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 Friday, August 29, 2008
September/October Recap
8/29/2008 3:02:36 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)  It’s no secret that fall is my favorite season. (I’ve mentioned that fact here in the blog and in the e-newsletter countless times.) So, it’s no surprise that I’m excited about our fall issue. Here’s a look at what’s inside:Pg. 2Looking for a creative prompt? You’ll find 10 in this month’s Journaling Spot. Pg. 8 Get tips for capturing your fall memories at memorymakersmagazine.com/hotoffthepressPg. 10I’m in love with Graphic 45’s typewriter key letters from their Times Nouveau collection. We’ve got three giveaways going on. Check them out, here. Pg. 12You’ll be inspired to celebrate fall and scrapbook your memories after reading the calendar prompts in this issue. Pg. 24Mustard is one of my favorite current color trends, and it’s been showing up quite a bit around our office—from purses, to tops and dresses. Learn how to use bold earth tones (like mustard) on your layouts in Mother Earth Colors. Contributing Editor Kari Hansen provides you with examples, tips and a color chart. Pg. 30I love using circles as design elements. Get three inspiring pagemaps that incorporate circles in this month’s PageMaps column. Pg. 42I can’t wait to scraplift Amy Peterman’s NY Sheep and Wool layout, which appears in this issue’s Techniques section. The color palette is simply delicious (I can see myself using it for an upcoming fall layout), and I love the design, paint and yarn stitching. So cozy and fun! (Did I mention I can’t wait for fall?) Pg. 44This week marked my sister’s first week of college, and my mother’s first week back to school (she’s an elementary school teacher). The Schoolhouse Memories feature by Courtney Walsh is packed with tips for documenting school-year milestones. (And we’re giving away School Days albums by Molly West. Click here for details.) Pg. 49I’ve had weddings on the brain for quite a while. While working on the Going to the Chapel feature, I was inspired and awed by the beauty of the layouts and the photography tips. Plus, I have two very special weddings to attend in September: Art Director Christy Miller is getting married next weekend, and my good friend, and our former Assistant Editor, GinaMarie is getting married a few weeks after Christy. I’ll certainly be referring back to the layouts and photography tips in this feature. I’ll have a lot of wedding memories to document! Pg. 58If you’re an empty nester, be sure to check out Empty Nest, Full Pages. Just because your nest is empty, doesn’t mean your scrapbook has to be! Pg. 64“Each one of us has multiple facets to our lives, but how often do we shout out about our talents, our successes or our beliefs?” writes Kelly Fowler in Live Out Loud. After reading and poring over the layouts in this feature, you’ll be inspired and empowered to capture the true you in your scrapbook layouts. And be sure to take a look at the Reader Idea Gallery (page 70). Readers share pages honoring their own unique qualities or those of loved ones. Pg. 86I adore April Foster’s simple style. Check out her layouts and timesaving tips in Get It Done: 30 Minutes or Less. Pg. 96When I first came across Kal Barteski’s blog, I was incredibly inspired by her can-do attitude and bright, vibrant artwork. I especially liked her use of colored pencils and paint. Kal created this month’s Inspired Living page using the quote: “Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.” I will be tearing this page out of my copy and hanging it right here at work for daily inspiration. —Katie
current issue recap
8/29/2008 3:02:36 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00) 
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Thursday, August 28, 2008
Inspired by Starting Points
8/28/2008 4:22:23 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00) As the editor of Memory Makers’ newest title Starting Points, I had the opportunity to soak up all the great ideas in the book, which teaches you that anything—photos, stories, embellishments, stationery, brochures, and more—can be a starting point for a layout. One important lesson that I learned from Starting Points is that it’s okay to start a layout with product or pattern, rather than photos or journaling (but it’s okay to start with those, too!). The starting point for my layout below was my excitement about fall and the chance to wear all the gorgeous fall textures and prints. With tweed and houndstooth on the brain, as soon as my eye caught this new houndstooth paper from American Crafts’ Moda Bella collection, I snatched it up and knew exactly where my next project would begin. (Ever since I got my first houndstooth skirt in the third grade, I have been a sucker for the pattern.)   My layout + its starting point So, that’s what you’ll get out of Starting Points—fabulous illustrations of how you can use anything as inspiration if you just keep your eyes open to the possibilities.
(Here’s a quick technique tip for you: I discovered that the Daiquiri numbers from the foam Thickers collection make great stand-ins for missing letters. The Y and U in the title are actually a 9 and 0, respectively, and the brackets also came from an extra zero.)
Don’t forget to check out the Q+A with Starting Points author Linda Harrison and visit mycraftivity.com to chat with her this week. What inspired your most recent layout. We'd love to hear! Happy crafting, Kristin
Memory Makers Books
8/28/2008 4:22:23 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Registration Ends Today
8/28/2008 2:46:04 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
8/28/2008 2:46:04 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Wednesday, August 27, 2008
"Back to School" in Style
8/27/2008 1:39:16 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00) Three 99 cent composition books + adhesive + patterned paper + a vintage sewing book page + ribbon + paint + a prepainted wooden item = stylin' back-to-school notebooks ... or, in my case, a journal, a list keeper and a book journal.  Easy, quick, cheap, pretty ... doesn't get any better than that! Best, Beth
creative prompt | gift ideas | mini-albums
8/27/2008 1:39:16 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Monday, August 25, 2008
Q+A with Starting Points Author
8/25/2008 4:42:14 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00) This week we’re celebrating the release of Memory Makers’ newest book, Starting Points. In the book, find out how to create gorgeous layouts from a variety of starting points. To kick off the week, we have a Q+A with author Linda Harrison. Read part of the Q+A below to find out about the inspiration behind the book and what kind of starting points inspire Linda’s own layouts. Then visit mycraftivity.com to read the second half of the interview.   Q: What was your most recent scrapping purchase? A: KI Memories Schools Days collection. With my son just starting kindergarten this year, I couldn’t resist. Q: Starting Points is, among other things, a gallery of starting points and the layouts they inspired. What do you most want readers to get out of this book? A: Most of all, I want the reader to be inspired. I want the book to increase the readers’ awareness of the inspirations around them and to realize that if they are uninspired by one aspect of scrapbooking at any given time, like with the journaling, or the product, that they can turn toward other points of inspiration to get them going again, like the photos or their favorite pillow. Q: You live in Sarasota, Florida with your family. If you weren’t living in Florida, where would you be living? A: For the longest time I swore to myself that I would live in Manhattan at least one year of my life. I still haven’t, but it’s not as much of a desire for me as it once was. Now that I have a family, I find myself craving the countryside of Tennessee more. Q: What one of the most unique things that has been a starting point for a layout?A: Candy wrappers. When my son was little and would wear a shirt with a pocket, my husband loved to stuff a piece of candy in the little pocket for him. Shortly after, I created a layout where I made a pocket out of paper and stuck actual (empty) candy wrappers into it. Q: Speaking of starting points, how did you start scrapbooking? A: I actually started in college when I first realized that I was now responsible for my own memory keeping. Without my parents around all the time, I knew if I didn’t take pictures and record some memories, there wasn’t around else around who would. I later got more into the scrapbooking process when my son was born and have been consistently creating since. Q: What is on your fridge door right now?A: Nothing. Which is a stark contrast to what can be found inside the fridge. ----- Want to know more about Linda? Click here to visit mycraftivity.com to chat with her on the messageboard.
8/25/2008 4:42:14 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Happy Monday + Hybrid Card Inspiration
8/25/2008 10:46:16 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00) Happy Monday, everyone! Today is my younger sister's first day of college. She's planning to study to become an art therapist. I created this hybrid card to wish her luck and let her know I'll be thinking about her this week.  supplies: Itty Bitty Epoxy Alpha (Emily Powers) • Once Upon A Dream album template (Emily Merritt) • Patterned paper (GCD Studios) • Glitter mist (Tattered Angles) • Ink (Ranger) • Misc.: date stamp, staples —Katie
cardmaking | hybrid scrapbooking
8/25/2008 10:46:16 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Friday, August 22, 2008
New Reader Page Call!
8/22/2008 2:48:32 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00) We're looking for birthday celebration layouts for the March/April 2009 issue. Come to the forum for the details about this page call, and then show us your stuff! Peace & love, Patty
8/22/2008 2:48:32 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Memory Makers Books is Back!
8/22/2008 9:49:42 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00) Hello, Memory Makers Books fans! We’re back, and we’ll be bringing you lots of ideas, news, projects and more right here, so check back often. For a double-dose of Memory Makers fun you can still find us over on mycraftivity.com, too—along with free projects and a community of other crafters.  To kick off our return to this blog, I have some exciting news to share: the release of Memory Makers’ newest book, Starting Points. Sometimes, the hardest part of scrapping is getting started, right? In the book, author Linda Harrison teaches you how to open your eyes to all the starting points around you, then illustrates how they can lead to attractive and meaningful layouts. You’ll be inspired to take favorite photos, memorable notes, trendy new product and more and use them to fuel fresh new layouts bursting with personality and style. Stay tuned next week for some Starting Points fun! In the meantime, have a happy scrapping weekend. ~Kristin
layout inspiration
8/22/2008 9:49:42 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Thursday, August 21, 2008
Meet the 2009 Masters!
8/21/2008 9:21:27 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00) Greetings, all! The anticipation this week has built to a crescendo. We had almost 200 people in the forum yesterday, all of whom were waiting for the word that the new Masters had been chosen. A huge THANK YOU goes out to the hundreds of you who entered the contest. We loved seeing so many amazing layouts. The wait is over! Come to the forum and meet the Class of 2009 (and runners-up). The new Masters, and our editorial team, will be visiting all day. Peace and love, Patty
8/21/2008 9:21:27 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Morph Yourself Back in Time!
8/20/2008 9:24:28 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00) Saw this fun Web site mentioned on the HOW Magazine blog. (HOW is a publication for business graphic designers that our company produces; I'm lucky enough to sit right next to the creative team that produces the magazine). I wanted to check out the site myself. YearbookYourself.com lets you upload your photos and morph your face onto yearbook photos spanning five decades. You can easily move from the 1950s through the 1990s and see yourself with the hair and fashion styles of the times while listening to music inspired by that era. Here's me in all my 1978 glory rockin' the fro. As KC and the Sunshine Band would say, "Shake Your Booty!"  Groovy, baby! Check it out yourself for a laugh.
Best,
Beth
8/20/2008 9:24:28 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Tuesday, August 19, 2008
FREE mini-file folder template download and project idea
8/19/2008 12:08:43 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00) A recent trip to Chattanooga, Tennessee, a TON of photos and lots of great memories inspired me to create a mini-file folder album. The best part is I didn't have to buy a thing! I had everything I needed at home and I designed a template for the mini-file folders. Step-by-step Instructions1. Download and cut out template. 2. Trace template on patterned paper or cardstock (I used patterned papers from SEI and solid-colored cardstock). I recommend using thick paper so that your mini-folders hold photos and journaling without being too flimsy.  3. Cut out design and fold where the dotted lines are on the template. 4. Use adhesive to adhere the side flaps and create the folder pocket. I used Tombow Mono Adhesive.  5. Embellish the file folders, leaving room on the edges for binding. 6. Use a hole punch to create holes for binding. I used binder rings so that I can easily add more pages and so the album opens and closes smoothly.    Christy
mini-albums | techniques
8/19/2008 12:08:43 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Monday, August 18, 2008
New Product Love
8/18/2008 2:34:19 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00) Today, we received a box of product samples from American Crafts. My favorite item? The Fla!r button accents. I put together the little collage below to give you a peek at what caught my attention. (Font used: Frutiger—which has become a recent favorite of mine)  What's been catching your eye lately? —Katie
8/18/2008 2:34:19 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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