July's desktop background is....

...here! Yep, I finally got it done! I've been working on it all day off and on -with the heat we're getting I've had to turn the computer off throughout the day so as not to overheat it. That's why it took me all day to get this done... lol. So here it is... July's freebie desktop background made with Kristin's Over The Rainbow kit and the alpha from her latest kit - Juicy!

Just click *here* to download a zip with all 3 desktop sizes, then you can customize and use whichever one you need!

p.s. What desktop background size do you use?

It's JUICY!!!

Look at what Kristin has been up to this week!!! Busy, Busy! Its GORGEOUS!!!

Juicy By Kristin Cronin-Barrow

And here are some great Layouts made by The team!

by me

by eranslow

by emmasmommy

by Yari

by Lizzy257

by nanienamou

Be sure to grab this super sweet kit at the sweet shoppe, and if you grab it today you get 20% off!

Spotlight on Seaside

Hi everyone. Kiki here to shine the spotlight on an older summer kit that Kristin has in store that is just as gorgeous now as it ever was: Seaside. It's a beautiful collection of elements that shout out "Summer is here! Let's hit the beach!"

What I love most about this kit is just how much fun it is, and how perfect for vacation pics. Check out this layout by aly321. You just want to reach out and touch it with all its texture:

And then you have the sheer simplicity of bright colours, some sweet photos and elements, topped by journaling by mummytothree:


and how beautiful is this layout with the laser-cut edges, and the sandcastle making photos and elements by mpatry:


And KayM just has a way of using paper and elements in a way that takes my breath away. Simplicity at its best.


So why not check out Seaside at Kristin's store and get ready for some fun at the beach!

June Hybrid Highlights!

Hey there KCB fans! Monique here, with some hybrid yummyness that I found while browsing the KCB gallery at the Sweet Shoppe. Enjoy!

by jacinda

by LoriJ

by Joana1n

by JenTapler

Aren't those some wonderful hybrid creations? Why don't you click on the links and leave these wonderful scrappers some love. Then why not try your hand at a hybrid creation using some KCB products, if you upload it to the Kristin Cronin-Barrow gallery at the Sweet Shoppe you just might get highlighted on the blog next month!

You have to love rainbows!

Wait until you see the gorgeousness that Kristin has got for you this week! This is absolutely the quintessential summer kit for beautiful layouts. Over the Rainbow invokes joyful emotions of happiness, glee and hope. This kit by Kristin is the perfect mix of sunny papers and essential elements. Take a look:


It's so amazingly versatile. Look at what some of these beautiful layouts.

from Yari:

From LibbysMommy:


From carriesmom:


From Lizzy527:


From mom2peanuts:

You can just feel the joy that comes from these pages. Don't your summer memories deserve this kind of special kit? Get over to the Sweet Shoppe Designs store and pick it up today!

CT Spotlight

Hi everyone. Kiki here. Before I get into today's main subject, I have a winner to announce from last week's Vacation Challenge: The winner, as chosen by Random.org is #2, julie! Julie, I'll be contacting you by PM at Sweet Shoppe Designs for your prize.


Today I'm going to be doing a CT spotlight on Kirsty!

Thats so exciting! I've never been spotlighted before! Here are my answers:


How long have you been digi-scrapping? And how did you get into it?
I've been digi-scrapping for nearly 5 years now, I originally stumbled across it when I was looking for cool things to do for my baby shower when I was pregnant with my oldest son. I stumbled on the HP website and something about digi-scrapping which took me to Shabby Princess website and I downloaded my first kit! And I've been scrapping ever since!

What program you use? and what camera?
I currently scrap use Photoshop CS4 on my MAC and I have CS3 on my laptop. I have two cameras, my main camera a Nikon D300 and I also have a little point and shoot Olympus which is always in my handbag, but doesn't get used as often as my D300.

Do you print out your layouts? Have you made any photobooks? I normally print my layouts at 8x8 to go into my kids albums, but have had a couple printed at 12x12 which are hanging in my children's rooms.

What are your favourite layouts and why?

Normally I'm behind the camera, but this past Mothers Day I was able to get some new photos with my kids, and I really treasure this layout. All their different personalities shine through the photos.


I always want my layouts to have meaning and my photos to be able to tell the story even without reading the journalling, and this one of my twins just really shows the bond that they have together.

What are your favourite KCB products?
There are so many! I love Kristin's kits, they are always so full of elements and papers to play with and as soon as I open up her kit, I can just feel the layout creating itself, everything always comes together perfectly!

I'm torn between two though - Tropical Hideaway and A Mothers Love collab with Scrapkitchen.

What's your favourite type of picture to scrap?
Nearly 100% of my layouts involve pictures of my kids and I love preserving their moments in time, so when they get older they look back and see what a fun childhood they had and how their mum spent so much time preserving it for them.

What inspires you?
Lots of things my family and friends, other scrappers, fellow photographers even pictures I see in the magazines have inspired me to scrap a layout.

Do you have any digital scrapbooking tips and tricks you want to share?
Enjoy what you do! Scrapping is so much fun so get creative and experiment with styles you might not normally try, you never know how much you will love the finished layout!

Thank for the tip Kirsty!

Announcing Winner & A little Quiz!

Hey everybody! Just wanted to pop in and share my layout with you all from last weeks challenge and announce the winner! I had a hard time making a layout with no pictures...and to include lots of journaling! But here it is!

My thoughts using Dear Diary by Kristin Cronin-Barrow

And random.org choose mommabee as our winner! Congrats Rebecca! Here is her layout!

Loved your father

Beautiful, heartfelt layout and journaling! Congrats!! I will be pm'ing you shortly to provide you with details and your coupon!

And just cause it's tuesday and I felt like browsing for a quiz: here is a cute summer one!

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You Should Spend Your Summer at the Beach

You're a free spirit who is always thinking of new ways to have fun. And you don't just love summer... you live for it. So, you really should blow off your responsibilities and head to the beach!

Where Should You Spend Your Summer?

Blogthings: We'll Tell You The Truth... Someone Has To!

A Hybrid Summer Adventure album

This summer, why not have a mini album handy for recording some of your favourite mini adventures? This week I made myself a little mini album with room for me to record 5 of this summer's little adventures (feel free to make yours larger if you'd like!). It didn't take me long at all to put it together, the longest amount of time spent on it was definitely the designing part.

So here's what I designed:

2 pocket designs to alternate in the album

1 tag design

Front cover and back cover.

I printed the covers on photo paper with a mat finish at Walmart, the other parts I printed at home on my home printer using brochure paper (also with a mat finish). Here's what one of my ready to print pages looks like, I also threw on some elements to use to decorate the album pages.

Now for the album! I used 3 pieces of cardstock paper measuring 5.5x8 inches (2 8.5x11" sheets trimmed down), stacked them... folded in half... then stapled on the crease. This is what that looked like:

Then I glued on the covers, cut out the pockets, tags and elements and started assembling! Here are the tags and pockets all cut out, then I folded and glued the pockets.

Then I started glueing stuff onto the album! I've already filled out one set of pages by adding a photo of the day we took our daughter to a local park to fly a kit. I filled out the tag with info about the day and wrote the date and place on the pocket. The rest of the book will get filled out thoughout the summer as we do some fun local stuff.

Well that's it for this hybrid project! Want to know what cute kit I used for this? Then check out Going Places by Kristin!

Are you ready for a challenge?

Summer is finally here and that always means one thing for me.... ROAD TRIP! So here's a challenge for you. What's up for grabs? A GC to Kristin's store of course!

So here's your challenge. Using her new kit, Going Places, create a layout about a memorable vacation moment you had on the road, at a hotel pool, at the airport, wherever. Just show us your vacation memory using that kit.

Here are some layouts to inspire you and get you thinking about your vacation:

by KayM:

by pomi:

So get going with those layouts. Post them here by June 23rd and I'll choose a random layout as the winner! Good luck and have fun!

New Release Sunday?!

Yes, the new releases this week are today at Sweet Shoppe Designs. Take a look at Kristin's adorable new release! With all the travelling that happens on summer vacation, you NEED this kit!

Here are some ideas for you to scrap using Going Places!

From Tuneskids:

From Eranslow:


From Jacinda:


So pick it up today so that you are all ready with THE kit to use for your vacation album!

Gallery Standouts and a challenge! Are you up for it???

Browsing thru Kristin's gallery at SSD I came across some absolutely beautiful layouts that I just wanted to share with you all. These layouts are all about journaling! No photos...I know, I know some of you shy away from the journaling aspect of digiscrapping, I know I have been guilty of that! But I am getting better, and I am challenging you to try it out!

I do not want to do this by leila

Candid moments by jacinda

I dream of sleep by joana1n

What's in a name? by irish_eyes22

Dream home by itarbox

Elizabeth by mummytothree

39 by amystoffel

So here is the official challenge: and I will participate as well! Please create a layout with no photos, where your journaling will be the main focus, and your topic is: Fathers! Can be your father, your grandfather, your husband ( if he is or is going to be a father!) Father Christmas hehehe! I think you get it, LOL! And here is what's up for grabs...

A $5.00 coupon to Kristin's store

and

A spotlight here on the blog!!!

You will have till Friday June 11th to post a link to your layout here in the comment section below!

Good Luck!