Interesting Website - Potluck Menu Ideas

OK - maybe next to scrapbooking & talking, the best thing we do at our crops is EAT. So with that in mind, here is a link to a Potluck Menu Idea database. Sometimes I never know what to make to bring to the crop, and this would be a great starting point. Hope this helps you out, and good luck in your cooking!!

Do you alter items?

Holidays, like Halloween, are a great time to take plain items and make them just right for the holidays. The "B" and "O"s are chipboard letters that I decorated with My Mind's Eye patterned paper, added the handmade hat and broom that I made, and then added them to the wreath. Finally, I added the feathers which I thought made the wreath particularly spooky. Now I have a homemade decorative item that will last throughout the years.

Website Friday - My Mind's Eye blog

Wanted to share the blog of My Mind's Eye. I found it very inspiring, as I ALWAYS buy at least one of their new lines every time it comes out. Their products are so fun!!
But, I also wanted to share this information on how to take pictures of your layouts for use on the internet. Maybe you just want to share pictures of your layouts with others, or you want to share them on a website...either way, here is a good way to do it!
Enjoy their blog!

Website Friday - Inspired Blueprints

Inspired Blueprints blog and Inspired Blueprints website...really just another name for sketches! I just recently found this website, and I love their sketches. Plus, you get two a month, and have a chance to enter & win prizes. I just love sketches as a starting point, and pretty much use them on all of my layouts to help me think outside of the box. Hope you enjoy their website as much as I do!

Website Friday - Changing Brads Technique

OK, so it's technically still Friday...albeit later in the day, but still Friday! And speaking of technically, I found these instructions on how to change the look of a brad. What if you have one the is close, but a little off in color? Or, you just want to sparkle it up? Then, this is what you do. It looks so cool...I think I will try it!! http://deenaziegler.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/04/technique-and-winner.html

Interesting Website - Scrapping the Music

The featured website this week is Scrapping the Music. Do you enjoy music? Are you stuck in a rut and need some inspiration? Then this website is perfect for you! Scrapping the Music gives a new song each week, and challenges you to use it as an inspiration. And they have prizes too! So, turn on your favorite tunes, head on over to Scrapping the Music, and get started!!

Interesting Website - Picnik!!

OK, it's not Friday, and it's been a couple of weeks since I last shared a website. But, to make up for it, I am posting a website that is one dandy of a website!!
Have you ever wanted to do some fancy editing of your pictures? Or even just to turn them black/white or sepia-toned? Picnik will do all that, and SO MUCH MORE! Now this website looks free (I've just been playing around on it...) but it looks like you can also upgrade to get additional features. It will put borders on your pictures, help with blurriness, let you put writing on the pictures, even turn parts of the picture blurry or b/w while keeping the rest of it sharp & in full color. Bookmark this website - this is one you will surely want to use!

Website Friday - Method Playground

Here is another challenge blog - I find it inspiring when I want to do something unusual with my layout...maybe use an unusual product, or try a new technique.
Method Playground is just that...a place to play around with your layouts. The next time you get stumped, see what their latest challenge is and it might help you get past that Scrapper's Block!

Embellished Flowers

I found this video today of how to embellish flowers. The patterned flowers are real popular right now, but you can take flowers that you already have & make them updated. Just watch this video. I have tried it with script and swirl stamps as well, and I really like the look!

Store Finder by State

I just got back from vacation (hence the big time frame since the last post), and found a need for our next website...a listing by state of all the scrapbook stores in that state. It, of course, may not be up to date, but at least it's a start. Scrapbookingmall.com does that for us. (If you know of others, please pass them on, and I will list them as well.) Have fun shopping!

Website Friday - a double dose

In a effort to make up for missing last Friday, here is a double dose of interesting websites for you to peruse...both of them are blogs:
1.) The first one is a blog where a scrapbooker has listed 31 ways to make scrapbooky/crafty flowers...a whole month's worth! Her blog (and no, I don't know this person, but she looks like fun!) is call Pink Paper Peppermints. Some of her flower tutorials are scrapbooky, some crafty, and some are even edible. Take some time to browse...I'm sure that you could find one idea to try!!
2.) The second blog is called One Little Word - celebrating the power of words. Every other Wednesday they give a new word, and challenge you to do a layout focusing on that word. In between words, they show a new technique & challenge you to use it. This blog is a great way to push your layouts & your journaling to the next level!
Good luck with the new techniques that you might discover!

Website Friday - Titles

Today, I wanted to share a database that I just discovered. Sometimes it is so hard for me to be inspired when it comes to titles. Mine are usually, well, boring. So, I have bookmarked this page at Scrapbook.com to use in my scrapbooking - a whole database of titles, already pre-thought-up-of for me!! Can't get better than that when I am un-inspired!!

Crop tomorrow!!

Don't forget our monthly crop tomorrow, May 16th. Don't forget your swap items. See you there!

Scrapbooking YouTube

OK...I thought this was, well...a little too realistic!! :-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNXnsODLrmU

New Month = New Poll

Scroll on down the right hand side a little for our latest poll that ends on May 31st. We will share the results in our next newsletter.

Website Friday

OK - I've been so busy the last couple of weeks, but I have a REALLY COOL website to share with you. www.wordle.net!!! Wordle is a webtoy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. Once you get to the website, click on "Create your own". Type in a bunch of words (descriptions work well) and click "Go". This will bring up a "word cloud". Don't like how it turned out?? Click on "Randomize", and keep clicking until you find one you like. Then, print it out. Isn't that cool?!?! I haven't figured out how to use it on a layout yet, but I will one day!

Website Friday (on a Sunday - oops!)

This week's website spotlight goes to BackPorchMemories. This past weekend, they had an online virtual crop (one reason why I didn't post this earlier...I've been busy!!) For people like me who couldn't go to the retreat this past weekend, this was a much less-expensive route to take, and I still feel like I got a lot accomplished. They have prizes (great prizes!), it's free to join, and there are some great people and great talent there. Some of the challenges/classes are still ongoing, so take a look.
One of the classes I especially liked was "Paper Flower How-To's", which illustrates several ways to make your own flowers. And dang, they are Ca-ute!! I can't wait to try them!!

Website Friday

Here it is...another Friday - Good Friday - and a good Friday it is!!

This weeks website focus is on the blog of Kelly Goree. She is a local girl, living somewhere in KY near the Indiana border, and she has an awesome skill in photography. She designs for Basic Grey, among other scrapbooking companies, and just a has an overall great sense of what to do with a layout. I hope you enjoy reading her updates as much as I do.

New Poll

It's a new month, therefore, we have a new poll. It is open the month of April...with results in our next newsletter. To the right, and scroll down a little...tell us what you think!

Website Friday

I just read about this one in a magazine yesterday, and checked it out today. Did you ever want to know what was going on in the world on your birthday? dMarie.com/timecap has a link to some great information!!! Things like Top Headlines, Top Songs, Current Prices for the day, and lots more. Just enter your birthdate, and you can either hit the "Quick Page" button to get the info fast, or hit the"Advanced Page" button for more specific info. It would be great to do a "me" page using some of the information!! Isn't it about time we did a "me" page?

Road trip coming up!!

Someone left a comment on our blog wondering if our Roadtrip was open to anyone. The answer is yes. Please contact Carol Berry for more info...or if you don't have her information, please leave a comment on this post and we will get Carol to contact you. It sounds fun, and there are some seats left, so we hope you will join us!!

Website Friday

I love this website because sometimes I just need a extra push to get out of my box of scrapping, and the Dream Girl Blog does that for me. They will give you a challenge, but then add a twist (or several twists) to it. AND they have a design team, so they have examples to prompt you as well. I think their prize packages are great too...give them a try!!

Website Friday

Here is another website of interest (which I've decided will be featured on Fridays...): the blog - Stamp Something - is a very cool blog that I visit at least once a week. On Fridays, they offer a new stamp challenge which has to be completed by the next Thursday, & then linked to their blog. They choose a random winner to receive a very nice prize package. Now, you don't have to link anything or show it to the world (however, this is the only way to win!!), but it may help you think out of your box. Or, like me, justify the fact that I have over 40 stamps sets. This way, I actually use them!! I have been inspired to create some things that I would never have thought of, and feel so good after I use a stamp or stamp set that I've never used. Give it a try, and if you stamp something, link it here so that we can see too!!

Interesting Websites

A new feature that I would like to include on the blog is to introduce you to interesting scrapbooking websites. There are so many resources out there that we can use to inspire us. Our first website in this series is...ETSY (www.etsy.com). Etsy is a lot like Ebay, but described as "Your place to buy and sell all things handmade". If you browse the website, especially under "Paper Goods", you will find many unique and scrapbook-y kinds of things. This website is not for the faint of heart, you might just become as addicted to that website, as you were to Ebay!! Enjoy, and let me know how you liked the website!

Can anyone go to the crop?

Someone left a GREAT question - YES, anyone can go to the club crop. It costs $10.00 each crop, if you pay as you go, and only $5.00 for anyone who pays for all crops all at once. All that is requested is that you RSVP so there is sufficient seating available.

Speaking of crops - don't forget this Friday/Saturday is the crop for February!!

Update!!

Please note the update on February's crop times!!!

February's Crop Info

Don't forget that February's crop will be a "sleep-over" crop, beginning at 3:00 PM on Friday, February 20th and ending on Saturday, February 21st at 12:00 AM (That means Saturday midnight/Sunday morning!!) Hourly Attendance and End of Night drawings will be held on Saturday only. Bring your scrappin stuff, & your pj's, & a pillow, and plan to have some fun!!

January's Swap

This month's swap is a gift bag swap. There were sign-ups for different "themes", for example baby boy, baby girl, wedding, birthday, etc. If you signed up to make wedding bags, and 12 people total signed up, you will make 12 wedding bags. When all of the bags are swapped out, you will go home with 12 different gift bags for 12 different occasions - how cool is that?

Bags are due at the Feb. crop. Stay tuned for February's swap which will be due in March.

First Crop of the Year news!!

Hello Ladies and Happy New Year!! Your new officers have been working hard to ensure that the SISF Monthly Club Meeting will be exciting, fun and a place to get some serious scrapbooking done. (We have to carry on Kim's legacy!!)

Here is just a sneak preview of what's been going on:
Dawn and Laura have planned "Baby It's Cold Outside" for the January Crop Theme.
Kristi has entered 103 e-mail addresses into her computer for news updates about our club.
Rebecca has taken on the financial responsibilities. Show us the Money!
Teresa has gone shopping with the theme in mind.
Stephanie is already planning cool SWAPS for you to participate in.
Tracey already has many mission projects underway-with the help of Kimmay.
Anastasia has a new Newsletter format to share with everyone.
Peggy will be corresponding with each and everyone of us.
Carol is busy planning your Retreats and Roadtrips.
Julia hopes to keep everyone updated on the blog.

So with that in mind, please join us January 17, 2009, 1:00pm to 10:00pm

Remember Yearly Fee's are $60.00 or you can still pay $10.00/month. (If you pay the whole year, you can pay $30.00 in Jan/$30.00 in February.)