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?