Scrap Happiness Inside

CT Spotlight - Meredith Cardall

2010-09-30T08:32:00.000-07:00

It's Beth here, bringing you happy Thursday greetings and a chance to meet another wonderful member of Krystal's Creative Team! Please meet Meredith Cardall!

Meredith Cardall's Sweet Shoppe Gallery

1.What made you apply for Krystal Hartley's team?
I was gallery-hopping one day and saw a really cute layout. I looked at the layout and it was one of Krystal's. I found her blog and started looking around and noticed that she was a designer. I downloaded a bunch of her stuff and sent her an e-mail, telling her how much I loved her designs and begged to be allowed to join her CT. That was more than two years ago and I have been on the team ever since!

2. What are your favorite types of products to work with?
I am a complete paper addict. I love papers! I prefer background papers to be solids and then using patterned papers as accents.

3. When do you scrap? Naptimes, after the kids go to bed?
Whenever I can squeeze it in! It's typically between breakfast and lunch after we take the older daughter to school and while the younger daughter is playing!

4. What are your strengths as a CTM? Weaknesses?
That's a good question! :) I think one of my strengths is that I absolutely love Krystal and her products. I will do everything I can to help Krystal succeed as a designer because I believe in her talent! One of my weaknesses is that I have very little time!

5. Show us your first page.
Nope. No way. Well, if you're gonna twist my arm...

6. How many times do you use a product?
It really depends on the product. I tend to use Krystal's kits more than others. I return to her papers over and over again.

7. Do you scrap mainly for memory preservation or for creative fulfillment?
Both. I definitely want to preserve my family's history, but I want to make it pretty! :)

8. Who are some of your favorite scrappers and why?
Cheryl - she is just an amazing scrapper! I love to look at her pages.
becca1976 - just look at her amazing shadows!
and of course, Krystal Hartley - creativity just oozes out of her pages!

9. Are you drawn to one color more than others?
Pink. But maybe that's because I have two girls.

10. What software do you use?
Photoshop CS4

11. What is your current favorite layout (that you made)?

(Page created using Krystal's "The Other Side of Me" kit.)

12. What's your favorite scrap trend?
Multiple photo pages - I feel like I see more of them lately.

13. What do you "just not get?" (ex. chandeliers, owls, 3-d, etc.)
I don't think there is a style that I don't get. I think that diversity is one of the great things about scrapbooking. It's an artform and I love that people express themselves in so many different ways.

14. Do you know any digi scrappers in real life?
Yep! I have met a few at various scrapbooking events and around Utah.

15. Krystal's thinking about getting a Mac. Should she? Why or why not?
I am up for anything that will help Krystal in her creative process. But don't ask me for help with anything Mac.

16. What's your best workflow (time management) tip when it comes to scrapbooking?
I have started grouping my photos into layouts I want to make and then copying a shortcut to the kit I want to use with that kit. Not every grouping has a kit linked, but as I think of which kit I would like to use, I create the shortcut.

As a special thank you, here is a template made just for stopping by! Download here and happy scrapping!

Wild Wednesday - QP Freebie!

2010-09-22T18:17:00.000-07:00

Good evening, scrappers! We are having a fantastic weather pattern here in California so it is indeed a very sweet September. Speaking of sweet, I used Krystal's Sweet September kit...

...to scrap this page of my little sweetie!

Please enjoy a Sweet September QP made just for you! Download here.

CT Spotlight - Nicole Seitler

2010-09-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Thursday to ya! We're happy to interview CT member Nicole Seitler and introduce her to you!

Nicole Seitler's Sweet Shoppe Galle ry

1.What made you apply for Krystal Hartley's team?
I fell in love with Krystal's designs several years ago and I unashamedly begged her for a spot on her team. Thankfully, she liked my layouts. :D

2. What are your favorite types of products to work with (you can mention specific favorites, but I'd really like to know if you are a paper addict, brushes, doodles...whatever).
I am most certainly a paper addict. That's one of the reasons I love Krystal's designs so much--all the beautiful papers she makes!

3. When do you scrap? Naptimes, after the kids go to bed?
I usually scrap in the evenings, after my kiddos have gone to bed. I can also sometimes sneak in some scrapping when the kids are watching their favorite afternoon shows on PBS. LOL!

4. What are your strengths as a CTM? Weaknesses?
I think I can scrap pretty fast. My biggest weaknesses would probably be that I don't always arrive in the CT forum in time to catch a new release and then I feel like a baaaad CTM.

5. Show us your first page.
Ouch. Really? Okay...

6. How many times do you use a product?
It depends! On average, probably two times for one two-page spread. But if it's something like an element or frame pack, then tons of times!

7. Do you scrap mainly for memory preservation or for creative fulfillment?
Memory preservation. I enjoy the creative process, but I think journaling is a must! I'm always thinking about recording the memories behind my photos. The creative part for me is doing that in a pretty way. :)

8. Who are some of your favorite scrappers and why?
Crystalbella77 is probably my biggest scrapping hero. She not only plays with paper and elements in a way that does not overwhelm a page, but she also always finds a way to incorporate her text blocks so that everything works together perfectly!

9. Are you drawn to one color more than others?
My favorite color is spring green, but I don't find that I use that color over and over again in my pages. For scrapping, I seem to like a mix of neutrals like tan, kraft and cream to use with my favorite patterned papers from a kit.

10. What software do you use?
I use Photoshop.

11. What is your current favorite layout (that you made)?
This one!

(Page created using Krystal's "The Other Side of Me" kit.)

12. What's your favorite scrap trend?
Obsessing over perfect shadows. :) I'm still trying to nail down my own favorite settings...

13. What do you "just not get?" (ex. chandliers, owls, 3-d, etc.)
How to use stickers. They always look dumb when I try to use them!

14. Do you know any digi scrappers in real life?
I've gone to a digi meet-up and I have a friend in Columbus who digi scraps. But locally, not really. My friends are all either crafty in other ways or not very crafty at all!

15. Krystal's thinking about getting a Mac. Should she? Why or why not?
Yes, she should. Because everyone says it's better for designing things... so it must be! ;) I would also like to get a Mac sometime soon. :)

16. What's your best workflow (time management) tip when it comes to scrapbooking?
It's surprisingly helpful to have something to listen to when scrapping! Creative juices seem to flow better when you're listening to music, so things come together more quickly. Lately, I've enjoyed listening to the Paperclipping Digi Show podcast when scrapping. The other thing that helps me make the most of my scrapping time is to scraplift.

As a special thank you, here is a template made just for stopping by! Download here and happy scrapping!

Sweet Sneak Peek Friday

2010-07-23T11:05:00.000-07:00

Hi y'all, it's Giseli here to show you a little "peek" on the *fantabulous* pack Krystal will be releasing this Saturday, 7/24. See for yourself:
Did you see that? That is a "Stamp Style" must have. No, really, trust me: Must.HAVE
xoxo

July 18 Gallery Stand Out

2010-07-18T13:36:00.000-07:00

Hi! Amy here with this weeks gallery stand out. There are always so many lovely layouts in Krystals gallery, that its so hard to choose.

But this week I chose Country Girl by Ginger 79:

It's using a favorite kit of mine Wild Wild West, from Krystal and Pamela Donnis.

Congrats Ginger! I will PM you soon with a little prize =)

~Gallery Standout~

2010-07-11T01:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! JackieAnn here and I am thrilled to bring you this weeks Gallery Standout~

There were soooo many amazing layouts to choose from....but this one by coopert just caught my eye:

Isn't that just the sweetest photo and what a perfect quote!

So congrats and I will be sending you a gift certificate to Krystal's store.

If you would like to be considered for the Krystal's Gallery Stand Out and win a gift certificate to Krystal's Store
at Sweet Shoppe Designs, just place your layouts (made with Krystal's products) into Krystal's Designer Gallery

I can't wait to see what you create!

CT Spotlight

2010-07-08T11:29:00.000-07:00

Happy summer, everyone! Or happy winter for those of you in the southern hemisphere. :-) ! Beth here to bring you the goods on another team member. Please meet JackieAnn!

JackieAnn's Sweet Shoppe Gallery

1.What made you apply for Krystal Hartley's team?
Krystal has a very unique style that I think sets her apart from other digi designers. So I applied for her very first CT call waaaaaaaaaaay back in October of 2007. At the time, I was totally a paper scrapper and I had NO interest in digital scrapping. But because I loved her kits, I told her that I was interested in dabbling in the hybrid world. And for whatever reason, she believed in me and in the process converted me to the world of digiscrapping.

2. What are your favorite types of products to work with (you can mention specific favorites, but I'd really like to know if you are a paper addict, brushes, doodles...whatever).

I love flowers and ribbons and they usually manage to sneak their way onto all my layouts~ Plus, any beach or ocean kit usually finds it's way into my stash. =)

3. When do you scrap? Naptimes, after the kids go to bed?

My kids are married...so the naptimes would be mine now. =) But I usually scrap during the day, so when my sweetie comes home from work, my free time is his.

4. What are your strengths as a CTM? Weaknesses?
I'd like to know Krystal's answer to this actually. =) But as for my strengths...I always seem to have some kind of picture that will perfectly match her kits. I also try to post a comment on all the layouts in Krystal's gallery. My weakness is I am totally intimidated and kind of a wuss when it comes to going into the forum and praising a new kit~

5. Show us your first page.
Oh man...life's embarrassing moments. Actually, I made 2 hybrid pages with Krystal's Happy Place Kit~

6. How many times do you use a product?
Multiple times. Krystal's kits are soooo versatile that they can be used again and again and each layout looks different and unique...I love that. =)

7. Do you scrap mainly for memory preservation or for creative fulfillment?
Scrapbooking IS my creative outlet but preserving my family memories is EXTREMELY important to me. When my gram died, I had all these photos of relatives that I had NO idea who they were or what they meant to her. I want my family to remember their heritage and our family life and how precious ALL the memories are ...good...bad... special or silly...the latter is usually the case with my family. =)

8. Who are some of your favorite scrappers and why?
Cheryl....GoneWithTheWind...is my idol...each time I look at one of her layouts they just take my breath away...I want to scrap like her when I grow up. =) I also love Linz...her layering and element clustering are just awesome...plus, photos of her little guy just always make me smile. =)

9. Are you drawn to one color more than others?
Blue like the ocean...I am after all a California girl. =)

10. What software do you use?
I used to be a standing joke with Krystal's CT...well maybe I still am. =) But I taught myself how to digiscrap on PSE 2.0. In addition to that, I only had Dial Up....yes Dial up. =)~ So it would literally take me ALL DAY to download just one of Krystal's kits...THAT is how dedicated I am to her~! But I am happy to say that I now have digital cable and have upgraded to PSE 6.0....and after these big changes, I can honestly say that yes they were all TOTALLY justified in laughing at me!

11. What is your current favorite layout (that you made)?
My current favorite is always the most recent one I have made...so it would have to be:

12. What's your favorite scrap trend?
I honestly do not follow trends. And to me the beauty of Krystal's kits to me is that they are ~untrendy~ which is a compliment, Krystal~! =) Personally, if I see a kit that catches my eye for whatever reason...then I buy it.~

13. What do you "just not get?" (ex. chandliers, owls, 3-d, etc.)

Fantasy layouts...I guess I am a reality chick. =)

14. Do you know any digi scrappers in real life?
I have not met any....yet. =) But Cheryl...GoneWithTheWind...and I talk on the phone almost every week and SOMEday we WILL meet up~!

15. Krystal's thinking about getting a Mac. Should she? Why or why not?
ME...giving computer advice?!?!? That would give the CT yet another reason to laugh at me =)

16. What's your best workflow (time management) tip when it comes to scrapbooking?
Templates....templates....templates...I use them to jump start my creative process.~

As a thank you for reading, I made a template from JackieAnn's layout she created using Artesia and the coordinating Word Art.

Download here. Enjoy!

Monday's Challenge 7-5-10

2010-07-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

Hope your 4th of July was awesome! In honor of the 4th, we are going Red, White, and Blue. I don't care what you scrap but the design must contain those colors. Making it easy on you since I am officially off on Vacation when you read this! I'll be soaking up the sun along Lake Michigan! Remember the rules...

1. Must contain 55% Krystal Hartley Stuff (meaning I know at a glance you used her stuff)

2. Must post layout in her SSD Gallery

3. Must link your layout in comments section here by Midnight (EST) on July 11th

A winner will be picked on Monday (7-12) for a gift certificate to Krystal's Store!

Here's my Red, White, and Blue :

Need some freebies to complete the challenge? She has a few up on the blog here and one her personal blog.

Sneak Peek Time!

2010-07-02T21:02:00.000-07:00

Krystal has another fabulous kit releasing tomorrow titled, "The Other Side of Me"! Here's a sneak peek I made:

The kit very versatile, so it can be used for girls and guys!

Be sure to go to Krystal's store and check out the kit tomorrow!

Happy Scrapping everyone!
♥ Olivia ♥

Basic Photo Editing Tips for Photoshop (Part 2)

2010-06-29T06:55:00.000-07:00

Greetings from sunny (and hot!) California! Beth here with a basic tutorial for photo editing. I will be using Photoshop CS4 so you may need to adapt some of the instructions to fit whichever version you are using.

Back in 2003, my hubby and I bought our FIRST digital camera with a whopping 4 megapixels. We were quite impressed with our purchase but as you can see, not all of our pictures turned out well-exposed and some had quite a bit of digital noise in them. I've recently found some ways to help salvage some of those photos.

First off, I use the clean-up action I talked about in this previous post. Just press play and adjust the levels as you see fit as the action prompts you to do.

Then, I adjust my dark, light, and midtone levels in photoshop. Go to Image>Adjustments>Levels.

Then you will see this window come up. The far left toggle adjusts the dark. There's plenty of darkness in my picture so I did not change this level. The far right toggle adjusts the light colors. I adjusted it to make my husband's white shirt more true to its shade and achieve improved overall white balance. The last step is to adjust the midtones, once you've established your point of reference for the darks and lights. Adjusting the midtones seems to make all the difference in the world, as you can tell here.

Next, I readied my red-eye fixer tool.

Just take the "t" shaped cursor and click on the red-eyes and you can see how it works here. Then I saved my image.

There is still some digital noise here from being under-exposed. There are various digital noise-reducing software programs available. I downloaded and installed the Noiseware Community Edition Standalone 2.6 because it was free and it works great!

Once you open the photo within the software, you will see a default setting for editing photos. For my photo, I decreased the noise suppression luminance to 55%, increased the noise suppression color to 90%, then clicked the "Go" button. And voila! Much better photo!

It's still not a perfect picture but the improvement is tremendous. (Click on image below to see greater detail.) It's not very common for parents to be behind the camera so you have to hold on to every one you've got. :-)

I hope this tutorial helps someone save a picture or two. Thanks for reading!

Monday's Challenge 6-28-10

2010-06-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

GO BOLD, GO LOUD! RealRach here with my Monday Challenge! This week we are going BOLD. You are NOT allowed to use ANYTHING SOLID on your layout. Everything must have a print/design on it. (not your fonts but the alphas!) I love bright and bold. I tend to use a lot of printed papers for my backgrounds. But I usually always tie that together with a few solid elements. But not today! This is truly going to challenge your creativity! Winner gets a Gift Certificate to Krystal's SSD store! Now the fine print: You must use at least 55% KH stuff (meaning I know at a glance you used her stuff), You must post your layout to her SSD Gallery, You must link your post in the comments here on the blog. And this all must be done by Midnight (EST) on Sunday, July 4th. I will pick a winner on Monday Evening. Need some KH stuff? Then grab one of the many freebies on her blog or the team blog.

Here's my layout to show you what I mean: REMEMBER....NO SOLIDS!! And don't go all chicken on me and use a muted print. I WANT YOU TO GO BOLD or go home! Ok fine...you can but just have fun! Step outside your comfort zone and step into mine!

Good Luck and BOLD IS BEAUTIFUL! You can do this!

Last weeks Winner was SMALLMOMENTS! Thanks to ALL who played! It was hard picking one winner. Try again this week!

New boy kit in the shoppe!

2010-06-26T12:58:00.001-07:00

Sneak Peek time!

2010-06-25T10:43:00.000-07:00

Hey scrappers! Amy S. bringing you a peek at Krystals new kit for June 26. I am so super excited about this one because I LOVE a good boy kit, and this color combination just rocks my socks off!

Here is my layout with it:

CT Spotlight

2010-06-24T10:31:00.000-07:00

Good morning, everyone! Beth here to welcome to this week's CT Spotlight. Please meet Giseli Freitas!

Giseli's Sweet Shoppe Gallery

1.What made you apply for Krystal Hartley's team?

I LOVE Krystal’s designs. To me, it is that kind of design that has inside everything I need to scrap wonderfully, going straight to the point w/ the “right” embellishments and elements. It’s SO easy and fun to scrap w/ them! That’s the “why”: I have fun w/ them!

2. What are your favorite types of products to work with (you can mention specific favorites, but I'd really like to know if you are a paper addict, brushes, doodles...whatever).

I have a thing for stitches. Alphas and labels (specially date labels, too). But a thing that is ALWAYS present in my pages is frames. Apparently I can’t put a photo on a page without framing it. Even if I put my frame behind the photo, but they’re there.

3. When do you scrap? Naptimes, after the kids go to bed?

I scrap when DD is at school (between 12:00 and 5:00pm) and if I have housework or have lots going on, I scrap after DD bedtime. At this point you’re guessing that I go to sleep very late at night. And you’re right. Hehee. Oh, and on Saturdays when I’m home w/ nothing going on.

4. What are your strengths as a CTM? Weaknesses?

Ummm… I don’t know. I really do an effort to scrap w/ all the products but I don’t force myself to scrap w/ a design I don’t like that much just b/c “I have to” scrap. But, as I said, it's very easy to scrap w/ every design by Krystal b/c they’re full of fun to me! I really like to post on the team blog, too - even feeling insecure about my English (I’m not a English-speaker) most of the time. But I have fun doing it. Another thing I try to always do is have a page done w/ “original design” by me – I like to use templates, but feel like I'm kinda cheating if I use a template to spotlight a new design. So, the designer will always have one page by me w/o using any templates.

5. Show us your first page.

Really? I don’t know if this is a good idea. Ok, you’ve been warned LOL

6. How many times do you use a product?

It depends. An entire kit probably once. But I always go back to a product if they “match" a certain photo I want to scrap. To use a frame, or a doodle, a wordart… Alphas I use repeatedly!

7. Do you scrap mainly for memory preservation or for creative fulfillment?

A mix of the two. But mostly for memory preservation.

8. Who are some of your favorite scrappers and why?

I kinda worship Cindy Schneider. I love the “ layers” and clusters she does. I love Kay Miller, too. And I have tons of pages by SeattleSheri and nikkiARNGwife into my favorites.

9. Are you drawn to one color more than others?

Nope. (I guess, LOL.)

10. What software do you use?

I use Paint Shop Pro, alwys have and probably always will, LOL. I tried to use Photoshop (I know how to use it) but I feel like a cheater when I do this.

11. What is your current favorite layout (that you made)?

For now, it's this one. But it changes A LOT.

12. What's your favorite scrap trend?

“Block” pages and stitching.

13. What do you "just not get?" (ex. chandeliers, owls, 3-d, etc.)

I don’t understand exactly “fantasy” pages w/ lots of extractions and 3-D, specially those ones w/ no photo at all.

14. Do you know any digi scrappers in real life?

Yeah, I do, but not from a “digi scrap meet” or crop or anything like that. It’s like I was at a party and met a woman and she happens to be a digi scrapper, too. Not part of my social circle.

15. Krystal's thinking about getting a Mac. Should she? Why or why not?

Do you mean Mac, the computer kinda Mac? LMAO. I know nothing about a MAC. So, I really can’t say “Yay or Nay” . But if it’s for doing more awesome designs and faster, then I would say go for it, haha.

16. What's your best workflow (time management) tip when it comes to scrapbooking?

Don’t let the photos pile until you take new ones and forget to scrap about the ‘old’ ones. My main inspiration to scrap IS the photos I take. If I don’t scrap them as soon as possible, then I lose my mojo for “the old ones”. If you’re in a CT, try to pick one day a week for one or two designers to hang out in her/their CT forum or do CT blog posts… If you’re in more than 7 CT’s then I think you’re crazy, but who am I to say a thing like that? I myself am in more than 7 CT's. LOL.

As a thank you for stopping by, Giseli created an awesome template for you to enjoy from this pretty layout.

The template is an 8x8 (2400 x 2400 pixels). Download here. Enjoy! :-)

Gallery Standouts

2010-06-21T09:29:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! It's Olivia bringing you this week's GSO!

Our winner this week in breakingbrie with her layout "twins? who'd guess?":

I love this layout because of the sweet, soft colors. The photo action is super cute. I also love pages with a lot of white space, focusing on the picture.

Breakingbrie, check you messages because you just won a $6 GC to Krystal's store! Woot!

Thanks for coming by,
Olivia

Monday's Challenge 6-21-10

2010-06-21T01:00:00.000-07:00

Monday again already?! They just keep coming around faster and faster. And because of that...our design challenge this week is ROUND. Round you say?! Yep...round. Here's what I want you to do: Layer two papers and cut out a CIRCLE from one of them. Then using a ROUND FRAME...build your layout. The only requirement are a ROUND FRAME and cut a CIRCLE on your page. The rest can be YOU! Remember, you must use at least 55% KH stuff. Meaning I must know at a glance you used her awesome stuff. Don't own any of her stuff YET? Well, no worries. There are freebies on the blog! Remember the rest of the rules: You must post your layout in her SSD Gallery by MIDNIGHT Sunday (EST) and link me back her on this blog with your layout using mostly KH Stuff. I will be back on the following Monday with winner. Here's my (RealRach's) take on the challenge:

Monday's Challenge 6-14-10

2010-06-14T01:00:00.000-07:00

RealRach here again for another Monday Design Challenge!! This week...we are going Photo Crazy. You must have 7 photos on your layout. Need help? Then Krystal has some cool Photo Templates in her store. I've used one here on my layout. I don't care what else you use on your layout...any color, any theme. Just go photo crazy! Remember the rules: you must use at least 55% KH stuff (meaning I know at a glance you used her stuff), Post in her gallery at SSD, and Link me here on the blog. Must be posted by Midnight (EST) Sunday 6-20-10. Need some KH stuff? As always...freebies on this blog and her personal blog as well. So there's no reason to NOT play along for a free gift certificate to her store, right?! I'll be back later Monday Night with a winner from last week's challenge. Day job calls me this week Monday.

Gallery Standouts!

2010-06-13T08:36:00.000-07:00

Hi all! Olivia here posting your gallery standout!

This week I chose three to be highlighted, but there can only be one winner. Here they are!

Great Grandma from uinthas:

I love the bright paper over the black paper. It really make it pop. ;) I absolutely love the clustering beside the frame.

Nasty from sigmakap95!

I love the use of skunks to go with the smelly journaling! :D I love the layered papers behind the photo too!

Last but least is this week’s winner, helenvader with her layout “A baby is born”!

I simply love pages simple like this. It’s not something I do well (Simple scrapping), but they make me want to challenge myself! The photos are so sweet too. :)

Helenvader, check you messages at SSD, because you got a prize! ;)

Until next week,
Olivia

New LDS Primary inspired kit and a freebie!

2010-06-12T07:04:00.001-07:00

Had so much fun creating all the little pieces in this! Hope you'll take it for a spin. If you have suggestions for other LDS related kits or element packs, I'd love to hear them!

Here's a closer look at some of the details:

Here's a darling page by Emily

The kit has an alpha in 3 colors, but I couldn't resist creating this cute little black leather(ish) style alpha as a gift for you. You can grab it on my blog!

Monday Challenge 6-7-10

2010-06-07T06:46:00.000-07:00

It's time again for another Monday Challenge with RealRach. This week we are going CLEAN and SIMPLE. Just use a couple small elements, a paper or two, a photo, a title, journal, DONE! It's harder than you think! Well for me anyways! LOL
Here are Da Rules: Must contain 55% Krystal Hartley Stuff (Meaning I know at first glance it's using KH Stuff) , Post in Krystal's gallery at SSD and link me in this post by SUNDAY NIGHT 11:59pm EST and I will be back (if blogger ever likes me again-having issues) the following Monday with the winner and another Challenge. AGAIN...If blogger ever lets me log in again? grr....I can read blogs just fine but I can't comment or post? Anyone know why?! LOL
Remember you can always locate freebies on her personal blog or this team blog. See ya next Monday...maybe!

Monday's Challenge 5-31-10

2010-05-31T01:00:00.000-07:00

It’s time for another Monday Challenge with RealRach! You will have until next Sunday (Midnight EST) to post your layout using at least 55% of Krystal Hartley stuff! Meaning I must know at a glance that you used mostly KH stuff! Post the layout in Krystal’s SSD gallery and link me here on the blog! Remember there are a few freebies on her blog and on this team blog if you need them! I will pick a winner on Monday and they will get a KH gift certificate!

Here’s your challenge:

Use yellow.
Use at least three flowers.

Use some patterned paper.

Use at least two circles.

Incorporate some journaling, more than just a date and use at least 2 fonts!

Use an alpha for your title.

Here’s my take on the challenge:

Last week's winner was NATALIE C! Congrats! PM was sent to you just now! Happy Memorial Day!

CT Spotlight: Nikki Epperson

2010-05-27T02:00:00.000-07:00

Hey all! It's Jennifer aka Jennilyn here, shining the spotlight on Nikki Epperson this week!

1. What made you apply for Krystal Hartley's team?

I actually got a kit from her as a newcomer to DST, and I was in love!

2. What are your favorite types of products to work with?
I love, love, love paper. Sometimes it's so hard for me pick papers because I want to use them all!

3. When do you scrap? Naptimes, after the kids go to bed?
lol, all the time!!! I tend to scrap more during the day when I'm not working since my kids are older and don't have naps anymore.

4. What are your strengths as a CTM? Weaknesses?
Wow. That's a tough question. Specifically with Krystal, one of my strengths would be that I pull many elements onto a page to show them off. My weakness? hmmmm, I'm not a great enabler. I tend to get lost in photoshop and I need to work on that!

5. Show us your first page.
yikes.

6. How many times do you use a product?
I *try* to use it at least twice, but I'm not very good at following that rule.

7. Do you scrap mainly for memory preservation or for creative fulfillment?
Mainly memory preservation. I tell everyone that I'm our family historian.

8. Who are some of your favorite scrappers and why?
My favorite scrappers are most definitely Jennifer Fox and our very own Krystal Hartley. Jennifer and I have styles that are pretty similar but she doesn't make a page that I don't love. And Krystal. Wowza! When she scraps, you can almost touch her pages. They are gorgeous!

9. Are you drawn to one color more than others?
I'm drawn to everything but red. But, I will say, I've made a few pages I love that actually have red in them!

10. What software do you use?
Photoshop CS2

11. What is your current favorite layout (that you made)?
I've been focusing IRL a lot on my son Lane, and I just LOVE this page featuring him!

12. What's your favorite scrap trend?
Are strings a trend? lol, I love strings.

13. What do you "just not get?" (ex. chandeliers, owls, 3-d, etc.)
Fantasy. It's pretty but not for me. At all.

14. Do you know any digi scrappers in real life?
Not yet. But I do have plans to meet one soon!

15. What's your best workflow (time management) tip when it comes to scrapbooking?
Wait? I'm supposed to be managing my time? lol, I just scrap until I'm not inspired and then take a break. Usually a few layouts at a time.

Here is a little desktop freebie I made using The World is my Oyster!

Monday's Challenge 5-24-10

2010-05-24T01:00:00.000-07:00

Well this weeks challenge is all about color. With the Memorial Holiday coming up this next weekend in the USA, I wanted to have you use the colors Red, White, and Blue. You can use a much or as little of those colors as you want but I must see each color represented within the layout. And as always, you must use Krystal Hartley's stuff (min 55%) meaning I must know at a glance that is mostly KH Stuff! Still don't own any of her stuff yet? Then get some freebies off her blog or this blog. Post the layout in her SSD Gallery and then link me here! I will be back next Monday with a winner! As of this posting, we didn't have any players for last weeks challenge. Come on, you don't want to win some KH Goodies? REALLY?? You're scrapping anyways so why not do it and get something for it??

Here's my take on it:

~Gallery Standout~

2010-05-23T01:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! JackieAnn here and I am thrilled to bring you this weeks Gallery Standout~

There were soooo many amazing layouts to choose from....but this one just caught my eye:

So congrats to Mandy...I am sending you a gift certificate to Krystal's store.

If you would like to be considered for the Krystal's Gallery Stand Out and win a gift certificate to Krystal's Store
at Sweet Shoppe Designs, just place your layouts (made with Krystal's products) into Krystal's Designer Gallery

I can't wait to see what you create!

Basic Photo Editing Tips for Photoshop (Part 1)

2010-05-18T09:25:00.000-07:00

It’s Beth here to provide you with some simple tips for editing your photos in Photoshop CS.

One of my favorite actions to use first on an image is Mike Warren’s free Photoshop action called “Dreamy Glow.” (The download includes a dreamy glow action and a basic clean-up, aka de-fogging, action. The de-fogging action is the one I will be using in my sample.) You can find this action on his website here. This particular action can be found by scrolling down toward the bottom of the page where the free/for donation section is.

Here’s an example of a before and after look of a photo using this photoshop action (feel free to click image to see more detail):

As you can see, the fog or haze is cleared up, color enhanced, and details are sharpened. It’s a simple way to give your image an extra pop!

If you are in need of some basic information on how to download, install, and use actions, check out these great tutorials on the TRA website.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day!

Monday's Challenge 5-17-10

2010-05-17T01:00:00.000-07:00

It’s RealRach bringing you another MONDAY Design challenge. This week are going to do a roadmap. I’ll tell you what to do and you just do it! Follow my lead…Then take your favorite Krystal Hartley stuff and go nuts! Remember it has to contain at least 55% KH stuff. Meaning, I must know at a glance that you used mainly KH stuff! Post your layout in Krystal’s gallery at SSD and then post the link to the layout here in the comment section so I know you played along. Winner will be announced the following Monday! Good Luck…Winner will get a Krystal Hartley Gift Certificate! Don’t forget that you can find many freebies on Krystal’s blog if don’t own something of hers yet! See you next Monday with another challenge!
Here’s your map:
1. Use an odd number of photos.

2. All photos need to have a fun color action used.

3. Use 2 pieces of paper.

4. Use 1 frame.

5. Use some greenery.

6. Use a hanging element.

7. Use at least one ribbon.

8. Use a circle and journal tag.

I’ll be back next Monday with the winner and another challenge! Here’s my take on it!

I Believe in Yesterday - New Page Kit

2010-05-15T09:48:00.001-07:00

Check out this beautiful page by Sya (and check out the gallery for more inspiration)

Sneak Peek Time!!

2010-05-13T21:06:00.000-07:00

I'm here with a taste of Krystal's pretty new kit for Saturday!!! Make sure you come check it out at SSD!!!

CT Spotlight

2010-05-13T10:08:00.000-07:00

Beth here with this week's spotlight on Sara. Check out her SSD gallery here!

1. What made you apply for Krystal Hartley's team?
I started stalking Krystal when she was still at SO, I just love her style.

2. What are your favorite types of products to work with (you can mention specific favorites, but I'd really like to know if you are a paper addict, brushes, doodles...whatever).
Alphas and date elements.

3. When do you scrap? Naptimes, after the kids go to bed?
At night and on weekends.

4. What are your strengths as a CTM?
I'm super organized! Weaknesses? I try to peek at ISO threads but I'm bad about doing it outside of SSD.

5. Show us your first page.
eww really?

6. How many times do you use a product?
Kits, usually once.

7. Do you scrap mainly for memory preservation or for creative fulfillment?
Memories! :)

8. Who are some of your favorite scrappers and why?
Meghan Mullens, Sue Setiadji, Tracey Howard, Shannon Grover

9. Are you drawn to one color more than others?
No.. I love color.. but I like blue :)

10. What software do you use?
Photoshop CS2

11. What is your current favorite layout (that you made)?
Right now it's this one. Took about 4 hours :)

On a side note, her beautiful layout here made the SSD LOTW (Layout Of The Week). Woot!

12. What's your favorite scrap trend?
Paper blocking.

13. What do you "just not get?" (ex. chandeliers, owls, 3-d, etc.)
3-d fantasy layouts.

14. Do you know any digi scrappers in real life?
Yes.. I have met Heather Roselli and am hoping to meet some other girls this summer :)

15. Krystal's thinking about getting a Mac. Should she? Why or why not?
Sure :)

16. What's your best workflow (time management) tip when it comes to scrapbooking? Templates! LOL

Here's a fun layout Sara created using mostly Krystal's "Carpe Diem" kit. (Click here for full credits.)

And here's a little freebie template for you from Sara's layout.

Download here. Enjoy! :-)

A Brazilian Wednesday Wild Card one

2010-05-12T11:09:00.000-07:00

Hi, it's Giseli here today and I'm here to bring you a Brazilian recipe. Wait... Don't go already! I promise it's easy. And there's --- I'll say the magic word now --- chocolate in it.
Well, you must have heard something about Brazilian and parties combined and I can assure you it's all true. We just LOVE to party. Anything is a good excuse to do it and this recipe is one of those that... well, I'll short the story saying that I don't I think I EVER seen a party without them. It's a HUGE success, specially with the children. Besides cake, they're probably going to ask for brigadeiro.
Brigadeiro is a recent Brazilian sweet (most of our sweets are Colonial period ones) and was named after Eduardo Gomes, a very famous Air Force commander (a brigadier - between a major and a general) which was very handsome and single and a candidate to Brazil presidency in 1945 - the first year Brazilian women could vote for president - ladies who supported him sold the chocolate sweet in fundraisers. And I guess they wanted to marry him too. Oh, the golden years...
And it couldn't be more easy to do! Check it out:

Click on the image above to view bigger and better and right click and save.
I made this card w/ The Birds and the Bees and Oh No You Didn't! and 4 the Birds 2010 Sweet Shoppe Quarterly Assortment - Volume 1
all by Krystal Hartley

I cover cakes, brownies and fruits - bananas, strawberries, grapes, etc. - w/ this. Just cook the thing a little less. Tsk, I eat directly from the pan sometimes (PMS anyone? LOL) w/ no shame, my friends, b/c this is good this much!
People actually fight for them in parties. No kidding! And if you're thinking about doing it for a party, well, you've been warned. Make sure you do loads of it.
Here we have an inside joke. We say: "God is Brazilian" (haha I know, not funny. But we love our country that much) and I really believe this recipe came down directly from 7th heaven! Just sayin'...

xoxo

Keystroke Shortcuts

2010-05-10T14:30:00.000-07:00

Beth here to bring you a collaboration of keystroke shortcuts. As a team, we came up with some of the more useful and popular keystroke shortcuts available for Photoshop Elements and Photoshop Creative Suite users to help scrapbookers scrap a little speedier. :-) Here are a few:

ctrl+alt+g = clipping image to a vector

ctrl+alt+e while layer of clipped image is selected = permanently affixing the image to a vector

shift+left click mouse drag at corners of an image = maintains proportions of image while enlarging/shrinking

shift+alt+left click mouse drag at corners of an image = maintains proportions of image while enlarging/shrinking at a much faster rate

cntrl+z = undo once

cntrl+0 = increased canvas size

shift+control+t = transform again (so if you re-size something and want to re-size something else to the exact same proportions).

ctrl+alt+s = save as

ctrl+a = select all

Team member Meredith noted that as you are using various drop down menu options from the tool bar, you will see keystroke options right next to the action you are choosing (i.e. new document = ctrl+n). Sometimes we (or maybe more I) get so used to a routine, we forget to see the clues right in front of us, giving us options for improving efficiency. ;-)

To see a list of shortcuts, team member Giseli found this excellent list of all the shortcuts for PSE 5 and up and all versions of PSCS.

We hope this helps save you more time scrapping memories so that you can be busier making memories!

Have a great Tuesday!

Monday Challenge

2010-05-10T09:05:00.000-07:00

Hi, Olivia is here bringing you your weekly challenge! For those who chose to take it on, here’s your challenge:

This is sort of like a speed scrap, though there’s not much speed to it. ;) I’ll give you instructions on how to make your layout. Whoever’s layouts looks the most like mine will be the winner of a GC to Krystal’s store at Sweet Shoppe Designs! Awesome, right?!

Here’s your instructions:
1) Pick 3 papers.
2) Pick out 1 photo, and make it sepia or black and white.
3) Choose 8 elements.
4) Now that you have your supplies, layer your 3 papers on top of each other.
5) Get your sepia or black and white photo and put it on the left hand side of your layout.
6) Cluster your elements around your photo.
7) Choose a title containing 5-8 letters.
8) Put your title below your clustering.
9) Put the time, place, people, etc. below your title.
10) Last step, and this time you get to choose! Pick 3 extra elements and put the anywhere on your page.

Remember, your layout must include 55% of Krystal’s products (Freebies are allowed.), meaning the layout must have Krystal’s products visible on the layout. Also, all layouts are due by May 16th, 2010!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have fun with the challenge!
Olivia aka LivyBug

Monday's Challenge 5-3-10

2010-05-03T01:00:00.000-07:00

It’s May!! So since we have Cinco de Mayo this week, let’s do a 5 challenge. And if you noticed…it works with the SSD May portfolio challenge #16. So the rules are this: Whatever you place on your page (Using Mostly Krystal Hartley Stuff!) there must be 5 of it-EXACTLY! So you must have 5 papers and 5 photos. See what I mean. Anything you put on your page, must be represented 5 times. It doesn’t have to be the SAME 5 things. Meaning you don’t have to use the same 5 frames over. You can but you don’t have too. Just 5 frames in general. Now you are going to wonder about fonts and alphabets , right. Well, it has to be 5. Get creative. Feel free to interpret this anyway you wish. I’m not going to get super picky. I just want you to have fun and get creative! So remember, you must use enough KH stuff so I know by looking at your layout that you used her stuff. Post it in her SSD gallery and link the layout post in the comment sections of this blog post! That’s it! That’s my Monday Challenge! I’ll be back next week with the winner. And don’t forget, you can find lots of freebies on the blogs. Either the team blog or Krystal’s personal blog!

Here's my take on it:

I used 5 papers, 5 ribbons, 5 flowers, 5 fasteners, 5 photos, 5 leaves, and 5 letters of an alpha!

Last week's winner is Joana1n. I have PM'd you the prize at SSD...go find it! Congrats. This weeks we TOUGH...I had my family pick the winner, I couldn't do it. So keep playing!!! And just have fun with it!

Gallery Standout!

2010-05-02T14:47:00.000-07:00

Hi! Amy here with this weeks gallery stand-out.

What a crazy weekend it's been...so crazy that I am just now finishing up all my downloading and un-zipping and getting to my blog post =)

I chose this beautiful layout The Life from breakingbrie. I think that the picture is just adorable and her use of elements is just wonderful!
I hope you are enjoying all the iNSD festivities as much as I am! And until next time, keep scrapping, you never know when YOU will be a standout!

NEW! Basically Frames and HUGE iNSD sale!

2010-05-01T06:29:00.000-07:00

Time to stock up!!

Monday's Challenge 4-26-10

2010-04-26T01:00:00.000-07:00

It’s time for another Monday Challenge with RealRach! This week your challenge is to blend a photo. The photo should be the fairly large. And one that you truly love! I don’t care what Krystal Hartley elements you use to create the page but I want you to focus your design around a large scale blended photo. Remember it has to include at least 55% KH stuff (I must know at a glance you used KH stuff) and you can find lots of freebies on her blog and the team blog to help you with this challenge if you don’t already own some her smoking hot stuff. Post the layout in her SSD gallery and link me here on the blog so I can pick a winner next Monday for a Krystal Hartley Gift Certificate!
I will be back tonight to update my blog post with last week’s winner. I have to work my day job Monday so I won’t have time to post the winner until after dinner. Thanks to those who play along!
Here’s my take on my challenge!

See ya Next Monday! Remember, I will post last week's winner Later so check back to see if you won!!

ETA: Last monday's winner is KAYLAUGH .....CONGRATS!!! I PM'd you at SSD with your code!

New in the Shoppe!

2010-04-24T16:28:00.000-07:00

Beautiful new collab and a FWP offer!

Purchase by April 30, 2010 to receive this FREE gift

And a beautiful page from Meredith

(see my gallery for more gorgeous examples)

Digi Supplies Organizing - Which technique do you use?

2010-04-23T19:30:00.000-07:00

Are you a helpless scrapper who keeps buying or downloading kits even though you've realized that your Paypal or credit card is already screaming at you "not another kit again..."..

I think we all experienced it one way or another - freebies, purchased kits or RAKs. Yes, they don't clutter your desk or room like paper scrapping, but they do clutter your laptop or computer's hard drive. I've asked fellow creative team members how they organize their digi supplies. If you're still looking for a way to organize your digi supplies, then read on to see how they do it and maybe you'll find one that suits you :) :

Technique: FOLDER

"I keep every kit in its own folder and if I have a lot of kits from the same designer, then it gets put into a folder with their name on it. I would love a way to find something more easily (i.e. stitches, ribbon in a certain color, etc.) But I did figure out how to do a color overlay so that has helped some my problem. "

Technique: FOLDER

"I have: (i) a folder for each creative team; (ii) a folder for SSD; (iii) a folder for everything else sorted by designers.

I don't tag or anything. I can generally remember the theme/colors of a kit, but I can browse by the previews if I need to go hunting. I often scrap from multiple kits if it's not a CT page, and I just go by color and vibe (like doodle, vintage, etc.)."

Technique: FOLDER & PSE

"I use PSE and this is what works for me...

I have different folders for each CT designer and within those folders I have folders for each individual kit....and if it's a collab...I add label it with that designer name as well. In addition under each CT designer I have one folder with a copy of each kit preview...that way if I need a specific element and I forgot what kit it was in...I can take a quick glance at the previews to find it. I also relabel a lot of the elements....yeah I am a type A =) but designers label things different and I like to have all of my papers or all the same kind of element together so I can see my options... for example...I put the word flower in front of all the flower elements cause sometimes they are labelled.... flower...doodled flower...blue flower...etc...so if I need a flower I can see them all together.

Also for each designer I have a separate folder for the layouts I have made for them. Within that are folders labelled with the layout name and within it is the original 12 x 12in jpg...the 600 x 600 pixel layout for photobucket and then whatever size layout to fit the 150kb requirement....and can I just say here that my pet peeve is that all the different galleries have different posting sizes... anyway...I also put in the supplies list. This is a blank template that I made that has spaces for all the info I need to fill in. I also copy all the links to the galleries where the layout is posted and list publications or magazines I have submitted it to...so I don't duplicate~

for kits that I buy that I am not on their CT...I put in a folder by site...Sweet Shoppe... Scrap Orchard...etc and label the folder with the designer name...the layouts I make with these are put in a Miscellaneous folder labelled as above

I have a separate folder for templates...labelled by designer name and within that the kit name.

I also have a separate folder for alphas....within that there is a folder for each color and within the colors they are labelled by alpha name with the designer name....but lately I have been keeping the alpha with the original kit like everyone else...I have read how others organize their supplies...but this is just what works for me."

Technique: FOLDER

"It always amazes me how many different ways there are to organize digi stuff!

I use what I think is a version of what I heard called Gina Miller's method years ago.

For some strange reason, I seem to be able to remember designers really well. I have folders for alphas, elements, kits, word art, templates, actions and fonts. Then I organize each folder by designer name. I usually find that I know what I want to find, and I can remember which designer created it, so this is the fastest way for me and it's total habit now.

I also organize each download fairly obsessively when I get something new. If it's a kit, I create one "parent" folder for papers and merge all papers into that one folder. Then I put the alpha in the elements folder and put that folder into the "parent" paper folder. That way, I end up with only one folder for each papers, elements, alphas to sift through when using the kit. I know designers break them up for download size/time, but I put them back into single folders so I don't miss something when I'm working on a page."

Technique: FOLDER

"I just create a folder for each shop and then a folder for kits, alpha, overlays, etc. And then within those folders I have one for each designer. But then I don't really like to mix kits. Makes the process too complicated for me and stifles my creativity and makes me not want to scrap."

Technique: FOLDER

"I do mine this way... I have 4 folders... Basics, CT, Designers, Templates.

Inside the basics folder, I have broken down into alphas, date elements, doodles, fasteners, flowers, frames, labels, overlays, paint, paper packs, paper templates, photo masks, ribbons, stitching, string, swirls, tags, word art

CT designers are in CT folder.. but.. I only keep kits there. If I have ct stuff that goes in a basic folder, it goes there, NOT in my ct folder.

Designers is broken down by designer name and then an SSD collabs folder.

Templates are broken down by designer with a misc folder as well."

Technique: FOLDER

"I have folders for all my CT/designers. Then within that folder I have other folders that house the kits.

I do not tag my stuff. I am a very visual person and I just KNOW what I have or what is in each kit. I do not usually scrap with a bunch of different designers/kits. I love to do it but seems I never have TIME.

If, on the off chance, I download something that is NOT CT...I will make its own folder and label it with the name of kit/designer. And I also have a folder for holidays. I have halloween, christmas, valentines day, and misc holidays. I do NOT put my CT kits in there but if i download something that is holiday themed it goes in that folder. Usually those are blog trains or freebies. I am a stickler for quality and if it has strays or whatever...it gets deleted. My space is to precious to house inferior stuff. (yes, I am a perfection snob)

I have folders for all my CT/designers. Then within that folder I have other folders that house the kits.

Usually those are blog trains or freebies. I am a stickler for quality and if it has strays or whatever...it gets deleted. My space is too precious to house inferior stuff. (yes, I am a perfection snob)."

Technique: TAGGING, ACD SEE, FOLDER

"I use ACDSee . . .

When I download a kit for a CT, it goes into a CT kits folder and I know that I need to scrap with that kit. Once I've scrapped with whatever the product is, it goes into a folder I've called GOODIES (LOL, yes, goodies) . . . under the designer's name.

I use the tagging system to tag by designer, store, item type, color, etc."

Technique: FOLDER

"I use Cindy Schneider's method. Only thing I do different is that I have a folder for each CT because I'm not a Sugar Babe (yet)."

Click here to see it.

Techniques: TAGGING, FOLDER, iPHOTO, iPHOTO LIBRARY MANAGER, KEYWORD MANAGER

"I do all my organizing in iPhoto. I also use a third-party program called iPhoto Library Manager, which makes it easy for me to have more than one library in iPhoto and to switch between them easily. I have a library for my photos, one more my scrap stash, and one for my completed albums. I also use a third-party plugin for iPhoto called Keyword Manager. It makes it really simple to tag my stash with keywords, although I'm really behind on actually do that.

Within iPhoto, I have folders for Kits, Elements, Paper Packs, and Alphas. I have a separate folder for my CT stash, and one other folder just for Sweet Shoppe stuff (because I have so much of it and it makes it easier for my Portfolio layouts). Within my CT and SSD folders, I separate into categories again (kits, elements, paper, alphas). Then everything is in alphabetical order by designer name.

I have often thought that I should find a new way to organize, and I have looked at a lot of other people's ideas. But, in the end, I always come back to this system. It really works for me."

So many ways to organize your digi supplies isn't it? Are yours resemble what you're reading here, or do you have a different technique that you use and works really well for you? Do share with us in the comment box :)

Sneak Peek time!

2010-04-23T12:06:00.000-07:00

Hi, it's Giseli here to bring you a sneak peek of the new release coming tomorrow @ SSD. Krystal will be releasing a collab. w/ Amy Stoffel. And I'll tell no lie: Krystal and Amy nailed it. It's screaming spring, colorful, gorgeousness. Me likey. See for yourself:
This collab. is perfect or what? *THUD*
Check it out some of the pages the girls made w/ this beauty:

You can grab it w/ 20% off tomorrow @ SSD.
Don't forget to check out Krystal's gallery @ SSD to find more inspiration and to upload your own pages too. Maybe you manage to do a GSO here on the blog. Guess what? And a bird told me there are coupons waiting to be gifted to the GSO's. Just sayin'...

XO
Giseli F.

CT Spotlight

2010-04-20T11:06:00.000-07:00

Welcome to another edition of our CT Spotlights. It's Beth here, spotlighting Olivia (aka Livybug) today.

Olivia's Sweet Shoppe Gallery

1. What made you apply for Krystal Hartley's team?
Ever since I stumbled upon her blog, I’ve been in love with her designs! I have about every freebie she’s made, LOL!

2. What are your favorite types of products to work with (you can mention specific favorites, but I'd really like to know if you are a paper addict, brushes, doodles...whatever). I {heart} brushes, paint, splatters, etc.! I have some on almost all of my pages. :)

3. When do you scrap? Naptimes, after the kids go to bed?
Usually on the weekends, but sometimes on weeknights when I have no homework.

4. What are your strengths as a CTM? Weaknesses?
Strength ~ Getting a layout done. Weakness ~ Getting it done on time. ;)

5. Show us your first page.

6. How many times do you use a product?
Twice, but if I like it a lot I may make 5+ layouts!

7. Do you scrap mainly for memory preservation or for creative fulfillment?
Both. :) I like it that I can look back one day and remember my teen years. But also I sometimes make random quirky layouts, just to have fun and be creative. :)

8. Who are some of your favorite scrappers and why?
My mom (gonewiththewind). We’re always comparing each other layouts and getting ideas. She really inspires me.

9. Are you drawn to one color more than others?
I use a variety of colors. :)

10. What software do you use?
Photoshop Elements 5.0

11. What is your current favorite layout (that you made)?

12. What's your favorite scrap trend?
Layering papers and clustering!

13. What do you "just not get?" (ex. chandeliers, owls, 3-d, etc.)
Stock photos.

14. Do you know any digi scrappers in real life?
My mom, LOL.

15. Krystal's thinking about getting a Mac. Should she? Why or why not?
Yes, so she can still scrap and chat while she’s away from home. :)

16. What's your best workflow (time management) tip when it comes to scrapbooking?
Use a template!

Olivia made this adorable layout using Krystal's "Just Because" kit. I just love how she used the elements on the pages...they work so well together to make this page look fabulous!

I made a template from her page as a special gift just for you, our wonderful readers! Download here.

Thanks for reading! Have a great weekend!

Monday's Challenge 4-19-10

2010-04-19T04:11:00.000-07:00

For this Week's challenge, we are going to look to the April Portfolio challenge. It's a two for one day! I'm taking this challenge directly from the portfolio challenges so that you can earn some points for that as well as try to win a Gift Certificate for Krystal's Store. Same rules as always...Must use atleast 55% Krystal Hartley Stuff meaning when I look at it I know you used her stuff! Post the layout in her Gallery at SSD and link me up here in the comments section. Don't have any KH stuff yet? Well look at her blog for some freebies!

Here's the challenge:

28 - Whisk together the following ingredients until they're blended to scrappy perfection. 4 patterned papers, 3 of the same element (buttons, flowers, ribbons, etc), 2 photos and 1 LARGE alphabet or number.

Here's my take on this challenge. I did add a font because I can't imagine not journaling but that's just me.
And last weeks winner is: 867Popcorn5309 (you can thank my youngest as he drew the name)
I will PM you with your code for your gift cert to Krystal's store! CONGRATS! And a huge thank you to those that played along. Now go play along with this week's challenge!

~Gallery Standout~

2010-04-18T01:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! JackieAnn here and I am thrilled to bring you this weeks Gallery Standout~

There were soooo many beautiful layouts to choose from....but this one just caught my eye:

Isn't that the cutest photo and title? =)

She used Krystal's beautiful kit
So congrats to BreakingBrie...I am sending you a gift certificate to Krystal's Store

If you would like to be considered for the Krystal's Gallery Stand Out and win a gift certificate to Krystal's Store at Sweet Shoppe Designs, just place your layouts (made with Krystal's products) into Krystal's Designer Gallery

We can't wait to see what you create!

CT Spotlight

2010-04-15T13:33:00.000-07:00

It's Beth here and welcome to another edition of our CT member spotlights! Today, we are spotlighting Amy Stoffel.

Amy's Sweet Shoppe Gallery

1. What made you apply for Krystal Hartley's team?

I had been following Krystal through the design contest at Funky Playground designs. And I had purchased all of her fabulous collab kits with SSD designers. You can tell that Krystal puts a lot of thought and time into every element and paper, and I that drew me to working with her products.

2. What are your favorite types of products to work with (you can mention specific favorites, but I'd really like to know if you are a paper addict, brushes, doodles...whatever).

The only things I am addicted to are buttons and staples! Other than that I love everything.

3. When do you scrap? Naptimes, after the kids go to bed?

When my kids are in school, or when they are in bed at night.

4. What are your strengths as a CTM? Weaknesses?

My strength would be I am fast! I can whip up a layout with almost any style kit. My weakness would be that I am a very emotional person. And so if something happens in my personal life, I get really quiet and my mojo gets sucked right out of me.

5. Show us your first page.

Oh. Em. Gee.

6. How many times do you use a product?

I *try* to use a kit at least twice. But if I make one layout that rocks my socks with a kit, that makes me happy too.

7. Do you scrap mainly for memory preservation or for creative fulfillment?

There was a time when I scrapped purely for creative fulfillment. But after taking some personal time away from scrapbooking I came back at it with a new perspective, and it's purely for memory preservation now.

8. Who are some of your favorite scrappers and why?

Oh wow. Nikki Epperson is one of my faves, Nee Nee, Fairon and Coila all top my list too. I love their style, and photos. Each of them is so unique, and create pages that "pop" out of the gallery.

9. Are you drawn to one color more than others?

I have a thing for orange! After that, blue.

10. What software do you use?

PS7

11. What is your current favorite layout (that you made)?

This one, it makes me giggle, because I have been dodging this question from my 5 year old!

12. What's your favorite scrap trend?

Honestly, I don't follow them.

13. What do you "just not get?" (ex. chandeliers, owls, 3-d, etc.)

What is up with chandeliers? I don't get that! I still love owls!

14. Do you know any digi scrappers in real life?

Sadly, no.

15. Krystal's thinking about getting a Mac. Should she? Why or why not?

I am seriously illiterate when it comes to computers. So I will stay out of that mess.

16. What's your best workflow (time management) tip when it comes to scrapbooking?

I guess, just set aside time to scrap. I have a schedule, sort of, to balance scrapping, designing, and my home life. If something makes you happy, you find a way to do it!

And, as a thank you for taking the time to learn more about Amy, she has created a free goodie for you. She used this adorable layout to create a template. Isn't it so sweet?

Download here!

Enjoy! And have a great day!

Wild Card Wednesday

2010-04-14T11:23:00.001-07:00

It's Beth here bringing you something tasty & delish!

A friend of mine made these for a church event and I just had to try them. Normally, I don't consider anything with lemon in it a dessert...it's more of a fruit you make a drink from. But these are little drops of heaven! Lemon Blossoms by Paula Deen will knock your socks off. If you've never tried them, you seriously NEED to. Just to forewarn you...they are addicting!

I made this recipe card using Krystal's Carpe Diem kit. It was a perfect fit for a "citrus-y" kind of treat! Download recipe card here.

And here's a few things I do differently than what the recipe says.
*If you have non-stick and/or coated baking pans, spraying them with cooking spray isn't really necessary.
*You can also use regular cupcake size tins but you just need to adjust the cooking time.
*Watch them carefully...12 minutes cooking time makes them a little overcooked, in my opinion.
*I don't bother with the lemon zest on mine and the flavor is still fantastic.
*After dipping all the little muffins in the glaze, I pour the remaining glaze over the top of all the muffins just 'cause I like mine well glazed. :-)
*I don't bother using the wire rack. I just put them directly on waxed paper...one less thing to wash.

Happy baking! :-)

Tuesday Tutorials - Shadows

2010-04-13T08:10:00.000-07:00

I think the majority of digi scrappers will agree that shadows can make or break a page. There is a never-ending journey for many of us to perfect the fine art of shadowing. I'm on the journey myself...somewhere past beginner, but no where near the masters. I do have some tips, tricks, and observations to share, along with some shadow styles for you.

I think it's always helpful to study the masters...study their shadowing and try to replicate what you love about it. The whole purpose to shadowing is to create REALISM, so I think the ultimate master is studying the shadows on a real, physical page...like from a paper scrapbooking gallery.

Let me link you up to some amazing paper galleries where you can just soak in the natural shading and shadowing taking place in the beautifully clustered and layered masterpieces:

2dogs

Gabriellep

Karola Witczak

Note that the shadows fall in a different direction depending on the photographers's light source. 2dogs obviously has a window or light source to the left of her page, Karola to the right, and Gabrelle's is mostly from the top. Notice how the shadows don't just hit the background, but they play off the other elements on the page as well. Look at the last example--the flower to the bottom left not only has a drop shadow, but there is also an obvious shading taking place on the flower itself from the petals that curl up to the right, blocking some of the sunlight. Notice where the shadows are tiny and where they are bigger, and especially notice that soft lighting gives soft shadows.

Speaking of soft shadows...lighten up! I mean...lighten up your shadows. Shadows that are too dark make your elements look stiff and stagnant. Lightening them up will create a more fluid, graceful feel to them. Example:

This page (above) uses the default shadow. It's a black shadow using a multiply blend mode--which looks awful on this light background paper. Plus, they are all the exact same size and distance from the background--no allowance for real depth. But you say, Krystal, I'd never use the default shadow. I change my depth. So here's another page (below) with the default color and blend setting, but with me changing my distance and/or size.

Improvement? Not so much. That much depth on those stitches looks absolutely ridiculous! And the deeper shadows look even darker and more out of place than the previous example. The key here is to lighten them up and give each element its own depth as appropriate. Oh...and use Linear Burn instead of Multiply. The result is much prettier.

See? BTW, this is one of the pages in my QuickPage set available here.

Here are some links to some tutorials to help you in your pursuit of Shadow Happiness. :)
Megan Turnidge
Peppermint

And before you go, I'd thought I'd share some of my own shadow styles with you. These are not going to work for you 100% of the time...you'll still need to adjust opacity, distance, size, etc. for the perfect shadow, but you can use them as a good starting place. I created these in Photoshop CS3, and they should be compatible with most PSE versions, but no promises. :)

Edit:
One of the things that I love adding to my shadows is an Outer Glow...with similar color as the drop shadows above, set to linear burn. I adjust the size and opacity to create realism and usually have to decrease the opacity of the drop shadow to compensate for this extra layer style. Here's an example where most things have an Outer Glow added

"Cornucopia" by Microferk Designs

Monday's Challenge 4-12-10

2010-04-12T13:28:00.000-07:00

It’s RealRach bringing you another MONDAY Design challenge. This week are going to be repeating ourselves. So what I want you all do is pick an element or two and just repeat them many times on your layout. Think about shape. Will you go linear, boxy, wavy, or what? Then take your favorite Krystal Hartley element(s) and go nuts! Remember it has to contain at least 55% KH stuff. Meaning, I must know at a glance that you used mainly KH stuff! Post your layout in Krystal’s gallery at SSD and then post the link to the layout here in the comment section so I know you played along. Winner will be announced the following Monday! Good Luck…Winner will get a Krystal Hartley Gift Certificate! Have fun, have fun, have fun, have fun! (Get it….repetition!) Don’t forget that you can find many freebies on Krystal’s blog if don’t own something of hers yet! See you next Monday with another challenge!

Here's my SAMPLE of what I did for this challenge. I used the ORANGE flowers as my repeat element. So go nuts and use your element as much as you can and I'll be back next monday with another weekly challenge. Remember...post in Krystal's Gallery at SSD and then link me in the comments here!
I will also be back here soon with the winner's name from last weeks challenge. I've got to get dinner ready for the masses and they think they are STARRRRRVVVVING to death right now. So be back soon and I will just update this post vs. making a new post! You will see the winner's name in ORANGE! Bwahahaha...like I'd use any OTHER COLOR!
Here we go!! Drum roll please.........In honor of your FIRST EVER Weekly Monday Challenge...My boss has informed me that we are giving away TWO Gift Certificates to her store at SSD!!! So the winners are : MommaTrish and SuperMandy!! Check your PM's at SSD for how to redeem your prize!! CONGRATS LADIES and thank you from the bottom of my heart for playing along. It meant the world to me, personally. And I know Krystal enjoyed the ride too!
Because I am a not afraid to admit my faults...I made a mistake! I left off one of the players/winners: Joana with one N, you win too! SORRY! So next week...only ONE WINNER FOR SURE! LOL hahaha Back to living with my head in the sand...

Gallery Stanout

2010-04-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone. Denise here and I am super excited to bring you this week's GSO.

There were so many amazing layouts in Krystal's designer gallery, but this project really caught my eye.

How many of us parents dread the idea of talking to our kids about the birds and the bees? Kim (pkstew2) created a place where she could write down her thoughts. I just think this is wonderful.

She used Krystal's fantastic kit "The Birds and the Bees":

How fun! We are sending Kim a gift certificate to Krystal's store.

If you would like to be considered for the GSO and win a GC to Krystal's store, just place your layouts (made with Krystal's products) into Krystal's designer gallery at the Sweet Shoppe.

Can't wait to see what you create!

Carpe Diem! New in the Shoppe!

2010-04-09T22:54:00.001-07:00

And a loverly page by Lydia

And some quickpages from my last kit

CT Member Spotlight

2010-04-07T14:49:00.000-07:00

Hi all! Beth here with a spotlight on Rachel Stiverson (aka RealRach), who also happens to be a dear friend of mine. :-) Please meet Rachel!

Rachel's Sweet Shoppe Gallery

1. What made you apply to for Krystal Hartley's team?
Honestly, I didn't apply to the team! I have had a personal friendship with Krystal for years and when she went into designing, I just always joked that I would help her and she graciously agreed. I was the her FIRST EVER CT MEMBER!! I don't brag on myself much but please let me have this moment...ah....thank you!

2. What are your favorite types of products to work with (you can mention specific favorites, but I'd really like to know if you are a paper addict, brushes, doodles...whatever).
My favorite types of products to work with are those that are close to paper style. I am first and foremost a memory preserver. I bet you all thought I would say ORANGE STUFF!! heehee Wait for it...

3. When do you scrap? Naptimes, after the kids go to bed?
I really don't have a specific time. I do it whenever I can, really. But I guess mostly in the evenings. I'm a night owl for sure. But at the same time I can get up early with a smile on my face ready to greet the day!

4. What are your strengths as a CTM? Weaknesses?
My strengths as a CTM are my speed. I am able to get my thoughts together quickly and can get it done fast. My weakness would be remembering to post that I have posted. I have a hard time remembering to come back and link up my work. Believe me...it's done and I can prove it if you need me too!

5. Show us your first page.

6. How many times do you use a product?
I would say it depends on the kit. Some kits get used a few times over but then some just once. Mainly because I have so many layouts that I need to do in a week that I just don't have the time to go back and use them as much as I want.

7. Do you scrap mainly for memory preservation or for creative fulfillment?
I would say first is memory preservation. I do enjoy the creative fulfillment along the way too! If I get the itch for paper, I'll break out a hybrid project. But I really do NOT miss the mess, the storage, the cost of paper scrapping.

8. Who are some of your favorite scrappers and why?
I can say without hesitation that Krystal Hartley is my favorite scrapper. I have loved her style from the first time I ever met her. I do miss seeing her layouts. I have heard her say she is going to start scrapping more but I will believe that when I see it! (jab...jab...jab...) Next up would have to be Cheryl Ashcraft (gonewiththewind) She's amazing and leaves me speechless on most occasions. I have just recently found that Kay Miller (KayM) is "speaking" to me too. There are so many amazing CTM out there I just can't begin to name them all. I love to just search the galleries and admire their work.

9. Are you drawn to one color more than others?
Not really....bwahahahahaha Riiightttt....All together now shall we....ready, set, go....ORANGE!!!

10. What software do you use?
I used Creative Suite 2. I would love to get CS5 but it's a thing called money. Anyone wanna share some with me?!

11. What is your current favorite layout (that you made)?
See below. (You can also click here to see it in my gallery.)

12. What's your favorite scrap trend? I'm not really sure I have a favorite trend?
It really depends on what Krystal and the other designers give me to work with as to what I do with it. As I said, I tend to do pages that could be done with paper too.

13. What do you "just not get?" (ex. chandeliers, owls, 3-d, etc.)
I "just don't get" why anyone would not want to scrap with Krystal stuff?! LOL mwahahaha... I love to try it all! There's always the UNDO button!

14. Do you know any digi scrappers in real life?
Well, as you know, I know Krystal personally but we do not live close. I have also met a few of my fellow CTM on Krystal's team in real life. I have a local friend who is just getting into digi, Hi Bev!, but other than that, it's just a bunch of Cyber Friends who mean as much as my real life friends to me!

15. Krystal's thinking about getting a Mac. Should she? Why or why not?
A big mac?? I don't eat them anymore. Way too many points in my opinion. *snicker That's a war I'm not willing to touch.

16. What's your best workflow (time management) tip when it comes to scrapbooking?
My best tip...well, I love to take any kit and just open the whole darn thing at once and look at what paper speaks to me and then just lump the elements on a page and move them around, re-size, delete. I know within a few seconds which elements are ME. I also have a fetish for templates. I will say that sometimes, you may have no clue I even used a template because I change it up so much...but it gives me direction when I am lost. I also try to find a photo before I even begin the kit based off what I find in the preview. That's the hard part for me...finding the perfect photo. Because I scrap for memory preservation...I have lots of event type photos of my boys, family, etc. I am totally caught up with my scrapping too. Just for the record!

Here's another one of Rachel's awesome layouts that I made a template from just for you!

And here's the template. Click here to download. Enjoy!

Thanks for reading! Have a great weekend, everyone!

Wild Card Wednesday

2010-04-07T10:47:00.000-07:00

It's Wednesday here at the Scrap Happiness blog, which means you never know what you're gonna get! Today, it's a little freebie, available for a limited time. Enjoy!

Tutorial Tuesday - Time saver for you PS cluster freaks!

2010-04-06T10:45:00.000-07:00

If you love clustering as much as I do, then you may be like I once was, spending oodles of time opening up all the delicious elements and dragging them one by one onto my canvas. One day, I finally had an ah-ha moment and realized there is a much simpler way to do this if you use Photoshop.

First, I Go to Files > Scripts > Load Files into Stack

This will bring up a dialog box that looks like this

I hit the browse button and find the folder on my computer that has all the ellies that I want to play with.

Hit okay and then get another dialog box that looks like this:

Hit okay and then let the computer do all the work. You end up with something like this:

We're almost there. Open up your main background paper. Then go back to the stacked elements and go to your layers palette. Select all the layers:

Then, using your move tool, simply drag your stacked elements from the canvas over to your background paper.

From there, just start moving, shrinking, twisting, and shadowing until you come up with clustery masterpiece! Works great to load individual alpha elements to create awesome titles, too!

And one awesome extra perk using this system is that all your elements will have the original file name on them in your layers palette. This can make crediting much simpler.

Design Challenge Time!!

2010-04-05T01:00:00.000-07:00

It's RealRach here...I am going to bring you a weekly challenge every Monday. For this week’s design challenge, we are going to do follow the leader. That means you need to use what I used on my layout to create something similar. Here’s a list of what you must include on your layout:

2 sheets of the SAME PAPER ( I have always wanted to try this so now is your chance too! )
1 stitching element
2 long elements (ribbon, vine, mask, bead spills, etc)
1 tag
1 frame
1 bow
Anything ROUND
3 flowers
1 picture
2 alphabets
1 font
Leaves- as many as you need

Feel free to get creative. You just have to use what was asked of you. You do not have to create the page like I did just use what I did! This will work with any pictures you might need to get scrapped. The only catch…it has to have atleast 55% Krystal Hartley stuff on the page. Meaning I have to look at the page and know you used KH stuff! Good Luck! Layouts must be posted at SSD under KH name and link me up here by 4-11-10 so I know you played! Winner get's a KH gift cert. I will pick a winner the following Monday (4-12-10)

I used Sweet September by KH for my layout and a metal alpha of hers.
So you STILL don't own something by KH yet? No problem...go look at the FREEBIES! You can surely find SOMETHING there to help you with this challenge!

Gallery Stand Out!

2010-04-03T20:05:00.001-07:00

Hey scrappers! Amy S. here with this weeks edition of Gallery Stand Outs. I had so much fun looking through Krystal's gallery and looking at all the eye candy. One layout that I thought was really adorable was Bee Who You Are by Buggie185. That sweet little picture and her wonderful composition are just fantastic.

She used Krystal's super sweet new release The Birds and The Bees. This kit is so much fun to scrap with and the colors are so fresh and springy. Happy Scrapping!

New in the Sweet Shoppe!

2010-04-03T08:37:00.001-07:00

Beautiful page by Nikki

And the alpha from my last kit is now available separately

And don't miss the Going Going Gone SALE!

CT Member Spotlight

2010-04-01T09:56:00.000-07:00

Hi, Olivia here bringing you a little bit of inspiration from one of Krystal’s creative team members, Beth Swann.

Beth’s Sweet Shoppe Designs Gallery

1. What made you apply to for Krystal Hartley's team?
I've known Krystal from a previous business relationship (see #8) and her designs have always appealed to me because her design ability takes in such a broad range of styles. She can do feminine, masculine, eclectic, traditional, trendy, shabby, modern, etc. She's a true leader with innovative ideas so I knew I could only get better as a scrapper by being on her team! She's a down-to-earth and genuine person. I feel blessed to be a part of her team!

2. What are your favorite types of products to work with (you can mention specific favorites, but I'd really like to know if you are a paper addict, brushes, doodles...whatever).
I have a serious addiction to damask-print paper, flowers, string, and curled ribbon. Yes, I am a girly-girl!

3. When do you scrap? Naptimes, after the kids go to bed?
Mornings or afternoons work best for me to scrap since that's when the kids are in school.

4. What are your strengths as a CTM? Weaknesses?
My CT position is more administrative than creative so that probably answers both questions, LOL!

5. Show us your first page.
Hmmm....uh, the check is in the mail. ;-)

6. How many times do you use a product?
I will use a product several times over. Isn't that the bonus of scrapbooking digitally?

7. Do you scrap mainly for memory preservation or for creative fulfillment?
Mostly, I scrap for memory preservation since I consider myself a family historian. But when I have something extra special to preserve, I go all out creatively!

8. Who are some of your favorite scrappers and why?
You may call this bias but I call it logic. Krystal Hartley is my favorite scrapper and she has been ever since we were associates in a scrapbooking direct-sales company, even before digital scrapbooking existed. She can take anything from ANY style and make it look fantastic! She has been inspiring me, even before her entry into the digi world. And she's always helping and encouraging others to be successful in the hobby as well. I also draw a great amount of inspiration from the other CT members and SSD community members....too many to name.

9. Are you drawn to one color more than others?
I am definitely attracted to pink and the more traditional color palettes.

10. What software do you use?
PS CS4

11. What is your current favorite layout (that you made)?
This one is my favorite: Worth More Than a Thousand Words

(Credits: Krystal Hartley & Scrapkitchen's “The Very Thought of You” and Seattle Sheri's 12-2-09 SSD Cookie Template)

12. What's your favorite scrap trend?

To be honest, I don't know what's currently trending. But I do love all the rage of awesome shadowing!

13. What do you "just not get?" (ex. chandeliers, owls, 3-d, etc.)

I'm really not crazy about mushrooms.

14. Do you know any digi scrappers in real life?

Yes...I know a few fellow CT group members; Krystal Hartley, Susan Catmull, Rachel Stiverson, Krystal Grant, and a few others. I also digi-scrap with a few women here locally, including my sister-in-law Anna Moore.

15. Krystal's thinking about getting a Mac. Should she? Why or why not?

LOL! I think she should so she can tell the rest of us what she thinks and get all the potential kinks worked out for us ahead of time. :-)

16. What's your best workflow (time management) tip when it comes to scrapbooking?

Scrap when the kids are at school or asleep. LOL! But seriously, I do plan a little...I open all the pictures I'm going to use when making a layout (because I like to mass produce when I scrap for myself), edit the pictures before putting them on the layout, choose the digital kit that goes with the pictures, and just start putting it all together.

Now that you know Beth a little better, how about a freebie? Here’s a template based on Beth’s layout “Sweet Niece.”

Download here.

Thanks for stopping by!

~Olivia

Wild Card Wednesday

2010-03-31T13:32:00.000-07:00

We're excited to introduce to you "Wild Card Wednesdays!" Wednesday is our designated day for miscellaneous fun and surprises! It could be our favorites recipes, freebies, hybrid projects, or other little treasures. So stay tuned!

Speaking of hybrid projects, I had some scrap therapy today! Krystal's newest release "The World is My Oyster" is shabby, delicate, vintage.....well, you had me at shabby! It reminded me a lot of my paper-crafting days with it's paper-like textures.

I like to have a stash of stationary on hand for writing to friends and family. It adds a special personal touch. So, here they are.

I inked the edges, mounted them on cardstock, and added a little bling to them. AND, I made a freebie for ya! (The cards included do not have text so you can customize them as you choose!) Click on image below to download. Enjoy!

P.S. A little birdie told me there's another freebie on Krystal's personal blog. ;-)

Gallery Standouts

2010-03-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hi. Denise here to bring you another edition of gallery standouts from Krystal's designer gallery at SSD.

There as a lot of goodness in there but a few layouts that really caught my eye:

seek and ye shall find by LivyBug

I just love the layering...and the wonderful placement of the photos. Just fabulous.

happy spring by lltheo

I just love how bright and happy this card is. I am so ready for spring and this card just reminds me of it.

totally sweet by Teresa

I love how soft and sweet this layout it...the rainbows just make it feel so happy and hopeful...all the feelings new life brings.

afraid by breakingbrie

What an awesome way to scrap about something we are afraid of. This is so visual and perfect.

me by girlygirl

This layout just takes my breath away. I mean...the composition and the shadow work...just stunning.

I hope you found some inspiration with me today.

Happy scrapping.

The World Is My Oyster--New kit!

2010-03-19T21:29:00.001-07:00

Happy Spring!

2010-03-10T13:41:00.000-08:00

This is Beth here to bring you some sweetness!

Spring is getting closer and closer here in usually-sunny-California! The sun peeks out in between occasional showers and the cloud scene is spectacular! It's my favorite time of year (apart from Christmas). So many are expressing their anticipation for spring weather and I couldn't help think a "Spring-y" (yes, I made that up!) quickpage is just the ticket.

Krystal's "Shabby She" kit is perfectly in-line with Spring layouts! Isn't it gorgeous?!
(All images are linked.)

Here's a layout I made of my niece. She's growing so fast! While babysitting a couple weeks ago, I got to sneak in a few pics of her.

And I thought a free quickpage to share would be so fun. Enjoy your sweetness! (Click image to download.)

Inspiration from "The Very Thought of You"

2010-01-18T14:00:00.000-08:00

Krystal newest released is a double-scoop with Scrapkitchen Designs. It's a classic and romantic kit, perfect for your sweet moments with loved ones. I am a girly-girl type so the appeal of this kit overwhelms me with glee! It also made me reminisce about my childhood and special loved ones. One special person who influenced my life used stationery with these designs all the time.

Here is a peek at the kit "The Very Thought of You." (Most images linked.)

I know, isn't it beautiful?

And here are some lovely layouts to inspire you!

And here's some hybrid inspiration for ya, courtesy of Susan C.:

Wishing you and yours a safe and warm (or cool, depending on your location) January!

New kit at the Sweet Shoppe!

2010-01-09T04:21:00.000-08:00

If you've been in a little bit of Krystal withdrawal over the holidays like I have, you'll be very excited to hear that she has a revamped and GORGEOUS kit in the shoppe today!

Angels Among Us v. 2

Every single page I've seen with this kit has been simply stunning. The dreamy colors with a passionate pop of red and the sweet elements are perfect for those precious baby photos, wedding photos or pages about anything that is meaningful to you.

Check out some inspiration from Krystal's artist team... And don't forget to add your pages to her Sweet Shoppe gallery so when it's Krystal's turn in the Designer Spotlight on the Sweet Shoppe blog she has a chance to snag your layout for a little prize!

From Cheryl:

From Jennilyn:

And don't miss another staple from Krystal new this week: Page Parts: Photo Clusters!

January Template Challenge!

2010-01-06T03:31:00.000-08:00

It's Leah, girlygirl, here bringing you the first template challenge of the new year! Here is the layout that I based my template on. I used Krystal's These Days are Golden kit on my page, which is now retired.

So, to participate in the challenge all you need to do is download the template by clicking the image below and load up your new template with lots of Krystal's goodies!!! Upload your page to an online gallery and leave us a comment with the link to your page! Have it done by the 31st of January and one random person will win a gift certificate to Krystal's store!! Easy peasy!

Please respect Krystal's TOU. Do not redstribute or claim as your own.

November Template Challenge Winner!!

2009-12-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

Now did you think I forgot? NAW, of course not! ;) I'm back again to announce who our random winner is for November's template challenge. We only had 3 pages that qualified due to having used Krystal Hartley Designs' goodies on their page and they were:

Kara
Nancy
Claudia

....anddddddd our random winner is:

NANCY!!!!!

Congrats Nancy. Please kindly e-mail me: xx2sweeetxx at yahoo dot com so I can give you your GC to be used in Krystal's store at Sweet Shoppe Designs and maybe if you could, post your page in the gallery so we all can leave you love! ;)

December Desktop Freebie

2009-11-27T09:30:00.000-08:00

Whoohoo TGIF!
It's Giseli here today and I confess I'm curious about Thanksgiving. I don’t live in the states and where I live we don't celebrate it. Everyone celebrates it or it's kind a "religion" related celebration? Do you celebrate it only Thursday or during all weekend? How was yours? I bet you had tons of delicious food... turkey! YUMMY! Man, I'm jealous! Can't wait to have my body stuffed with good food until I can no longer move. I have to wait for Xmas to do this or start to celebrate Thanksgiving here! Decisions... decisions... LOL
And speaking about Xmas... Do you realize it's about less than month for Xmas? WOW! I only made my cards and some shopping. I still have TONS of things to do for our Xmas celebrations. What about you? Can I help you with one thing? I made 2 December desktops: one Xmas themed featuring "Heaven and Nature Sing" kit and "Feelin' Frosty" kit and the other Winter themed featuring "Happy Feet" (CUTE!) collab. between Krystal and Ziggle Designs.
I would love to share both with you:
Both are 1024 x 768 size
***Click here to download December Winter Desktop***
***Click here to download December Xmas Desktop***

Hope you like them both!
xoxo
Giseli F.

Altered gift idea for kids!

2009-11-25T12:19:00.000-08:00

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

When I originally thought about what to post today, I thought I would post some Thanksgiving goodies or "I'm thankful for..." cards. But, then I figured the internet and digi-land would be FULL of those types of things, and MAN, WAS I RIGHT?!?! Not that I don't like those types of things, {in fact, I looooove them} but I wanted to do something a little different.

So, I'm here today to bring you a hybrid gift idea for kids! I mean, it's almost Christmas, right??

So, here's what I came up with...a small sticker book!

My poor daughter is forced to roam the isles of the local hobby and scrapbook stores almost daily (I know...she's pitiful, right?!?). The only thing that keeps her happy in those stores is looking through racks and racks of stickers. Luckily, she's developed a fondness for the stickers and now the visits to the scrapbook stores are much less painful!

The problem with this is, she was putting her new {totally awesome} scrapbook stickers on random pieces of paper and they were all getting thrown away or lost {NOT good, given the cost of some of those sticker sets}!

So, I created a sticker book for her using the Triple Scoop, "This One's for the Girls" with MandaBean and Heather Roselli. It is an awesome girly kit, perfect for lots of projects!

I already had a pack of cardstock sized 4.5" x 6.5" that I knew we could use, so I made my front and back covers 5" x 7". I designed the covers and printed them out. I then Mod Podged them to a thicker tag board to give them strength and durability. Once they were dry, I bound them together with the cardstock papers inside and voila - instant sticker book!

She's had the book for a few weeks and it is a hit with her friends at school! I even considered making them for Christmas gifts, but mass production isn't really my thing when it comes to hybrid projects!

Anyway, I hope this idea has been helpful and if you decide to try it, please come back and link us up! I'd love to see your creations!

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!

Hugs,
Leigh ♥

Fortitude

2009-11-24T12:25:00.000-08:00

It's Beth again with more KH scrappy goodness! Can we ever tire of too much KH goodness? I submit that we CANNOT! (Sorry, I just had to quote my favorite comedian...) But seriously, aren't these colors and layouts gorgeous? Truly inspiring on more than one level! (Most images clickable.)

This kit speaks to us in so many different ways. As human beings, we each have our
challenges and successes, trials and blessings, adversity and triumphs. What a great
way to share our life's experiences for future generations to learn by and to inspire
ourselves to face the moment and continue on with "Fortitude!"

For everyone in the U.S.A., we wish you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.
Have a great week and thanks for stopping by! :-)

All in the Family

2009-11-11T08:39:00.000-08:00

It's Beth here with Krystal's latest double scoop with Christy Lyle. It's "All in the Family"
and it's beautiful, soft, elegant, and the perfect amount of shabby for your holiday season,
family pictures, and more! Check it out! (All images clickable.)

Here's a layout from a recent family trip we took to the mountains. The colors were
PERFECT for our family photos! This kit was so much fun to play with.

Here are some more layouts from other CE members. Aren't they just gorgeous and fun?

I hope you enjoyed the inspiration! Wishing everyone a Happy Veteran's Day!

November Template Challenge!

2009-11-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

Hi there, Jenna here bringing this month's challenge and it's a template challenge, so this will be fun...well, I am biased *lol* I have had many ask me or tell me they wished they could scrap like me, which is a compliment in itself, SOOOOOO I took a page I completed and created a template out of it for your challenge.

So for this month, I would like you to download {LINK EXPIRED} the template, make a page using Krystal’s goodies, upload it to an online gallery, and link us up by the beginning of next month to be chosen randomly to win a GC from Krystal!

QP Freebie!

2009-10-31T17:54:00.000-07:00

Breast Cancer Awareness Month may be almost over, but that doesn't mean you don't have to give yourself a breast exam again until next year! Keep doing them regularly! I thought I'd give you all a page made from the wonderful Triple Dip kit, This One's For The Girls by Krystal Hartley, Heather Roselli & Mandabean. Have a happy Halloween!

"Think Pink" with a hybrid freebie!

2009-10-30T13:37:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday, Krystal fans!

Leigh here with a special edition hybrid project especially for the girls!

As women, we know how scary breast cancer can be. Early detection is the KEY TO SURVIVAL. My friend Karen sent me a link from the American Cancer Society dedicated solely to answering questions about Early Detection. Early detection saves thousands of lives each year.

I was trying to think of a way to promote breast self exams in my "every day" life. I really couldn't think of anything until I thought about my chocolate jar. Everyday, co-workers come to my room to grab chocolate out of my jar and never get more than just a piece of chocolate.

Now, they will get a piece of chocolate and a funny quote that just might help save their lives or the life of a loved one!

I created these Hershey Nugget wrappers, using the new collab from Krystal, MandaBean and Heather Roselli called "This One's For the Girls" (awesome, awesome kit, by the way).

Even though they are funny and may cause people to giggle, I'm hoping they'll get the point across. I will absolutely tell my friends to "check their breasts" when they grab a piece of chocolate!

If a man grabs one, hopefully he'll pass the message along to his wife, mother, sister or daughter!

I plan to leave this jar on my desk all year long and just re-print my nugget wraps. I think breast cancer awareness should be an ongoing process...not just for the month of October! BE PROACTIVE!!

You can have the nugget wrappers, too! Just click here to download.

Please link us up if you decide to make your own "Think Pink" jar! I'd love to see what you come up with!

Thanks for tuning in and I hope you have an awesome Halloween!

Leigh :)

Inspiration

2009-10-28T22:14:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone!

Denise (neeceebee) to bring you a little inspiration from Krystal's designer gallery.

There is so much goodness in there!

Here's just a few that really caught my eye.

Ballerina by newfiemountiewife

Isn't it just lovely? First off the photos are STUNNING...but composition is just wonderful...the beautiful lines she created just draw your eye across the page.

Fall Fun by cindys732003

I think the colors here are just wonderful...it just FEELS like fall. I love the stitch and falling leaf and the cute way she did the date.

Puddle Jumper by eranslow

I just love the little cluster and the clever title. This is just so CUTE!!

Sweet Naps by carriesmom

I love title work on this...all the different fonts and alphas work so perfectly together. This is just so cute!

Healther Me by interstitchal

I love the blocking on this...but I also really love the journaling and I love that she didn't need any photos to make a really visual layout with lots of impact.

And finally, Lil' Stinker by kim21673

Can I just say how much I relate to this title? I have one of these myself. And this layout is just so stinkin' cute! lol!

I hope you found a little inspiration today. And who knows...maybe you will find your own layout featured here next month!

Happy scrapping.

Template Freebie!

2009-10-26T07:51:00.000-07:00

Hey there scrappy friends! It's freebie time on the fabulous Krystal Hartley's blog!

I whipped up a fairly versatile template for you - you can either do a multi photo page, or one photo and fill the rest with papers, and either way will be adorable!

Just click the template preview to download.

Here's a couple examples from the divine CT. :)

by JackieAnn:

by Jill:

by Leigh:

by Ferdy:

Enjoy!

Angie

Product Highlight +Template Freebie

2009-10-23T15:35:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! It's Giseli here today and I want to talk to you about Pink October. Can you guess what is this about?
October is the month dedicated to honor the fight of Breast Cancer.
So, Krystal, Heather Roselli and MandaBean teamed up to bring us this gorgeous kit to celebrate we, women who are not afraid of fight this horrible thing (All the ladies who truly feel me / Throw your hands up at me LMAO) and the girly girls in our lives:

So, let's talk about it.
The best way to fight Breast Cancer is to have the Breast self-exam being part of a monthly health care routine. The end. No, really, breast self-exam helps to detect the disease in its early stages. I know there are no perfect solutions, but you can do this simple and easy thing to help to reduce your risk.
Try to get in the habit by doing it once a month to familiarize yourself with how your breasts normally look and feel to you. If you detect ANYthing wrong, you must call your doctor immediately. But don’t panic if you think you feel something wrong. Most women have some lumpy areas in their breasts all the time (I know I have many of them).
Examine yourself several days after your period ends. If you are no longer having periods, pick a day that's easy to you to remember to do it.
Not every cancer can be found this way, but it is a critical step you can and should take for yourself.
If you want to increase your odds of early detection you can do an yearly mammogram. Where I live mammograms are a routine to women who appear to be healthy and are not suspected of having breast cancer. The point is to find breast cancer early, before any symptoms can develop.
Don't be afraid to touch yourself. It could save your life! The doctor can be the "knows it all" about breast cancer and other diseases, ok, but no one knows YOU better than yourSELF. You're the specialist in yourself! Don't waste this gift.
I personally don't have any cases of BC on my family, so I don't have anything close and personal to share. But if you have, please share with us in the comments. We'd love to hear from you!
And last, but not least a Free template to you. To celebrate the strong woman that I know you are!

<< CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD IT >>

xoxo

Seasonal Inspiration

2009-10-21T19:12:00.000-07:00

This is Beth bringing you more goodness from Krystal's gallery of team members. Fall was touch and go here in California for a little bit but it's finally settling in nicely. And with that, we have lots of pumpkin spice candles burning, pumpkin carving, casseroles baking and homemade soups simmering......mmmm....the list goes on......

So here's a few layouts of inspiration from our homes to yours (images clickable):

I decided that the "Bless-ful" kit was a perfect for a fall-themed blog makeover.

Hope you are enjoying this time of year as much as we are. Happy Scrapping! :-)

Cheers!

2009-10-20T07:25:00.000-07:00

Well here's an altered project that might be just right for that next party. I used a 4 pack of Jones Soda(you can also use any other 4 pack bottles you find) and after drinking the soda I cleaned and used for the base of my project. I covered the cardboard box with a base cardstock that matches my design or I have also in previous projects used paints to alter the background box. I created my design for the front/back and sides with two of Krystal Hartleys kits Shabby She and Platinum Dreams.

I then made a label for each bottle.

You can get much more fancy on the bottles with ribbons/paper flowers/etc. For my design I wanted it to be more plain and graphic. I used photo paper for printing as the colors are much more vivid and sharp. I also added some large paper flowers with large brads to the sides of the box and small paper flowers with brad centers to each bottle lid. I put honeyroasted peanuts and mints into the bottles and they can be placed around on tables for snacking or used as a take home gift.

Cheers Everyone!

Happy Monday 10/19

2009-10-19T16:21:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody! Leah {Paperboutique} here to bring you this nice 12x12 quick page that I designed using Krystal's Sweet September. I love this kit - the colors and the cute little elements are perfect for fall and throughout the rest of the year!

{Image is clickable}

Enjoy!!

Scrap Happiness in the galleries

2009-10-15T07:26:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone

It's Karen bringing you a little inspiration straight from the galleries. I love to browse through all of the beautiful layouts and find pages that use Krystal's products in new ways. Check out some of the gorgeous art I found recently...

I love the beautiful clusters and layers to capture such a special day.

Layout by Coila

This page just makes me want to run out and pick pumpkins!

Layout by Kjersti_W

This is such a cute story about her daughter captured...

Layout by Dalis

Enjoy your day!

Sunday Scraplift Challenge WINNER!

2009-10-12T13:50:00.001-07:00

Congrats to Heather (interstitchal), the winner of our Sunday Scraplift Challenge!

Please check your PMs at Sweet Shoppe Designs for your gift certificate!

Winner of Scraplift Challenge

2009-10-11T17:48:00.001-07:00

Sorry, I'm late with this. The winner is.....

Mandy(chastml)!!! Congrats!!
Check your e-mail for your coupon
Thanks to everyone who played along.

Hybrid challenge winner!!

2009-10-10T08:42:00.000-07:00

Happy Saturday, everyone!

I'm back to announce the winner of our hybrid challenge!

Thank you to the ladies who took the time to compete in the challenge! Awesome work, girls!

Our winner of the $10 gift card to Krystal's store is Heather with this awesome party cone:

Congratulations, Heather! I'll PM you with the code for your gift card!

Thanks again, everyone!

Happy scrapping!

Got Dreams?

2009-10-06T08:50:00.000-07:00

Then this kit is for you! It's Beth here with a product highlight of Krystal's most recent release; "Platinum Dreams."

This kit is jam packed with soft ribbons, flowers, sweet-colored gems, delicate word phrases and tags, trendy wedding decor items, classic-patterned papers, pretty lace, and more! (Most images clickable.)

Here are some beautiful layouts from fellow creative ensemble members:

Aren't they just gorgeous? Let me forewarn you that working with the kit makes you want to make an entire wedding album from it! (hee, hee)

But don't stop at just using the kit for wedding layouts, it is so versatile for any and everyday themes. (Krystal EXCELS at making kits so versatile like that!)

Here are more fabulous examples of doing just that:

We have fallen in love with this kit and we hope you do, too! Stop by Krystal's store and check it out TODAY! :-) Happy Dreams!

Mystery LO Praise Game - The winner!

2009-10-05T11:20:00.000-07:00

Hey girls,
It's Giseli again. Are you having fun with us? Because I know I am.
Did you see the awesome hybrid tutorials and contests my CT friends posted inside here? Oh, you must see! I want to do them all. And here where I live (Brazil) we don't even celebrate Halloween and we are ready for... Spring time - LOL
Plus you have a chance to win a $10GC to Krystal's Store.

But today I'm here to post the results of the Mystery LO Praise Game.
Girls, I had SO much fun with this game! I want to thank you, girls, for that. I saw you guys inside our CT gallery trying to find that "mystery page". And it was fun!
But... I think I really got skills in 'picking a mystery' - haha. None of you picked the right page we picked before as the SECRET PAGE, which was this one:

But, I still have that $10GC to Krystal's store and as no one picked the right page, I decided to do a random sort between everyone who joined us. "And the Oscar goes to..." LOL

Congratulations Melissa! You're the lucky winner of a $10GC to Krystal's store! I'll e-mail you with your code today! :)

I remember I said something about a prize to everyone. I'll be sending the link to you today! And you will see for yourselves that I was telling the truth to you: it's a great Alpha to be in your digital scrapbook stash.

You still have time to win chance to a $10GC. Play along with us!
Hugs from sunny Brazil,
Giseli

Scavenger Hunt

2009-10-04T20:36:00.000-07:00

Anyone up for a hunt?? Angel here bring you a fun game to finish off Krystal's big weekend. I've put together a little collection (10 to be exact :)) of Krystal's goodies and all you have to do is list out the item and which kit of Krystal's they belong to. You have until Friday, October 9, so e-mail your answers to ajf9597 at hotmail dot com by midnight central. Please include your name and username I will pick a winner on Saturday October 10, for a $10 coupon to Krystal's store :)
HERE is a link to Krystal's store Ready...Set...Go

Inspiration Challenge!

2009-10-04T19:25:00.000-07:00

For Krystal's 2nd Designiversary I have some great inspiration for you! Check out the ad below and make a layout using it for inspiration...post a link here to your layout using Krystal's designs by October 9th and you could win a $10 GC to her store!

Here are some layouts Krystal's team members made!

From Jennifer (Jennilyn)

From Jill (alien21xx)

Both of these kits were made using Krystal's freebie kit (Fresh Baked Fall) which is available until the 9th and Bless-ful that you can get in the shoppe right now!

I'll be doing a random draw for the winner by the end of this week so don't forget to link me up by the 9th!

A Hybrid Freebie for All

2009-10-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

I've created a fun way to make a treat container that can be adapted for any occasion. I have options for those paper and glue scrappers and those who are strickly digi all the way. I sort of made up the template so if you are super picky about everything being all perfect, well just know it won't be perfect LOL (hey we all need a little originality don't we?)
Here's the Template.
The way I did mine was part digi and part glue and scissors style.
You need to print out the template on cardstock and cut it out. I created a design digitally with Krystal's kits. I just eyeballed it to have the pattern in the middle of the box. Then printed them out on cardstock also. I used the template and cut out each box. I folded it on the dotted lines. Before gluing together I used some scrap patterned paper to adhere to the inside of the box. I then inked the edges of the box and THEN glued the sides together. Fold both side flaps up then fold the back in first and then the front will be last. Then you can fill with candies, cakes, or other items. You can embellish with ribbon, buttons, gems and such but for this one I left them with just the image I printed out.
I made 4 designs and you can download each one or all if you like.

Thanks fry box printable
I used Krystal's Sweet September kit

Sweet Like Sugar fry box printable
I used Krystal's She's Sweet Like Sugar kit

Super Star fry box printable
I used Krystal's part of the Quarterly Assortment kit

Spooky fry box printable
I also used Krytal's part of the Quarterly Assortment kit

You can print the template out and then run it through your printer so your digi design will print on the opposite side and then cut out. Just know My 4 printables will NOT print out with the template on the back so if you try it, it will not line up properly. I just did it the old fashioned way.

Happy Scrappin!

Sunday Scraplift Challenge

2009-10-03T21:55:00.000-07:00

I've got a fantastic challenge for you today. Pick one of Krystal Hartley's very own layouts and scraplift her! You can check out her gallery at Sweet Shoppe Designs.

I chose this layout to scraplift:

And here's my layout:

CREDITS: Platinum Dreams by Krystal Hartley; Scraplift of "Erin" by Krystal Hartley; Photo Actions by My Four Hens Photography; font is Old Typefaces

Upload your layout to the gallery of your choice, and please come back and link us to your layout in the comments section of this post. You have until Friday, October 9, 2009 at midnight CST to link us up to your scraplift layout. Krystal's team and I will choose one challenge participant to receive a $10 gift card to Krystal's store! Winner will be announced Saturday, October 10th on the Scrap Happiness Inside Blog!

I can't wait to see all your creations! Have fun ~ and don't forget to come back here and provide use with a link to your layout!

Free Mini Kit!

2009-10-03T12:46:00.000-07:00

I hope you are all enjoying the games and prizes. I wanted to jump in with another little gift for you. Here's a little mini kit. Grab it now because the link will expire October 9.

What's Your Favorite? -- A Little Contest

2009-10-03T06:16:00.000-07:00

Hey, everyone!

It's Karen (makabe), here to celebrate another day of Krystal's Designiversary with you!

I thought we'd do an easy little contest today... Want a chance to win a gift certificate to Krystal's store? All you need to do is visit this thread at Sweet Shoppe Designs and tell us which of Krystal's fabulous products is your personal favorite. I'll post a winner by 9 a.m. ET tomorrow (Sunday, 10/4.)

Not that you probably need any help with this one, but I'll show you a few of my faves. I will admit that my current favorite is usually the newest thing she's designed, but I have some go-to goodies that I just can't get enough of...

We hope you're enjoying Krystal's Designiversary! Thanks for playing with us today...

Ready for a hybrid challenge?

2009-10-03T05:54:00.000-07:00

Hey, hey Krystal fans!

Are we having fun yet?? Yeah...I thought so!

I'm Leigh and I'm a hybrid girl for Krystal! Today I have a hybrid challenge for you!

Have you ever wanted to try hybrid but didn't know where to start? Or, maybe you don't like the mess? How about "I don't have the tools for that." Well, here's your chance to give it a whirl.

Thanks to my friend Jill, I found an awesome site with free templates. Yes...FREE! My favorite price! All you do is download the Party Cone template from Mirkwood Designs and print it onto the back of your preferred paper (in this case, a digital paper from one of Krystal's awesome kits)! Or, you can print the template onto heavy paper (like card stock), cut it out and use it to trace the pattern onto your preferred paper.

Here's what I did with this template...

Cute, eh??

First, I chose the kit I wanted to use. With Halloween right around the corner, I decided to use Krystal's part of the Quarterly Assortment at Sweet Shoppe Designs for my project. (Speaking of...what a bargain...all those kits for only $3.99!!)

I downloaded the template and printed it onto my matte photo paper. I then created a document in Photoshop Elements and chose my papers. I could've printed a whole sheet of Krystal's awesome paper, but I didn't want to waste the entire top part of my photo paper (the template only takes up a little over half the page), so I chose to put a few other items at the top of my paper to use as embellishments on my cone. Just make sure you measure the size of the template and that you align the paper on your Photoshop document so that it matches up.

Here's the back of my paper where the template and instructions are printed.

Here's the front of my paper where the patterned paper and ribbon element are printed. I printed the paper and elements straight onto the back of the template.

Now, all I had to do is cut out the template.

At this point, I chose to give mine a scalloped edge at the top of the cone. This is purely by choice. I was dying to try out my new scallop punch and this was the perfect opportunity to do so. You do not have to add this embellishment. The cone would be perfect as-is.

Then I put adhesive down the side strip and swirled the template around to make the cone shape. I put a clothes pin on the strip to hold it together until it was secure. Just to prove that you don't need special tools for this job, I used my daughter's school glue stick to hold the cone together. It took a little longer to dry, but it worked well!

Once it's ready, you can stuff it with your favorite treats and VOILA!! The perfect little gift for someone special!

I know my "someone special" was very, very happy to get her treat!

So, for this challenge, I want you to download the template for the Party Cone. Seriously, it is so easy peasy, you are going to be stunned! The hardest part is wrapping it around and affixing the sides together!

Then, choose the Krystal kit of your choice and decorate your party cone to your little heart's content! Upload your hybrid gorgeousness to the galleries of your choice and come back here and link us up in the comments section. You have until Friday, October 9th at midnight to link us up to your hybrid creation.

Krystal's team and I will choose one lucky lady to receive a $10 gift card to Krystal's store! We will be looking for creativity and overall gorgeousness! Winner will be announced Saturday, October 10th right here on the blog!

So, are you ready??

Get set...

GO!

Have fun and don't forget to link us up!

Mystery LO - it's over! But the party goes on and on...

2009-10-02T20:09:00.000-07:00

1, 2, 3... That's all folks!
HUGE thanks, guys, for playing this game with us. Did you have a good time? B/c I know I did! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
I'll be sending you your awesome treat and will see who's the lucky winner of a $10GC to get some Krystal's goodies. Did someone get this mystery solved? Find the answer at the end of our party - 10/5!
But the party will continue with lots of fun and good stuff to fill your hard drive. Stay tuned!
xxx

Frame Cluster Freebie

2009-10-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hi there! It's Leah (girlygirl) here and in celebration of Krytsal Hartley's Designniversary we have a sweet little treat to share with you!

I created this little frame using Krystal's new Sweet September kit!! Please click the image to download!!

You can pick up this beautiful kit at Krystal's store at Sweet Shoppe Designs.

Don't forget to check back frequently for more goodies and contests during Krystal's Designniversary!!!

Template Freebie :)

2009-10-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

As we all enjoy Krystal's designiversary, I thought I'd drop by with a little template gift for you. :)

Download here and enjoy!! PSD & TIF files included :)

1, 2, 3... It's a Designiversary! And we have a mystery...

2009-10-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, I'm so excited to be here to celebrate Krystal's Designiversary!
Woohooo! Partay time! And we're starting with a mystery. Yes, check it out: we have picked a secret page at Krystal's Designer Inspiration Gallery @ SSD to leave some praise on. All you have to do is go into our CT gallery and spend some time praising on pages in there. Then come back here post a comment with the link for the page/pages you praised on.
If you pick the same SECRET LAYOUT we already picked you will get a chance to win a $10 GC to get some of the awesome goodies @ Krystal's store.
We will randomly sort 1 big winner to be announced here. Great, right? But there's more: this is a celebration and party favors are an element of every celebration. At least to me. And Krystal. So, Krystal is giving to EVERYONE who join us in this celebration an AWESOME participation prize. Is she sweet or what? :)
Ready for a Sneak Peek??

You can call this: "The party favor I don't wanna miss..." :)

This will be released soon @ Krystal's store and you can get it for free just for having some fun with us!
So, the layout has been picked and you have 48 hours (10/3 00:00 GMT-3) to leave some praise on the pages in our gallery and be the lucky winner of a $10GC!
What?? You want a hint? Ummm... I don't know... lemme think about it. Right, gotta be a good girl 'cause Santa is watching me and I don't wanna miss my Xmas gift LOL

The picked LO uses blocking.
C'mom, guys, easy-peasy, uh?

Don't forget that you MUST post the link of your picked LO which you praised on here in the comments to get your chance and your free product!
I'll tell who's the lucky winner here on Monday - 5/10 (good luck to everyone!).
Ok. No more talk. Go!
xxx
Giseli Freitas

***MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE YOUR EMAIL HERE OR SOME OTHER CONTACT SO I CAN SEND YOUR TREAT, K? :)***