Let's Make a List!

Hey Everyone! Crystal here to talk to you about journaling a little bit and give you some fun ideas! One of my favorite things to see pages about are lists. I just love them and there are so many ways you can scrap them. Often times when talking about journaling, people tell me that they don't exactly how to start or what POV to scrap from. When you are doing a list page those issues are almost resolved. Once you decide what kind of list to do you know from whose point of view to scrap from. Say you are doing a list of your childs favorite things...you could easily just do the page from the child's POV if you like to mix that up on your scrapbook pages. When I journal I just tell everything my POV. I am the one doing the pages and it's just easier for me. I decided to just stick with that so I didn't have to decide on each page I did.

Today I decided to make a list as an element on my page instead of as my main journaling. Having it as an element on my page allowed me to elaborate on the list a bit in my journaling. Here's what I came up with:


Kristin and Jenn's Take Note kit was perfect for what I had in mind with this listy page.


Some other ideas for list type page are--(I am linking a few to kits that I think work well with the theme)--

• current favorite things of you or your children, spouse, etc.
• things to do
• resolutions
• hopes and dreams
  
• shopping lists
• "reasons why I love you"
• things to remember
• important moments in time
  
• instructions on how to do something
• wish lists
• baby names
• "honey do" lists
  

The possibilities are totally endless and KCB has some gorgeous products to do some fab listy pages with...like THIS ONE for books and THIS ONE for movies. I hope you are inspired to go scrap a list! If you do please link me up so I can see it!!!

Summer Journaling Prompts

Summer always seems to be a time when we spend lots of time outdoors with family and friends, or just relaxing by the pool with a good book but for some reason we don't scrapbook those fun summer memories as much as we do in the winter. So on this lazy Sunday I thought that I'd provide you with some summer journaling prompts to help give you a little bit of a mojo kick so that you actually scrapbook those summer activities, or scrapbook about your own summertime relaxation.

Why not scrapbook that family picnic by interviewing everyone and asking them what their favourite picnic food is? Take a picture of it and scrap it!

Got a favourite weekend activity? Why is it your favourite? How often do you do it?

Do you have a summer project that you are procrastinating on? Why? What are you doing instead?

What's your favourite summer outfit?

What's on your summer reading list?

Those are just a few summer journaling prompts to help you get started. Want some more prompts that will help you earn Kristin's new products at a discount? Then check out the Sweet Shoppe Designs Scrapper's Portfolio, where you get a monthly list of prompts and you earn points toward discounts the following month. June's just started, so why not get in on this and if you haven't picked it up yet, you could get A Bushel and A Peck at a discount in July!

So get scrapping and save twice....save those memories and save on great new products!

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!

Journaling prompt

Good morning! Shannon here bringing you todays rendition of journaling inspiration! Today I have a prompt for you:

List 10 things that you never tire of doing

these can be major things or just everyday things! I have created an example LO for you all. Remember to journal about these things! The whole purpose of a prompt is to get you to journal more on your layouts! I have troubles with this most times! Good luck to you all, and please if you give this prompt a try, come back and leave a link to your layout in the comments so we can leave you some love!

Created this layout using Where Flowers grow

February's Journaling Freebie!

Hey everyone! I'm here with this month's journaling freebie! It includes a place for journaling and a photo, and the colours are perfect for journaling about a special man you might have in your life ;-)

Here's the preview, click *here* to download!

Please do not share the link or the download- if anyone asks where you got it, just direct them to here so they can download it for themselves. Thanks!

The kit used to make this journaling freebie is called My Everything:

Heartfelt Journling, my layout!

OMGosh I am such a flake! LOL, it's a little after 9pm here and I just realized I forgot to blog today!

Monique here, posting my layout for my Heartfelt Journaling challenge this month. Created using KCB's newest kit My Everything:

Journaling reads:

You are my life, my love, my everything.

I love the little things you do -
rub my shoulders and feet when I'm tired,
leave me a container of leftovers when I'm working late,
allow me my time to scrapbook or read,
not make me feel guilty for indulging in the things I love.

I love how you remember the little things that I love -
what kind of chocolates I love,
what crafting supplies I've been searching for,
what movies I love.

I love the heartfelt messages you write in my cards,

I love how on our 5th wedding anniversary you gave me 5 cards
-one for each year.

And I love you -
how you giggle when you're on a swing,
the silly grin you give me when you want to make me laugh.

I love you so much
it makes my heart ache
And you make me cry
- tears of joy, to have you in my life.

Heartfelt journaling examples!

Hello KCB fans, Monique here... a bit late in the day I know! But today is my DD's 5th birthday and we've been a bit busy! She had her Valentine's party at school this morning, then after a light lunch we let her open her presents. We just got back from taking her bowling! It was her first time bowling, and she loved it! Now it's break time...lol, I think mom and dad need the break, she seems to still be going strong... lol.

Now on to today's post! Today I wanted to show you some layouts that the team have made that include lots of heartfelt journaling (this month's journaling challenge). Won't you try it too? I'll be back next week with my layout!

Strong by nikkiepperson

100% You by Jennifer

The Apple by Emmasmommy

Thoughts of You by Kjersti

Be You by rochelle789

February's Journaling Challenge

Hey KCB fans! Monique here with another journaling challenge. This month I'd like to challenge myself (and you too) to create a layout about someone you love. Include lots of heartfelt journaling for a memorable and loving layout. Here are some KCB kits that are perfect for love (and family) themed layouts:

Cloud 9

Love is in the Air

Summer Wedding templates

Family Ties











See you all next week! :-)

Journaling on the background, example!

Hello KCB fans, Monique here with my layout featuring last week' journaling idea... to journal straight onto the background. Now I didn't use any of Kristin's things in this layout, I didn't really use anybody's stuff... lol. I decided to keep it real simple, kept the background white, used the eye dropper tool to pull some colour from the photos to put on the page, made my photos really pop, and journaled!

So here it is:

For full layout credits click here.

I'll see you all back here next week for another journaling idea. Maybe next week I'll go back to giving you journaling topics ;-) Have a happy scrappy day everyone!

Journaling on the background!

Hey all you KCB fans! It's Monique here with another way to get journaling on your page!

In my first post of the year I told you how you could use a template and swap out a photo for a journaling block, then last week I gave you a template so you could try it. This week I'm going to give you another idea on how to add journaling on your page, and that idea is to...

Journal right on the background!

That's right, choose a simple background and journaling right on it.

You can journal in a column on the side:

layout by gracelikerain

You can cluster photos on the top or bottom of the layout and use the rest of the space for journaling:

layout by banana1282

Scatter your elements and photos along the edges and display your journaling right in the middle:

layout by rainydays

Or you can leave the photos out completely and just journal:

layout by Kim Mauch

I'll be back next week with my own layout using one of the above ideas for journaling right on the background. If you do this, please link me up so I can see! Have a happy scrappy day everyone!

Template Freebie!

As promised, I'm back this week with a template freebie to help you with creating layouts filled with journaling!

You can use any template with multiple photo spots to help you add journaling to your layouts, simply substitute one of the photo spots with a journaling card. This also helps you to get more from your templates, rotate or flip them, exchange photos for journaling spots, cut photo spots in half to add 2 photos instead of 1 etc... are all ways of stretching a template to get more from it or to make it work for you.

So here's a free template to help you try out this technique:

Download here!

Use one of the 3 photo spots for journaling and link me up to your layout so I can see!

Write With Me - January's challenge!

I'm ba-a-a-ack! Monique here back with this month's journaling challenge!

This month I would like to challenge you to...

Swap a photo from a template or scraplift inspiration for a journaling space.

This is something I love doing. I love using templates and scraplifts as jumping off points to get my layouts going (otherwise I spend days working on just one layout). I'll pick a template that requires one more photo than what I was planning on using, and use one of the spaces for journaling.

It's also another way of getting more out of your templates :-)

Here's a recent layout I creating doing just this, the journaling card was supposed to be a large photo...

Layout created using SSD's Potluck Collab

(Kristin made the journaling card!)

for full credits:

http://www.sweetshoppecommunity.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=116135&ppuser=861

I'll be back next week with my own template to help you along with this one ;-)

See you then!

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!

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 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.

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!

Write With Me - a freebie!

Hey, hey KCB fans! I know, my post is a later late in the day from my usual... but I'm in the middle of some computer changes here... guess what I'm blogging from right now?! My new netbook! I totally fried my laptop so I've been sharing my hubby's computer with him for the internet, and using my old desktop for scrapping and it's been hell. Now I have my new netbook for blogging, chatting, emailing etc... and I'll be getting my hubby's desktop for scrapping (it's way better than my old one, and he's getting a newer one for his gaming).

SO! After all that, (thank you for reading this far!) I have a freebie for you! I had some trouble getting it saved, my old desktop didn't want to save it transparent :-(

But here it is!

October Journaling Freebie!

Leave a thank you if you download, and let me know if you use it in a layout!

Enjoy!

Write With Me - my Simple Pleasures Layout

Hi there! If you've been following my posts this month, you know I've been blogging about journaling your simple pleasures. I made my own layout for this challenge yesterday, so here it is, created using Kristin's Sweet Caroline kit! (also used stitching and swirl from All About Her)




I know, not much journaling... that's why I'm writing these posts to try and push myself to journal more. I went with a numbered journaling, writing a little bit about each and every photo. At first I wrote about half what you see, then I deleted it and started over again pushing myself to write more details.

You might have noticed the different size from the tradition 12x12, that's because I decided to scrap this one at 8x10 so that I can print it and frame it for my craft room. I thought it would be very inspiring.

Next week's post plan? A journaling freebie for all of you to encourage you to journal more on your layouts! Yay! See you all next week!

-Monique.

Write with me - Simple Pleasures

Hello again! Last week I challenged you to create a layout about a simple pleasure and to include some journaling about it. This week I thought I would tell you a bit about some of my simple pleasures to help inspire you with your layout.

One of my favourite simple pleasures is my wax/oil burner. I just love filling my house with the smell of Lemon Icebox Cookies, Vanilla Hazelnut, Rosemary & Thyme. The best ways to get those scents in my kitchen would be to actually do some baking, but I don't always have the time. So sometimes I light a candle and burn a favourite scent, close my eyes and take in a deep breath of those wonderful aromas. Then I feel relaxed, calm, and ready to take on the rest of my day - or ready to end my day on a wonderful note.

Mmmm... another yummy simple pleasure. This cup was given to my by my mother years ago and I love it. It's a bit larger than our other mugs, so sometimes it's really nice to fill it up with some gourmet hot chocolate, or a nice hot cup of coffee, then sit back and relax. It's pretty, it's big, and I just feel all warm inside and happy whenever I use it. To me it's a wonderful, simple, pleasure.

Another simple pleasure for me are these pansies. I found some old pots lying around in my garage, filled them with some old potting soil I had a bag of , and planted some cheap seeds. It was a great project for my 4 yr old DD and I, and we got to watch them grow from tiny seeds into big lush plants with a variety of different coloured blooms. It was so wonderful to step outside my door this Summer and see this small display every day. It added colour to our day and reminded us of a wonderful mother/daughter day we had planting them. It was simple, and a pleasurable memory I will always cherish.

I hope these simple pleasures that I've shared with you will help inspire you to create a layout about something that you find to be a simple pleasure. For a chance to win a kit by Kristin Cronin-Barrow, check out the corresponding challenge that I posted last week!

Write With Me ~ a challenge!

Hey all you KCB fans! It’s Monique here with my first weekly post on Kristin’s new blog! I hope you will join me each week while I challenge myself to journal more.

If you’ve seen any of my layouts, you’ll know I don’t journal much… as a matter of fact, I’m usually lucky if I manage to think of adding the date to a layout! So I’m hoping to do at least one layout per month with a bit more journaling on it – are you with me?

Here’s a break down of what I’m hoping to do on this blog each month…

Week 1- a challenge.

Week 2- provide you with some journaling prompts to help you get your layout done.

Week 3- show you my layout inspired by the challenge.

Week 4- thank you for joining me with a journaling freebie!

 

So if you’re ready to do some journaling, here’s this month’s challenge!

November Write With Me Challenge: Simple Pleasures.

Requirements:

• Create a layout about one (or more) of your life’s simple pleasures. 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 November 19th 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!

See you all next week- I’ll bring you some ideas to help you along with your layout just in case you’re having trouble getting started.