks if they know who Lisa Bearnson is, and you’ll hear a resounding, “Of course!”
Through the years, the magazine grew, as did Lisa’s family. In fact, many of us have seen Lisa’s family grow and change through her scrapbook pages and in her founder’s note in the magazine, feeling as though we were members of the family, too. In each issue of the magazine, Lisa has shared her family’s sweet stories, her dreams and her hard work.
And now, as Creating Keepsakes continues to inspire people to create, Lisa has decided it’s time to spend more time with her family (read more in her founder’s note in the upcoming January issue of Creating Keepsakes). Lisa will continue to be an ambassador for scrapbooking and participate in CK; she simply won’t be in each and every issue. And never fear, Creating Keepsakes will continue to deliver inspirational content and continue Lisa’s mission begun 13 years ago.
We sure will miss working with Lisa as closely, but we’re extremely excited for her and her husband, Steve, and their children. We’re looking forward to seeing more of the happy times they enjoy and keeping up with their busy lives on Lisa’s blog. We’ll be checking in often to catch up on her latest news. After all, she’s part of our family.
Join us this week as we celebrate and thank Lisa. Here, members of the Creating Keepsakes team have written fond memories of Lisa. Please join us and submit your own note to Lisa in the comments section of this post to let her know the impact she or the magazine has made in your life. If you live in the U.S. and would rather call to wish Lisa your best, please call toll-free at 1-877-641-2849 to leave her a message with your warm wishes. This is a special phone number set up just for the purpose of celebrating Lisa and you bet she’ll be checking her messages!
—Lori Anderson, Online Managing Editor
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“I’ve so enjoyed working with Lisa Bearnson. She has an amazing enthusiasm and an inner light she brings to everything. She’s one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. She has a big heart and truly cares about people. I’m incredibly thankful for her dream to start this magazine, her courage and dedication to make that dream come true and her continued dedication to it. She’s been an incredible colleague, and even though I’ll miss working with her as often, I appreciate and respect her dedication to her family, and I hope they have a ball as they spend more time together.”
—Jennafer Martin, Editor-in-Chief
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“Thanks to Lisa for being an amazing leader and friend. It’s been wonderful to work with her for the past several years. She has inspired many people through her innumerable talents. I wish her the best in her future endeavors. I’m sure she’ll continue to touch people’s lives as she has touched mine.”
—Janice Barfuss, Art Director
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“Who would have thought the wonderful mother and scrapbooker I first saw in Creating Keepsakes magazine in 1997 would have become such a great mentor in my life? As a new mother, Lisa taught me how important memory keeping was, and she helped me realize the legacy I wanted to leave for my children and my family. Lisa is the most caring, sincere and devoted person I know. She remembers facts and faces better than anyone I’ve ever met, and she greets each person she meets with a smile (and often a hug). Lisa, I am blessed to know you. I’m so thankful you followed your dream and created such a wonderful magazine to inspire all of us. I wish you the best!”
—Lori Anderson, Online Managing Editor
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“I want to tell Lisa thank you. Thank you for being so kind to me. From the first day I started at CK, you made me feel like I was part of the team. Lisa, you are always amazingly friendly and generous, and I appreciate you more than you will ever know. I wish you nothing but the best and hope you know how much you’ve made a difference in my life. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, Lisa!”
—Joannie McBride, Assistant Editor
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“Lisa has been an amazing part of our team over the years and will be missed. I want to thank her for her positive example of kindness and charity. I have loved working her and getting to know her better. I’m thankful she made her love of scrapbooking become a cherished hobby for so many crafters! I am inspired by her ability to make her dreams a reality by beginning a scrapbooking magazine and creating a business that has thrived from the shared love of creating memories that can be cherished for years to come.”
—Erin Bayless, Creative Director
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“One of my first direct encounters with Lisa was here at the office when I worked for Paper Crafts magazine. She happened by my desk where a ‘Megan’s Snow Shack’ sign was proudly displayed. (The sign was made by the Paper Crafts team to decorate my desk for my birthday). She stopped dead in her tracks and asked me all about it. Her enthusiasm and energy made me smile from ear to ear. She didn’t really know me well at that time, but that didn’t matter. She sat and talked to me for quite some time as if we were old friends. It was sincere. In fact, she went home and had a ‘Snack Shack’ sign made for her daughter, modeled after my cute sign. This encounter made me realize how positive and full of life Lisa really is, and she’s continued to reinforce that over the years as I’ve gotten to know her better. What a lovely light she brings to everything she does! Thanks, Lisa, for sharing some of your beautiful spirit with me.”
—Megan Hoeppner, Creative Editor
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“Lisa has always been so gracious, kind, caring, giving and fun. It has been a pleasure getting to know her and enjoying her company. Thank you, Lisa, for all you have done for us as employees and for the company as a whole.”
—Neko Carrillo, Senior Designer
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“I count it a great blessing to know Lisa. She has influenced my life in so many ways. From when I first met her in a business class where she presented, my path has never been the same. She’s affected my entire career and created a most wonderful place to work. Her giving nature has shown me how to be a more selfless person. She constantly reminds me of the importance of befriending every person I meet. She is an example of living a rich, full life. She’s also delightfully sweet and kind. Thank you, Lisa, for blessing my life, as I’m sure you’ve blessed so many others. Without you, many of us reading this blog would never have known the wonderful joy of scrapbooking! Thank you for everything!”
—Brittany Beattie, Online Senior Editor
Special Guest Blogger: Brenda Arnall
11/20/2009 at 4:00 am | Posted in guest blogger | 8 CommentsTags: Brenda Arnall, Creating Keepsakes, Creating Keepsakes magazine, embossing, Free Font Friday, gratitude, gratitude project, guest blogger, technique
Hey, y’all! (That’s Southern-speak for “Hi, everyone!”) I’m Brenda Arnall, former Contributing Editor with Creating Keepsakes magazine, and I’m so happy to be here as the guest blogger today. I may have left the world of deadlines and trade shows behind, but I’m still scrapbooking in retirement.
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I can almost taste the turkey, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. Even more, I love having all the family gathered around the table, enjoying the meal together. The holiday is a fitting reminder of how much we have to be thankful for.
Have you ever wondered why we only devote one day each year to counting our blessings? What would happen if we focused on life’s good things throughout the year? Science tells us that practicing gratitude can increase our happiness, reduce our level of stress and boost our immune system. Pretty powerful stuff, huh? I can think of no better way to practice gratitude than to build a scrapbook project around it, and that’s just what I’ve been doing in 2009.
Gratitude Project
Each week, I photograph an event, person or thing that has made my heart happy during the previous seven days. I record it, as my blessing for the week, on a page in a mini album. The subjects range from silly to serious, meaningful to mundane. Combined, they are a snapshot of a part of my life that’s been undocumented until now. While I’ve always been a glass-half-full kind of gal, I feel blessed beyond belief as the album has grown. It’s tangible evidence that life is good.
It’s been a creative adventure, too. I purposefully chose a small album format (roughly 5″ x 7″) to make the album easier to keep up with. I’ve challenged myself to use leftover scraps, old products I still love, new techniques I want to play with, and pages in different sizes and shapes not found in traditional scrapbooks. This approach has been both liberating and stimulating.
3•2•1 by Brenda Arnall. Supplies Cardstock and mini brads: Bazzill Basics Paper; Patterned paper: Jenni Bowlin Studio, KI Memories and SEI; Punch: EK Success; Acrylic stars: Heidi Swapp for Advantus; Ink: Tsukineko; Embossing powder: Ranger Industries; Chipboard letters: BasicGrey; Paint: Golden Paints; Font: Berlin Sans; Other: Graph paper.
Here’s this week’s entry documenting the good fortune Wayne and I had to see the launch of the space shuttle on Monday. It was one of the items on Wayne’s “bucket list,” and I was filled with gratitude not only for the opportunity to see such an impressive sight but to know how much being there meant to him. I always use Friday entries on my blog to explain the what and why of the week’s gratitude, and that entry eventually becomes the journaling on a separate page in my album.
Embossing Technique
The layout itself is white, but there’s a gray background behind it so you can see the pattern I created on the clear acrylic stars. If you’ve hesitated to heat emboss on acrylic for fear it would destroy the clear embellishments, wait no longer. It definitely works, and it’s easy and fun to do. Here’s how:
You’ll need a watermark stamp pad (I use VersaMark by Tsukineko), some embossing powder, a clear acrylic embellishment and your favorite stamp. Ink your stamp and press straight down on the acrylic embellishment. Since the surface of the acrylic is slick, try to go straight down and straight back up without letting the stamp slide. If you’re not happy with the stamped result, just wash the ink off under warm water and start over.
Shake the embossing powder over the stamped acrylic, and tap off the excess. You can have “do overs” here, too—the powder and ink will wash off until they’re heated. I used an ultra thick embossing powder (UTEE) that was clear with a hint of blue, and it produced a nice dimension but was still transparent. A generic pattern on the stamp is probably better than a detailed one because some powder will cling to the unstamped areas despite your best efforts.
Use a heat gun to melt the embossing powder. I held mine about 12″–14″ away from the accent and held it straight overhead so the acrylic wouldn’t blow away from the force of the airflow. It took a little longer because of the distance, but the powder melted with time. The acrylic gets soft, but that’s nice because you can alter the shape, like adding a twist to an acrylic heart or folding up the wings of an acrylic butterfly. The acrylic embellishment will retain the shape when it cools, or you can reheat it to flatten it back out.
Other Options
My yearlong gratitude project has been rewarding, but if that sounds like a time commitment your schedule doesn’t permit, then you can still scrapbook your gratitude throughout the year. Take one photo per week that is blessing based. Create a page once a month or once a quarter documenting things you are grateful for. Begin a “book of good things,” and add a layout whenever the mood strikes. There are endless ways you can practice gratitude through scrapbooking, and counting blessings instead of burdens is bound to have a positive influence on your life.
Whether spent at home or away, with family physically or just in your heart, I hope you have a wonderful—and blessed—Thanksgiving.
—Brenda Arnall
P.S. Who can resist a food-named font when thoughts of Thanksgiving are on the mind? This week for Free Font Friday, enjoy this free download of the CK Porridge font.
CK & Me
11/19/2009 at 4:00 am | Posted in CK & Me | 11 CommentsTags: Ali Edwards, Andrea Kuhle, CK & Me, Creating Keepsakes, creative editor, Heather Lough, Heidi Sonboul, inspiration, Megan Hoeppner, Rita Shimniock, Scrapbooking, scraplift, Shannon Blinn
There are few things our CK team likes more than seeing how you’ve taken a layout published in CK and transformed it into your own beautiful design. That’s why it’s my pleasure to bring you this month’s “CK & Me” post, highlighting a few talented readers. Check out how they’ve used projects found in Creating Keepsakes as starting points to create their own amazing layouts!
Our first example comes from Andrea Kuhle. She found inspiration in this page by Rita Shimniok, which was featured in our November 2009 issue.
Check out how Andrea took Rita’s general page design and made it her own by completely changing the colors, the theme and the accents. We’re thrilled to see the little details Andrea has added, such as the decorative pins in place of the photo turns. Nicely done, Andrea!
Shannon Blinn found reason to celebrate when she turned to page 26 of our October 2009 issue and found this photo-filled layout by Heidi Sonboul.
Taking Heidi’s lead, Shannon created a grid-based layout so she could include her favorite photos from a special moment she shared with her grandfather. Notice how she divided the image of the flaming football into three grid squares. Great page, Shannon!
Our third example comes from Heather Lough. She was inspired by the way Ali Edwards evenly spaced her photos in this beautiful layout, which is found in our October 2009 issue.
Heather stuck with the same fall theme but changed up the colors and accents for a completely unique look. The darling tree accents Heather used bring smiles to our faces around here. Fantastic work, Heather!
Thank you, ladies, for submitting to our “CK & Me” call. You’ve made our day by sharing your beautiful designs with us! To show our appreciation, we’ll be sending you a Creating Keepsakes special issue, where we hope you’ll find more ideas to scraplift.
Have you created a page or project inspired by a recent issue of CK? If so, we want to hear from you. Simply e-mail an image of the page you’ve created, along with the name and location of the specific project and issue your inspiration came from, to letters@creatingkeepsakes.com. Please put “CK & Me” in the subject line.
In the spirit of finding inspiration, we’d love to know what you like the most about this blog. Maybe it’s the Friday guest blog posts that make your day. Or perhaps the ideas found in our Weekly Warm-Ups on Monday get your creative gears in motion. Whatever it is about our blog that keeps you coming back for more, we want to read about it in the comments section of this post. After all, we aim to please. 😉
Cheers!
Megan Hoeppner, Creative Editor
Scavenger Hunt: December 2009 CK
11/18/2009 at 4:00 am | Posted in Scavenger Hunt | Leave a commentTags: Creating Keepsakes magazine, December, Dorathy Gilchrist, Scavenger Hunt, scrapbook organization, Scrapbooking
Hello, Friends!
We’ve had the first snowfall of the season here in Utah, and it’s put us in the perfect mood for the release of our December issue. As you read the issue, sit back, relax and grab a pen as you search for the answers to our scavenger hunt. Just find the answers to the questions below.
1. In “CK Hot Spot,” which embellishment from Kelly Purkey’s “They Are the Best” layout is particularly in fashion this season?
2. Which room does Cindy Tobey use to house her scrapbooking supplies?
3. What type of jewelry does Megan Hoeppner suggest making for a loved one in “Tips & Tricks”?
4. What is the subject of the photographs in Ali Edwards’s “Holiday Home” layout?
5. In “Tools & Techniques,” Jennifer McGuire shows us how a certain material has great potential for holiday crafting. What material is it?
6. Name one set of holiday hues Brittany Beattie suggests in “Seasonal Solutions.”
7. How many photos is the sketch in “Becky’s Sketch” designed to hold?
8. How did Summer Fullerton creatively use border strips in her “Little Architect Takes on a Sweet Assignment” layout?
9. Name one of the variations for using custom shapes taught by Lori Anderson in “Computer Tricks.”
10. What are two suggestions Amanda Probst gives for scrapbooking through the holidays in “Monthly To-Dos”?
E-mail your answers by Sunday, November 22, to ckblog@creatingkeepsakes.com and put “December scavenger hunt” in the subject line. We will choose two winners by random drawing from the correct responses and post them on the Giveaways tab on our blog on Monday, November 23.
Dorathy Gilchrist, Associate Editor
‘Tis the Season for Giving
11/17/2009 at 4:00 am | Posted in Promo | Leave a commentTags: 2-for-1 offer, blog winners, Creating Keepsakes, Creating Keepsakes magazine, giveaway, Lori Anderson, subscription
We’re moving into a wonderful time of year. During the holiday season, our days are filled with family get-togethers, gratitude for the many blessings in our lives and gift giving to those we care about.
Here at Creating Keepsakes, we love the holidays! We’re so excited about this time of year that we’d like to offer you a gift (it’s a bit early, but we hope you enjoy it just the same). It’s a 2-for-1 subscription offer for current and new subscribers of Creating Keepsakes. That’s right, renew or sign up for a subscription, and you can give a gift subscription to someone you care about for free. That’s a savings of $24!
If you are a current subscriber and you’d like more information, please click here. For those who would like to become new subscribers to Creating Keepsakes, click here for more information about how you can subscribe and give a free gift.
Share the inspiration of Creating Keepsakes with a friend or relative this season, and share in the spirit of gift giving!
Lori Anderson
Online Managing Editor
P.S. We’ve announced the winners for our November and December Insider’s Look prizes. Check our Giveaways tab for more info!
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