Cheerleader Mini Album by Gina Smith

Fall is here, and that means the kids are busy with sports & activities! This mini album was created by Whimzee's customer, Gina Smith. Gina used our custom high school papers from Stamping Station and a 7 Gypsies album. (Album size is 6" x 8", page size is 6" x 6".) This album showcases Gina's daughter's youth cheerleading experience. (After reading the article, scroll down to see the inside pages.) This album shows us that you don't have to have a child in high school to use these cool custom papers. You might use them to create an album for your child's youth sports season. And if you do have a high schooler, you could use this idea to create an album celebrating a special event in your child's high school years. Still need some ideas...how about marching band, science fairs, school plays, homecoming, drill team or just freshman year. Twila scraplifted this idea and created a mini album she plans to use to document her son's high school football season at Aloha. We'll share her album soon!

Yes, we all scraplift, even those of us who are seasoned scrappers, in fact seasoned scrappers probably to scraplift more often than beginners. Scraplifting is a term used by scrapbookers to describe borrowing an idea from another scrapbooker. You might recreate an entire page layout from the design to the papers & embellishments used. You might use another person's design and placement of page elements while using different papers & embellishments. You might borrow only the color scheme of the layout, card or project. These are all forms of scraplifting.

For those of you out there who are beginners, don't be afraid to scraplift! In scrapbooking, we consider it the highest form of flattery when someone appreciates one of our creations enough to scraplift it!

Our Newest Arrival - Glue Pads

While checking out some of my favorite blogs this morning, I came across a very cute layout that showcases one of our newest products, the Glue Pad. I've never used the Glue Pad, but I know it can be used with all your stamps & glitter to achieve a cool look on your layouts. One of my favorite blogs, CreativitE, by Erin Bassett, has a recent post showing how you can add a beautiful embellishment to your projects using a Glue Pad & glitter. Check it out HERE!

I can't wait to try it! Thanks to Erin for giving me a great idea to include on my next layout!

Meet Our Friend Ella!

When I think about it, I'm so surprised at all the cool people I've met and websites I've stumbled upon as a result of being on Twitter. My latest discovery is a very cool website that just published its first eZine this month. (In case you didn't know, an eZine, is a magazine found only on the internet.) Scrapbook Ellaments is a brand new monthly scrapbooking eZine published by Ella Publishing. This month's issue has tips for all those Photoshop users out there and a great free journaling quiz download. The journaling quiz, is a 4" x 6" printable box, complete with questions & blanks for you to fill in your answers. The article has lot's of layouts using the journaling quiz in different ways. I've already printed mine & I can't wait to use it! I'll share my layout with you as soon as I get it done!

One of the great features of Ella Publishing is the downloadable eBooks they sell. You can find all sorts of scrapbooking & photography eBooks for less than $6. Just download them to your computer and read them right there or print them out.

I think this website can be a great source of information and inspiration for all of us scrapbookers! Check it out and I'm sure you'll be just as hooked on it as I am!




Of course, I can share all the cool scrapbooking things I find with you even quicker, if you sign up to follow @JulieChats on Twitter!

Graphic 45 Helps Us Release Our Inner Domestic Goddess

You may not be the perfect housekeeper, chef or seamstress, but that shouldn't stop you from picking up the retro papers from Graphic 45's new Domestic Goddess collection. The 10 new double-sided printed papers and die cut tag sheet showcase a lot of June Cleaver types going about their duties. The 1950's are alive again on these wonderful, colorful papers.

Use them to make some humorous cards for your girlfriends, joking about who's got the best cooking...or take out skills. Use them in your heritage album...make a page with those photos of mom or grandma cooking or sewing. Or use them like I plan to...make something for mom to use in her sewing room. I'm thinking of using them to cover one of those multi-drawer wooden boxes from IKEA. (I'm sure you've got one in your craft room right now.) Don't hold me to it, but if I can get it done before Christmas, I promise to share it with you. I think it would make an awesome gift for not much money!

Photography - A BIG Part of Scrapbooking

Recently I completed the digital photography class at the store. Although the class is focused mostly on SLR cameras (the big ones with interchangeable lenses), I learned tons of cool things about my little point & shoot. So if you're looking for some hands on instruction for your camera, call to sign up for our next class. The next session begins Saturday, October 3rd. The session includes 4 two-hour classes and a small album to keep your assignments in. All this in a class taught by our favorite photography diva, Marlene Fuller, who represents Canon, for only $20. Call the store, (503) 259-9130, to reserve your spot. Class sizes are limited, so call soon!

If you're a scrapbooker who reads our blog, but isn't in the Portland area, or just can't make it to our next class, we've got something for you too. I've been cruising around the internet looking for photography tips for scrapbookers. And I've found some great posts & sites where I think everyone can find some useful information.

So check out this list & get more from your photography right now!

KT the Scrapbook Lady's 5 Part Photography Series
Click at the top or bottom for the next post in the series. KT shares photos & tips using each of her cameras.

Tracey Clark's Tips on Photographing Birthdays from Ali Edwards's blog

Kodak's Tips for Scrapbook Photography

Tons of photography ideas from Jill @ A Matter of Memories

How to Take Better Photos from scrapbookscrapbook.com

Photography Tips from wescrap.com

Check out these sites & let us know if you have any favorite photography ideas & tips. We'd love to hear from you, feel free to share other scrapbooking photography sites you've found with the group!

If these tips or our great layout ideas have inspired you, call to sign up for tonight's crop, (503) 259-9130, I'll be working & can't wait to see what you're working on!

See you in the store!

Summer Inspiration Part 2

Here I am again, up WAY too late cruising the internet getting all inspired to create some new scrapbook layouts! I can't be the only one to cash in on all these great ideas, just waiting to be "scrap-lifted"! Check out some of these cool online idea galleries & blogs...

Creativity Inc.'s Idea Gallery Check out the beautiful layouts featuring Autumn Leaves Acrylic Stamps

Today's Creative Blog Sharing all things creative...

Bo Bunny's Latest Post, an 8 x 8 Birthday Book

Paper Source's Blog Featuring all manner of papercrafting ideas.

Craft Critique's Blog Check it out for the latest on everything in the crafting world, they've got cool photos & videos from the latest CHA convention.

I've found most of these blogs & galleries through twitter & my blog. I can't believe the huge amount of inspiration that's out there when I go looking! I share as much as I can on twitter, so if that's your thing, sign up to follow me @JulieChats. I'm trying to tweet more about what's going on at Whimzee's too. And don't forget to check out my blog JulieChats to find a new layout every week in my Layout of the Week column.

That's all the "Creative-ness" I've got to share right now! See you here next week! New Whimzee's Scrapbook Studio newsletter out next Tuesday, look for it in your inbox or use the brown button on the left to subscribe!

SMOOCH Inks "How to Video"

Check out this video for a demonstration using SMOOCH inks to create a card. Fast forward the video, to about the 6 minute mark, to see a beautiful scrapbook layout & 2 finished cards. We've got lot's of colors of SMOOCH inks & glitters in stock, in the store now!

Coming soon from Pink Paislee

Twila sent me a link to view all the cool new CHA releases for Pink Paislee. Let us know which ones are your favorites! While I was there, I checked out their blog. They have tons of cool ideas, one for making your jelly, jam, pickle jars look really cute before you give them as gifts. Click HERE to see it.

We hope you're enjoying all our tips, ideas & inspirational info. this summer! Let us know which scrapbook suppliers' products are your favorites. Also tell us which products you'd like to see us carry. We want to use this blog as a way to communicate with our customers in a personal way that allows us to see what it is you'd like to see or do at Whimzee's Scrapbook Studio!

Use the Question/Answer column on the right side of the blog to ask questions & share your answers to others' questions. We know not all of us have the answers to every question, but that some of us have the answers to some questions! So use the Whimzee's Girls Online community as a sounding board for all your scrapbooking & crafting ideas! Thanks for your help!