December Journaling Freebie!

Hey KCB fans! I'm a little late in the day for getting this on here, but with all the holiday crazyness things are a little busy around here. That and for Christmas I got an upgraded version of Paint Shop Pro (my scrapping program of choice)... but I'm having trouble with some of the settings, which was making it impossible to save today's freebie as a png file... until I figured out the setting that was messing with me... lol.

But I just finished putting it together, so here it is!!

(click preview to download, and please leave a comment if you download it!)

I hope you like the little journaling freebie I put together for you, it should be perfect for journaling about some of your favourite tree ornaments!

Join me again next week for a new journaling challenge!

CT Spotlight~Tara (tkelley)

Today we're spotlighting Tara (tkelley)

Here is a little bio she wrote up for us.

Hey ladies! I'm Tara, aka tkelley and I am SAHM for 3 wonderful children: Caden-3, Caroline-2, and Collin-2 months. Very busy!! My husband and I work full time in residential childcare/ministry. I have been scrapping digitally for just over 2 years now and I am so in love!!! I'm a new part of Kristin's CT, but I so enjoy "working" with someone who is as genuine, thoughtful and creative as she is! I love Kristin's kits because they are always fresh and and full of elements that inspire me to scrap even on my personal dull-days.

This is her favorite layout she's done using Kristin's goodies.


When I asked Tara to pick her favorite Kristin kit, said "and favorite kit, impossible to pick one! How about: *All about Him/Her* *Apple Blossom* and *Daydream Believer*".

I have to agree, picking a favorite out of Kristin's kits is so hard. She is one designer that I can never part with her stuff.

I hope everyone is having a nice holiday season! I can't believe 2010 is in 2 days!
Thanks for stopping by and getting to know Tara a little better!!

Happy Monday 12/21

Wow! Only 4 more sleeps until Christmas!! I can't wait! I am so anxious to watch my kids open their gifts. I love the excitement that each one brings. This year will be a very quiet Christmas for us. All of our extended family, Grandma & Grandpa, Aunts and Uncles, will be away this year. It'll just be us for Christmas morning. That will be a little weird for us, but I won't complain.

How about you - what will your family be doing for Christmas Day?

This week I'm bringing you a neat little Holiday Quiz - What Holiday Cookie are You?

Here's what mine has to say...

You Are a Gingerbread Cookie

You are an organized, responsible person. You value success, and you're likely to get an early start on the day. You are good with both planning and numbers. You have ambitious life goals, and you're well on your way to achieving them.

What Holiday Cookie Are You?

Come back and link us up to your answer!

Well, with that, I wish you all a safe and happy holiday. May your all of your days be merry and bright.

Leah

Spin-A-Lift - Laura!

Hi everyone. I'm here with a spin-a-lift challenge for you this week. I've chosen KCB CT member Laura (emmasmommy)'s gallery. You can find her gallery here. Laura does some amazing layouts and I know that you are going to enjoy browsing through her gallery to find something to scrap. So how this works, if you've never done it before: find a layout of Laura's that you'd like to copy, or lift, and then turn it 90 degrees clockwise or counter-clockwise and start scrapping using Kristin's gorgeous products.

Here's what I did for a scrap lift. I took Laura's Thankful Me:


And I created this:


Once you are done, come back here and post a link to your layout. There's a lovely gift from Kristin of a GC to her store for the winner. The winner will be posted at the end of the month. So have fun.

New Release!

Happy Saturday folks! I don't know where you all are. But I am in lovely New England where we are anticipating a blizzard! And as far as I am concerned, that is just fine, so long as I don't lose power. Because then I would not be able to play with the lovely goodies that Kristin has in store. She teamed up with the amazing Meghan Mullens to create two new kits for us this weekend. And they are PERFECT!!! We have a boy and a girl kit for all those winter layouts.
Snowy Sweetness


Snowy Sidekick


Junebug



Jennifer


And if you are like me and you need both kits….

Hybrid Project - Snowman Soup

I want to thank Deb (dbrprc) for creating this tutorial for you all to enjoy. It is adorable beyond belief, and I have issues with glue so I needed some help. hehehee



Pop-top can tutorial by Deb Pierce (dbrprc)

Supplies:
Pop-top can
Safety can opener
Printed designs
Pencil
Scissors
½ circle punch (or use scissors)
Strong adhesive (I used Tombow Mono Multi liquid glue)
Hot glue gun

For this project you will need a pop-top can like the ones some soups and fruits come in. It can be any size you want. I happened to use a soup can.

Turn the can over, and remove the bottom with a safety can opener (the kind that turns the edge in so it isn’t sharp). Leave the top of the can intact. Empty out the can and wash thoroughly.

Create and print the designs you want to decorate the can. For my project I created a panel that was 10 inches wide by 5 inches high, but this will depend on the size of the can you are using. I also printed a 4 inch square for the top of the can. Next, trace around the top of the can onto the 4 inch square piece, and cut just inside the line. You may have to trim just a little, until it fits well on the top of the can.

Now comes the tricky part… trimming around the tab on the lid. I did this by trial and error. First I marked where the tab would be on the paper, then used a circle punch (mine was ½ inch) to punch a hole in the paper at that point. Then I cut a slit from the edge of the paper to the circle. I tested the fit around the tab, then trimmed as needed until it fit.

Now you can glue your designs on the can. For the main panel, you need to use strong adhesive so it will stay in place. I used Tombow Mono Multi liquid glue but you can also use red line tape or another strong adhesive. Once you have adhered the designs to the can, add some ribbon to the tab for a finishing touch.

Then all you have to do is fill the can with some candy or other small gift and glue the bottom in place. I used hot glue for the bottom.

Now you have a sweet little gift for someone you care about. I hope you give it a try, it really isn’t hard! Have fun!

Write With Me - December Layout

Hi KCB fans! Here’s my layout for this month’s challenge. I’m really happy with the amount of journaling I did on this layout, it felt really good to write about some of my favourite ornaments. Hopefully I’ll be able to get some more ornament photos before the tree gets put away this year, I’d really like to scrapbook a series of mini pages telling the stories behind many of our ornaments.

Show me your layouts featuring your favourite ornaments, and be sure to include some journaling!

*Next week the KCB team will be on holidays, but come back the following Thursday for a journaling freebie! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!

Credits:

• Holly Jolly by Kristin Cronin-Barrow;
• Template by Wendyzines;
• Santa's Sleigh font.

Journaling reads:

Tin Santa-
This is a beautiful tin Santa ornament
that also has a twin. When Jean's
grandmother died, his mother picked
out a few special ornaments from his
grandmother's collection for him to
have. They are wonderful reminders
of a loved one who may be gone, but
never will be forgotten.

Santa Boxes-
This cardboard box with a printed
image of Santa is one of a set of six,
all with unique designs. When I left
home, my mother let me choose a few
ornaments from her collection to take
with me. I just love how unique and
vintage looking these ornaments are,
and they remind me of childhood
Christmas tree trimming.

Baby's first Christmas-
This of course was bought for Ally's
first Christmas. We wanted something
unique and special to mark this very
special Christmas. Whenever I look at
this ornament I remember the bright
eyes and squeels of delight as Ally
opened her presents on her first
Christmas. It was a very special day.

-Monique.

December 16th,9...9 days till Christmas!! Freebie for you!

Wow...seriously, only 9 days left?? With Christmas fast approaching, I am finding myself short on time, LOL! I have just finished my Christmas cards and sent them out..a little late but better than never right?? So today I am making life easier on you..(well some of you!)I have made a 4 x 6 Christmas quick card using Kristin gorgeous kit: Joy to the world from her Holiday Collection! All you have to do is pick out a photo!



Quick card

Cluster

Flash Back! Natural Beauty

Today we are doing a spotlight of one of my favorite kits of Kristin's, Natural Beauty. And you're in luck, this wonderful kit is in the Penny Candy section of The Sweet Shoppe, so you can get it for 30% off. Here are some new & old layouts the team has done using this wondeful kit.

12/14 Happy Monday!

Hey Everyone!
Just a quick post (I have a funeral to attend this morning, bleh) and a little treat from me! I made this 12x12 quick page for you, using Kristin's beautiful All About Him kit. Now if you don't already have this, you really need to check it out. There's an All About Her as well. Seriously, gorgeous as usual!!

You can download the Quick Page HERE.

Here's my page...



Only 11 more days until Christmas! Hope you all have a great week!

Leah

Stretch it Sunday!

Hope everyone is doing well and getting excited for the holidays! Where I live it is currently -42 degrees Celsius...baby it's cold outside, LOL! We haven't been doing to much lately!!
Stretch it Sundays is all about taking a kit, and using it in other ways besides the obvious! So K had a gorgeous new release this weekend called All Star, gorgeous kit that would be perfect for those sports photos you have or any little boy layouts, however, I found this particular kit to be extremely versatile! Take a look at what I did with it!

All Star




I made a little girl LO: That's my girl



A little Boy LO: Oh Boy! 7 Months



A pet LO: Wild Cat



And a lovey one...of my hubby!



Please come Share your Lo's with this great kit! It is certainly a must have!!!

New Release!

Hey now! Kiki was not kidding when she said you would want to visit Sweet Shoppe today. Kristin has really outdone herself. I love when Kristin does her soft, feminine, kits of loveliness. Her colors are always so very lovely. But when Kristin does a boy kit…. Hold on to your wallets ladies! Because Kristin has an incredible talent for working out of her comfort zone. Take a look at ALLSTAR!

This kit is so awesome that I scrapped immediately. Take a look.

Emmasmommy did this!

And Gracelikerain gave us this.

Link us back to your "Allstar" layouts so we can give you some love.

You'll want to visit the store tomorrow!

Hi everyone. So sorry that this post is being put up later than usual, however, I have to say that I am rather glad that it is. Because KCB's got a new kit coming in store tomorrow and it's absolutely perfect for layouts of your little guy, or your big guy as well! It has such a wonderful colour palette that you can use in over and over for any season. It's just incredible when you take a peek and see that there are actually FIVE alphas that are included! You'll see more in a bit.

But first, I want to announce the winner of the last recipe challenge. Eggshell was selected at random as our winner. So I'll be in touch with you soon with your gift certificate code! Congratulations!

Now, without any further delay, here's a peek at Kristin's new kit, All-Star, coming out tomorrow at Sweet Shoppe Designs.


How cool is this kit? It's so versatile, and I know that it is going to be a great addition to my KCB stash for masculine layouts. So remember to drop by the store tomorrow to pick this up on sale so that you have it on hand for your holidays when you'll be scrapping your memories!

December Journaling Inspiration

I’m back this week with some photos of a few of my fave ornaments on our tree! I’ll tell you a little bit about each of them, then next week I’ll use that journaling to create a layout about some of my favourite and special ornaments!

If you have time to create a layout before Christmas, I’d love to see a layout with journaling about some of your favourite Christmas ornaments! Check out last week’s post for challenge details!

This ornament is one of a set of 6 that my mother gave me when I left home. I even have the original packaging for them. Each box has a different Santa design, they are made of cardboard with a bright red string for hanging. They are so susceptible to weather damage and yet, I still have them and they are in amazingly good condition. These are some of my favourite ornaments on the tree, reminding me of the years we would all go out searching for that one perfect Christmas tree.

This tin star shaped Santa ornament is one of a pair my husband received when his grandmother died many years ago. When she passed away, my in-laws went through her ornament collection and collected a few for my husband and for his brother. These 2 Santas are some of my favourites on our tree, they remind us of lost love ones who are always there with us, in our hearts.

This ornament as you can see was for my daughter’s first Christmas. Of course this ornament had to be included in this favourite collection, it reminds us of our first Christmas as a family with a child. Buying baby toys, seeing her expression as she opened her gifts. Big smile, wide open eyes and wonderful facial expressions will always be remembered when I look upon this ornament on our tree.

I think this ornament is the most beautiful one on the tree. We bought it when we went home for Christmas for my daughter’s first Christmas. I absolutely love snowflakes (had a January snowflake themed wedding), and the Snow Baby collectables are so cute! The year we bought this ornament it was retired, which makes me so thrilled to own a retired collectable as beautiful as this.

So there you have it, a handful of my favourite ornaments and a little story behind each. By next week I’ll get these into a layout and include my journaling. I’m even hoping that if I can get the rest of my holiday stuff done, I can find time to make a whole album about the ornaments on our tree. I really want to document the stories behind them so that as my daughter gets older, she’ll be able to read about what these ornaments mean to us and how they came to be in our collection. That way no matter what ever happens to us or to the ornaments themselves, the stories will still be there to cherish.

See you all again next week!

~Monique.

Wednesday's Spotlight!!

Hi everyone! Hope you are all doing well, and getting in the Christmas spirit!! I love this time of year! Busy as ever but I am so excited.
Todays spotlight is focused on one of our very talented hybrid girls, Deb Pierce, also known as dbrprc! Her gallery is filled with absolutely amazing hybrid projects, so creative and I would love to have a go with some of them!!

Here are some of my favorites!

Snowman poop!



Reindeer Poop!



Nugget gift box!



Ballet sign!



Card & box set!



Her photo wallet!



And this box!



Seriously, Deb's gallery is FULL of cool gift ideas and great projects! Here is a link to her gallery, take a gander and leave her some love! I know I got some great ideas from you Deb!

Let it Snow!

How appropriate that as I sit here just across from Canada's capital, snow is gently falling to the ground and actually staying! I love the snow and when Kristin released her amazing new collection I knew that these would be kits I would be using all winter. I hope that you enjoy the collection as much as I do.

Here's a little something for you to celebrate the start of winter, no matter where you are. If you like it, please leave a comment for Kristin and I. Thanks!



You can download this quick page here.

Not Quite A New Release

Kristin had such a big week last week, what with releasing 5 Christmas mini kits, that we decided to let her have the week off. LOL! But I felt the urge to scrap. So I went and got this sweet kit to play with!

I know that it is December, but it was 65 degrees here yesterday. So I am not quite ready to scrap winter pictures yet. But Natalie has an infatuation with rain and leaves. She was doing a happy dance when she woke up one morning to this scene outside. I knew that "Falling Leaves" was just the kit for these photos.

Join me in my winter resistance and scrap your fall pictures!

Write with me ~ December challenge!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Tis the season for a lot of us to be putting up our Christmas tree, decorating the house, baking cookies and decorating the yard! So to celebrate I want you to create a layout about a Christmas ornament, and of course be sure to include lots of journaling about it!

Now you can take this challenge and write about a single ornament, a fave or special ornament, maybe a collection of ornaments. And if you don’t celebrate Christmas, see if you can interpret this in another way, do you have some other kind of holiday ornament or memory that you can journal about?

Challenge Layout Requirements:

Create a layout about one (or more) Christmas (or other holiday) ornament. Be sure to include journaling (maybe aim to write 3 or more lines of journaling?) in your layout explaining or describing what it is and what it means to you. Photos are optional.

Create your layout using 75% KCB products.

Post your layout at the Sweet Shoppe Gallery or at DST’s Gallery and leave a link to your layout in the comments here so the KCB CT can oooh and aaah over your layout and leave you some love!

If you post a link to your layout by December 17th you will have a chance to win a free kit from Kristin! One layout will be chosen by the CT by the end of the month to win the kit of your choice.

Good luck and have fun!

I’ll be back next week with some journaling prompts, ideas to help you along…and the week after I’ll show you my layout for this challenge! The fourth Thursday this month is Christmas Eve so I’ll be taking a blogging break. And I’ll be back the final Thursday in December with a journaling freebie for you all!

Have a happy scrappy day KCB fans!

Freebie Today!

Hi everyone, its December 2nd, can you believe that? Christmas is just around the corner and I'm so excited. I love the holiday season.

With that, I did 2 different desktops for you to use this month. Hope you enjoy them!



Download here