3D Foam and a Sanding Block

Happy St. Patricks Day

2012-03-17T10:08:00.000-07:00

It is all about the green at our house today and my kids are excited......they get excited for any and every 'holiday'......so of course got into this one too !!

Alex loved this 'facial hair' kit and had to have it. To be honest, I really didn't think he'd wear it....he surprised me and seriously how cute does he look :))

Emma has her sweet shamrock headband and green shirt too.....

....and I thought I'd share a 'green' layout. It's an older one but one of my favorites....

I hope that you have a wonderfully green and very lucky day today !!

Talk soon.

j. xo

great day and a couple of projects....

2012-03-13T23:52:00.002-07:00

I got to spend a wonderful day with a special friend today.......Thanks for lunch and all the goodies Darcy :))

I was able to get my hands on some fantastic new product from American Crafts, Crate Paper, Studio Calico and Pebbles too....

I couldn't wait to sit down tonight and create this layout.....

LOVE these woodgrain Thickers :)))

......and this card.....

.....FABULOUS embellishments and mini alpha stickers too !!!

Back at it again tomorrow :))

Talk soon.

j. xo

"Happy Spring"

2012-03-12T16:53:00.002-07:00

This project was featured on the
Bella Blog
today !!

It is a family joke that the green thumb skipped a generation from my Mom to my daughter. So when I created this project, we laughed that these are just about the prettiest flowers I've ever 'grown' :))

I found this great set of wooden flower boxes at a local craft store. I traced the sides onto the backs of the paper and then sanded the edges of each before adhereing. I rolled some of the kids play-doh into balls and pressed it into the bottom of each pot so that the flowers would stand as I wanted them and added crinkle cut box filler on top !!

I've been wanting to do something fun with all the fabulous flowers in Bella's designs for quite some time and this was the perfect project !! I went through ALL the Bella lines and used my fave's and then dressed them up with buttons, florettes made from more patterned papers, twine and stickers too.

Check back tomorrow for a peek at a new workshop I'm teaching HERE in April !!!

Talk soon.

j. xo

Supplies Used:

Spring Flings and Easter Things: Cute Cuts, Borders, Miniatures, Alpha & Bits, Just Write Journaling Stickers, Mom's Bouquet; Sophisticates: Ciao Chip Simply Simona Saltwater, Quattrofina Peep & Saffron; Tail Waggers & Cat Naps: Just Write Journaling Stickers; Winter Wonder: Just Write Journaling Stickers; Too Cute Too Spook: Itsy Bitsy Spider; Socialite: Cute Cuts; Plastino: Label Additions, Forget Me Knots; Hello Beautiful: Cute Cuts, Alpha & Bits, Thanks a Bunch; All Inclusive: Bookin' at the Beach; Man of the House: Distinguished

LOTS of projects....

2012-03-11T09:38:00.001-07:00

Hey there.......Super sorry for a week of no talking !!! As always, LOTS on the go......I've been working on so many fun projects and I've got a few to share with you.

I was so excited to have been asked to design for The Memory Workshop this month !! Sandra has the BEST kit club around and I was thrilled to have the chance to make so many projects with this SUPER generous bag full of goodies.....

This month's main product was Bella Blvd. so I was completely at home in this pile full of pretty paper.

The challenge is to create (2) double layouts and (3) additional projects using ONLY items in the kit......

So, I created my (2) doubles........

(3) singles......

and then......

.......with all that was leftover I made (1) more single and (6) cards too !!!

So much fun......thanks Sandra !!!

Click HERE to find out how you can enjoy all that The Memory Workshop has to offer !!

Check back tomorrow to see some of the other fun projects I've had on the go :))

Have a wonderful Sunday.....

Talk soon.

j. xo

Registration OPENS tonight !!!

2012-03-05T10:25:00.000-08:00

Get ready to REGISTER TONIGHT for the BC Crop & Create

event being held in Burnaby June 2nd & 3rd....

This is a message from the publisher of Scrapbook & Cards Today....Catherine says:

Today we are excited around the SCT office as Crop & Create Burnaby, BC registration opens tonight! We are so very excited to be coming to the BC market with our very successful Crop & Create event! Lined up to teach are Becky Fleck, Vicky Boutin, Kimber McGray, Kelly Goree, Jennifer Edwardson and Caroline Lau from Maya Road!

This is sure to be a fantastic event with incredible workshops so head on over to their website and REGISTER TONIGHT ..... You and your friends are sure to enjoy a fun filled scrapbookin' weekend !!!

Find all the DETAILS HERE....

See you there.....

Talk soon.

j. xo

So much FUN - thank you

2012-03-04T18:04:00.001-08:00

Thank you Thank you Thank you to all the fabulous ladies that spent the day with me yesterday to help raise funds for the BALLENAS 2012 GRAD CLASS !!

We scrapbooked ALL DAY LONG and in the end more than 880 layouts went home last night....now that's a whole lotta scrapbookin'....

All the parents made INCREDIBLE food and took great care of us...the goodie bags were such a treat too :))

Here are a couple more layouts from the day.....

....this one was adapted from a "Becky Fleck" sketch....

.....and YES I know I spelled 'fourty' incorrectly BUT....I kind of like it that way :))

For those of you that joined me in Coquitlam and in Parksville, you can find the ENTIRE workshop labeled in "My Layouts".....

You'll see each one shown "Feb. 25 & Mar 3 Kit #" so you can pull them up full screen if you want to add embellishments ect.....

More workshops coming up soon AND some samples that I designed for a very special KIT CLUB !!

Talk soon.
j. xo

Excited for Saturday....

2012-03-02T23:01:00.000-08:00

Can't wait to spend my day with (45) excited scrapbookers raising funds

for the 2012 Graduating class from Ballenas Secondary School !!

We're spending 12 hours together and going to complete (20) layouts each....

Here's a peek at a couple !!

Check back Monday to see more of what we'll have worked on :))

Have a fabulous weekend....

Talk soon.

j. xo

Crop & Create is coming to BC

2012-03-01T14:15:00.003-08:00

If you haven't already heard the news.....

Scrapbook & Cards Today super popular

CROP & CREATE is coming to Burnaby

JUNE 2nd - 3rd
and registration OPENS March 5th

You'll enjoy a weekend of crop time and fabulous workshops with top industry instructors such as Vicki Boutin, Kelly Goree, Becky Fleck, Kimber McGray and more !!!

Make sure to head over and read all about Scrapbook & Cards Today (if you haven't already :)) and then 'like' them on FaceBook and then check out their BLOG and then get ready to REGISTER for this amazing event on March 5th.....find all the details HERE.

......then once you've done all that, we'll see you in class !!!

Talk soon.

j. xo

Baby Canvas Wall Art

2012-02-28T09:14:00.001-08:00

This project is featured over on the Bella Blvd. Blog today !!

I had so much fun making this sweet baby gift using one of my favorite collections, Lovey Dovey. This started out as a Valentine's project and quickly turned into wall art for a baby's room! I decided to 'scrapbook' these canvases like I would a layout, only without photos. I started by cutting a few background pieces, sanded the edges and adhered them to the 5 x 7" canvas bases.

Then I precision cut all the Cute Cuts and added some of them to the front of the canvases, raising up a few of them using 3D foam.

I used Ciao Chip alphas for the title with a few sticker words and a Blooms a Bella flower on the elephant. I'm so happy with how they turned out!

Supplies:
Lovey Dovey: Cute Cuts, Love is in the Air, Circle of Love, Sweetheart, Bear Hugs; Simply Simona Chipboard Alphas: Peep, Saltwater; Baby Blooms a Bella: Rossini; Spring Flings and Easter Things: Miniatures

Check out the other FABULOUS projects featured by more of the super talented Bella Blvd. DT.....

Check back tomorrow for some more layouts and later this week for sneak peeks of new workshops !!!

Talk soon.

j. xo

a HUGE thank you.....

2012-02-27T09:51:00.003-08:00

I wanted to say a HUGE thank you to all the girls that spent their day with me on Saturday at

Cherish The Thought in Coquitlam.......
and a special thanks to Jessie, I LOVE teaching at your shop :))

I had so much fun and so many laughs......It was SOOOO great to see so many returning faces and so many new ones too :))

It was wonderful to see you all so happy with all your layouts.....

.More than 500 layouts went out the door Saturday night - AWESOME !!

Here are a few of the (20) layouts that were taught during this workshop......

If you want to get in on the fun I am teaching it again HERE on March 24th and HERE on May 5th !!

See you in class....

Talk soon.

j. xo

Great Workshop

2012-02-23T13:23:00.001-08:00

Thanks so much to Lydia Jackson for coming
to Scrapbookin' Adventures last night.....

The girls had a blast....a TON of laughs and left with these fabulous layouts !!!

She used Jillibean Soup "Hearty Barley"......

NEW Tim Holtz Kraft Core cardstock......

......and everyone LOVED how they came together !!!

Check out more of Lydia's work HERE and then come on back to me tomorrow for some FULL LAYOUT SHOTS of what I'll be teaching HERE this weekend !!

Talk soon.

j. xo

.....more sneak peeks

2012-02-20T08:20:00.000-08:00

....as promised here are a few more peeks at some of the (20) Layouts I'll be teaching HERE and HERE over the next couple of months !!

.......some fun with the new "Crate Paper" Paper Heart Collection.....Buy it HERE now !!

I am LOVING the NEW "Dear Lizzy" Neopolitan by American Crafts......

Couldn't seem to put it down this past weekend :))

.......yep, a little more "Neopolitan".....you can BUY IT HERE too !!

......AND a bit more "Paper Heart" Collection......

As you can see....

LOTS of fun with patterned paper

and EMBELLISHMENTS !!!

There are a few spots left in each workshop so check out the details and get registered.....I'd love to share my day with you :))

Talk soon.

j. xo

she cooked a chicken dinner......

2012-02-20T00:12:00.000-08:00

I've got some more sneak peeks pics to share with you Monday am....but today I wanted to show you what my girl made !!

Emma, has been learning to bake over the past few months. At 11 years old she is VERY interested in cooking (must have skipped a generation :))

So tonight I had planned to do a roast chicken for dinner and she asked if she could do it, so together we got to work.....

I was so impressed as she's been so sick this week (you can see it in her poor eyes)

and she still stuck it out with me in the kitchen and made the most wonderful dinner for us !!

She learned how to use the thermometer......

....and faced her fear of a really hot oven (do you love the Christmas oven mitts :)))

Then she learned how to make gravy.....even though she doesn't eat it :))

She started to cut.....and quickly asked for help !!!

.....and look at what she ended up with !!!

AND.....her brother even ate it and told her it was yummy :))

It was a really fun afternoon in the kitchen with my girl......

Make sure to come on back tomorrow and check out the layout peeks for a great upcoming

(20) Layout UYOP Workshop being taught HERE and HERE.....

There are still a few seats available in both so check them out, get registered and I will see you in class......

Talk soon.

j. xo

New Class Sneak Peeks

2012-02-17T22:30:00.002-08:00

Just finished this (4) Layout Workshop using
"Spring Flings and Easter Things"
by Bella Blvd.

Here are a few sneak peeks.....

I'll share the other (2) layouts when registration opens.....

I'll be teaching this for the first time at Photo Express in Maple Ridge in April !!

They'll be opening registration March 1st so make sure to head on over there and get your seat in class....

Talk soon.

j. xo

(30) Minute Layout

2012-02-15T16:47:00.004-08:00

Hey Ladies.....I thought I'd share a (30) Minute Layout with you today.

A fun "Quick, Cute and Easy" layout that you can whip up with some favorite photos.....and I'm including INSTRUCTIONS too !!!

I had fun using the brand NEW American Crafts "Gardenia" that was just released. It is beautiful for all your garden photos of course but in this layout I am showing you how you can use the patterns for almost anything !!

....for the embellishments I used a few pieces from AC Dear Lizzy 'Neopolitan', a journal circle from Jillibean Soup, a couple of tags from AC 'peachy keen'....these tags did NOT corrdinate so I flipped them over, stamped some journaling lines and started writing :))

I added a few buttons, some twine and a 'love you' sticker from Bella Blvd to complete.

If you'd like to create this layout you can buy the product HERE now......or you can use the below instructions to create the same design using your stash from home !!!

"Tubby" (30) Minute Layout

12 x 12 patterned paper base; Sand edges
7 x 9" 'greenery atrium' (green swirly pattern); Round right 2 corners, sand edges and adhere
2 x 12" 'ivy terrace' (brown squiggles); Precision cut or border punch inside edge
adhere this piece 1/2" in from left to cover edge of green pp
3 x 7" BACK of 'greenery atrium'; Round right corners and adhere in bottom right corner as shown, slightly overlapping green pp
photos are : 4 x 6" (bottom) 3 1/4 x 5 1/2" (right) 3 1/2 x 4" left top
adhere all photos flat, overlapping each slightly as shown
add title and embellishments as desired

Have a great night....Talk soon.

j. xo

Bella Buzz......

2012-02-15T08:28:00.001-08:00

Check it out....HERE

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T11:27:00.002-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day

It's been a wonderful day at our house so far :))

I spent yesterday making all these treats for the kids and some for Alexander's Grade 1 classroom too.....

Brownies covered in homemade Butter Creme Icing and topped with a chocolate.....

Chocolate heart shaped cookies with pink icing, sprinkles and a jelly in the center.....

.....and vanilla cupcakes with (2) colors of better creme icing, sprinkles and a chocolate on top too !!

This morning I made Emma & Alex heart shaped pancakes.....they loved them !!

I gave Alex the choice of all the different store bought Valentine's.....but nope, he wanted me to make him "Indiana Jones" cards for his class :))

He's a HUGE Indiana Jones fan and even drew an Indiana Jones picture that he asked me to send to Harrison Ford for Valentine's Day.......Just have to find his address :))

I was a little concerned that this wasn't going to turn out well but together he and I found exactly what we wanted.....a little cardstock, some stamps and a lot of glue and this is what went to school.....

........and this was on the back :)) He was thrilled......

From our family to yours....Have a very happy Valentine's Day.....

Talk soon.

j. xo

"LOVE" Letters

2012-02-13T08:41:00.005-08:00

Only ONE more day until VALENTINE'S DAY.....LOVE it !!!

I've got lots to share with you this week......
So let's get started with today :))

I love love love these wooden letters….
They've been sitting on my shelf begging me to cover them.
I originally bought them to cover like
Stephanie did with wool
for Thanksgiving.
I bought a huge bag of wool and then it never happened…….I was thankful that I waited because they were PERFECT for this project !!!

I chose the word love and it sits in my office because I LOVE to be there scrapbooking and I LOVE that my family supports my addiction to pretty paper and I LOVE them too :))

I traced around the letters, sanded the edges and adhered with quick dry liquid glue then 'scrapbooked' the 'o' with bits from my favorite Bella embellishments :))

Now this word can still sit in my office....but looks much prettier I think !!

Supplies: Sophisticates Sprinkles & Lace McIntosh and Oreo, Ciao Chip and 'Cute Cuts'

Make sure to pop over to the Bella Blog and check out all the fun projects the DT has been working on.....

Thanks for stopping by....come again soon and check out more projects and sneak peeks at upcoming workshops too !!

Talk soon.

j. xo

Happy Sunday !!

2012-02-12T23:48:00.004-08:00

Well I'll be darned if another week hasn't passed and I've been away from this blog for too many days !!

It has not been because I haven't been thinking about it or not creating anything, but our house has been sick AGAIN.....It's the craziest thing as we are NOT that family....I guess it's our turn, but I truly hope we're over it finally !!!

On to other things......Being at home, I've been making projects every day.....Some you'll have to wait to see but others I am starting to share here NOW !!!

If you're anything like me your fridge is a disaster..…a beautiful disaster of kids' artwork and school notices and shopping lists, but a disaster nonetheless.....

Clothespins are everywhere these days and I've wanted to make a set for quite some time……
I had fun using Bella Blvd. Sophisticates for this project.....

I used Sophisticates to cover the front of the pins and then added pieces from
the 'Calendars' page and embellished with 'Miniatures' stickers too !!

I made some for notes, some for pictures, a few for cards and some for 'just because'……..

Once I had them just how I wanted I added a strip of magnet to the back

and then cleaned off my fridge :))

.....here are a few close-ups.....

Supplies: Sophisticates Calendars, Sprinkles & Lace Peep, McIntosh, Pickle Juice and Ice, Miniatures Stickers and Quattrofina 'Peep & Saffron' Cardstock Stickers.
Misc: Clothespins, adhesive backed magnet strips

Cards Shown: Spring Flings and Easter Things and American Crafts Cardstock.

Check back tomorrow for another fun project full of "LOVE"........

Talk soon.

j. xo

"Scrapbook Your Cards" Workshop

2012-02-05T19:18:00.002-08:00

At this very moment I am sure that many of you are watching the Super Bowl !! It is on in my house and I was only able to get Scott away long enough to eat the roast chicken I made....I think it was the homemade gravy that got him :))

I was going to post these a couple of days ago but I am truly still fighting this whole bronchitis thing......almost there tho (thank goodness :))

Here are a few of the (10) card samples from my

(10) "Scrapbook Your Cards" Workshop I taught in Shawnigan Lake yesterday.......

The ladies loved them and I loved spending my time with them too !!!

This one was the favorite....I created blue and grey flags using
Bella Blvd. Sophisticates and added (4) stickers from the Miniatures and strung them on a piece of twine wrapped from the inside of the card and tied in a bow......finished it off with a border punch along the bottom of the base !!

This is the perfect card for your leftover bits from layouts !! I coordinated (3) different Sophisticates patterns, sanded the edges and added some precision cut flowers from my favorite pattern of "Garden Cafe" by American Crafts. I wrapped twine around the face of the card and added 'congrats' stickers from the Miniatures sticker sheet.

I love this card....I originally created it as part of Stephanie's birthday card blog hop and decided to add it to this workshop and am happy that I did as it was a hit. The rolled paper wrapped with twine looks like birthday candles and with the 'happy birthday' sticker it was perfect !!

This was a fun technique that I've used on layouts and it really turned out well on this wedding card. I used a piece of Sophisticates and created an accordian fold, wrapped ribbon tied in a bow, precision cut a coordinating grey flower and leaves and added an adorable 'mr & mrs' sticker from the Miniatures sticker sheet !!

You can check out all the new Bella Blvd. releases HERE.....and then purchase them HERE in March.

If you want to create these and the other (6) from the workshop, it is being taught HERE in April and registration opens ONLINE Feb. 15th.

You can also purchase a KIT ONLY and create them at home with an included color instruction sheet if you don't love close enough to join me in class !!

Hope you had a wonderful Sunday :))

Talk soon.

j. xo

......super sick and some SAMPLES !!!

2012-02-02T10:31:00.004-08:00

WOW......I have to apologize for not being on here in so many days. I promised samples and sneak peeks and more sneak peeks over this past weekend......and then I got SICK !!!

Now those that know me well know that i almost NEVER get sick....and if I do it is a short little cold but I keep moving like the energizer bunny.....NOT this time :((

This one literally had me in bed for 4 days......I think the antibiotics are kicking in this am tho so I am on my way......which is good 'cause i am TEACHING HERE this weekend and nothing is going to stop me from spending the day with these ladies......so get ready girls, we're gonna have some fun !!!!

......as I said, these past few weeks have been a whirlwind of paper in my office and there is LOTS of share. Today will be peeks until the class is taught and then I'll post the full shots for you to scraplift for your own albums.....I hope you enjoy :)))

This is a peek at Layout #1 from the (20) Layout Workshop I am teaching HERE and HERE over the next few weeks.....A few seats left in THIS ONE if you want to join us !!!

This is Layout #10.....super cute holiday themed using a favorite Echo Park collection.....

Layout #16 is featuring one of my favorite photos that I've been waiting to scrapbook and this

Studio Calico was prefect along with a few October Afternoon chipboard bits.....

I loved the picture of Alexander that I used on Layout #2 and had fun with a bit more Echo Park paper and embellishments.....

I have a fantastic (10) Card Workshop featuring Bella Blvd. Sophisticates that I will post tomorrow for you.....I am teaching it HERE this weekend and HERE in April so if you want to join....Register now !!

Thanks for checking back and now that I'm truly on the mend I've got lots to share with you to help get you scrapbooking too :))

Talk soon.

j. xo

.....a little bit

2012-01-28T21:12:00.003-08:00

Just a few pics of a few of the things I've been working on over the past week.....

I've been looking forever for the perfect frame to show little projects and I finally

found one that I love....

Since the month of love is around the corner I made all these cute little cards, tags and bags....

Super happy with how it came together :))

.....and this is a peek at just one of (20) layouts that I am going to be teaching HERE on February 25th and HERE on March 3rd......

If you're interested in attending this super fun workshop.....Check out the links on how to register !!

I'll be back tomorrow with some pics of more fun layouts I'll be teaching soon :))

Talk soon.

j. xo

Last but NOT least....

2012-01-27T01:11:00.001-08:00

....COLLECTION PACKS....

....Seriously exciting....

You've been asking and they've been listening.....You'll enjoy having the all pieces of these collections ready for you....and you'll save too !!

Head over to the Bella Blog to COMMENT TO WIN your own collection before it hits stores :))

SO you know how I've been telling you all week that I have peeks of projects for you and to come on back and then I don't have them posted ??!! .....well I'm sorry but i PROMISE that you are going to have fun new pics to look at this weekend :))

Come on back.....talk soon.

j. xo

Only (2) days left......

2012-01-26T05:00:00.012-08:00

Well ladies.....we're almost there.....this is the 2nd to last day of the incredible new product reveals from Bella Blvd.

Today we're sharing.....

AND.....Yep, FLAGS FLAGS and more FLAGS !!!

How cool is that ?!

Head over to the Bella Blog and COMMENT TO WIN some of your own.

Super exciting.......I 'll be back in a bit to show you some of what has kept me in my office for 3 days straight :)) So make sure to stop by later today....

Talk soon.

j. xo

High 5......

2012-01-25T05:13:00.001-08:00

Introducing.......NEW High 5 Alphabet Stickers from Sophisticates by Stephanie !!!!

If you were a fan of the Quattrofina alphas....you will LOVE these. The fonts and sizes are FABULOUS and will have you reaching for them over and over.....

Check out the Bella Blog today for your chance to WIN THESE......

Sorry I don't have a project for you today......seriously SWAMPED with layouts at the moment but Ill have some peeks for you SOON and I hope it's worth the wait....I am loving them and hope you will too !!

Talk soon.

j. xo

r u ready for SUNSHINE ??!!

2012-01-24T05:00:00.001-08:00

....."Sunshine & Hapiness' that is.....

You are going to LOVE LOVE LOVE this fantastic summer line from Bella Blvd.

Head over to the Bella Blog and leave your

COMMENT TO WIN.....

.......under a HUGE deadline so I'll be back in a few days with more inspiration for you to sit down and get some layouts into your albums !!!!

Thanks for stopping by.......

Talk soon.

j. xo

....one of my favorites !!

2012-01-23T05:00:00.003-08:00

Here we go....Week #2 of the fabulous NEW Bella Blvd. CHA releases....

When Stephanie added the Sophisticates by Stephanie line to the Bella family.....I fell in love just a little but more.

There are (3) new colors that have been added to the patterned paper collection......I can hardly wait for the NAVY !!!

These chipboard shapes are simply AMAZING......and you'll be able to find ALL of this

HERE

in early March.....exciting !!!

Head over to the Bella Blog and enter for your chance to WIN.....

Have a super happy Monday :))

Talk soon.

j. xo

Project Photo Tips.....

2012-01-22T13:27:00.000-08:00

hey ladies.....i've been getting asked how to get a good project pic to add to online challenges and contests so i thought i'd do a little mini tutorial for you.....

DISCLAIMER: just so you know i am NOT the best at this but i've got a few tips that work for me so you MUST practice......what do they say, "practice makes perfect" :))

Here we go:

Natural lighting is always best so if you have a nice space near a window with natural light this is going to give you the best results.

Try to photograph your project 'straight on'. This could mean positioning it on a desk or table like this.......

or on a stand like this.......

or laying it on a piece of poster board and standing over it like this......

....this is the first un-edited shot

.....this is after it was cropped, straightened and had the color sharpened.

Better right.....You can see the detail more clearly and if you're trying to win a contest that's important :))

There are 2 schools of thought on if you should photograph with a colored background......

or on white as shown above.

I think this is your choice......they both can showcase your project very well if they are taken straight on, in good lighting and edited well.

In some cases you will want a close up detailed shot of a portion of your project. This is where you can get low and close and take an angled photo of your project......like this.....

Okay, editing......I know that this is where some of you get nervous. If you take digital photos and use a computer you all have some type of editing software.

PLEASE NOTE: You will most likely always need to do some kind of photo editing to adjust the size (cropping) and enhance the color of your shot.

It could be within your windows program on your PC or iPhoto on your Mac. Or you could have purchased another program such as ACDSee, Photoshop or even as advanced as Corel Paintshop Pro (but if you're able to use that one you don't need me for this :))

Once you load your project photos onto your computer you can play with them a bit in your editing program. This is where you can rotate, straighten, crop and adjust the color in your image.

This is BEFORE....

and this is AFTER....

Depending on the program you choose to use there are online forums to answer any technical questions you may have.

Most editing programs are simple enough to figure out the basics to be able to create fabulous photos for you to add to online galleries or challenges and contests like you'll find HERE.

.....you need to take a ton of pics in different light at different times of the day, from different angles and then do the same within your editing program.......and then you will find what works best for you......

Don't be afraid to check out blogs (like the rest of the Bella girls to the right of this post) and see how others photograph theirs.

Once constant you will find over and over and over

...TAKE THE PICTURE STRAIGHT ON...

not on an angle

(unless it's a close up of course)

I hope this helps and I really look forward to seeing more of your work HERE for Bianca's bi-weekly challenges.

Happy Sunday......

Talk soon.

j. xo

Did someone say....STAMPS ??!!

2012-01-22T09:03:00.001-08:00

As you know, Bella and Unity have teamed up in the past to create fabulous stamps to coordinate with some of the most popular images from Stephanie's collections.

Well.....they've done it again !!

Here is my FAVORITE Itty Bitty Stamp for Bella Blvd. by

Unity Stamp Company.

Head over to the Bella Blog to see more stamps,

some super cute samples and of course for your

CHANCE TO WIN

your own stamps before they hit the store shelves :))

It's a rainy day here on the west coast so check back later for a promised mini tutorial on photographing your projects for online challenges....

Talk soon.

j. xo

Stephanie's Favorite !!!

2012-01-20T05:00:00.001-08:00

Today we're sharing BRAND NEW Designer Tape.....and we're sooooo excited !!

For those of you that LOVE ribbon you are going to LOVE this and

if you've never tried it before you are going to LOVE it too......

Stephanie has really outdone herself with this fabulous new embellishment !!

Make sure to head over to the

Bella Blog and COMMENT TO WIN

your own set of Designer Tape :))

Check back this weekend for more projects I've been working on and a little photography tutorial too.

Talk soon.

j. xo

Guess Who's Expecting.....??!!

2012-01-19T05:00:00.003-08:00

You got it.....Bella Blvd. is expecting another new collection and you will not be disappointed.

This is for sure a line that EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US can use in our albums !! We all have either had our own babies, adopted or know people that are expecting......This line is PERFECT for all that and more......

......as always with Bella.....each and every patterned paper can be used for other themes and cards and albums and altered projects and and and.......

The possibilities are endless.......If you want to be among the first to enjoy this line head over to the

Bella Blog and COMMENT TO WIN

Talk soon.

j. xo

......puppy love

2012-01-18T20:02:00.002-08:00

I thought I'd share a fun and simple layout with you tonight using the

NEW "With Love" collection by Pebbles.......

This was my now 14month old 100lb German Shepherd when he

was 10 weeks old and 20 lbs !! It was his first snow and he LOVED it.....

but then got cold REALLY quick !!

To create this quick layout:

12 x 12 white cardstock for the base
10 1/2 x 10 1/2" polka dot patterned paper; Adhere centered
2 1/2 x 8 1/2"vertical heart pattered paper; Adhere to the left
4 x 6" vertical photo; Adhere as shown
heart strip is 7 x 1 1/4"; Adhere raised with 3D foam
1/2" x 6 3/4"patterned paper strip just underneath the last piece
2 x 7 1/4 pink patterned strip; Round outer corners and raise using 3D foam
Add title to last pp strip
Embellish as desired

.......and just like that you can add one more layout to your album :))

Have a great night and check back in the am for another release from Bella Blvd.

Talk soon.

j. xo

....it's a GIRL

2012-01-18T05:00:00.002-08:00

.....a GIRL Collection that is !!!

You got it......another FABULOUS collection for your sweet sweet girl......

Don't forget to head over to the Bella Blog to ENTER TO WIN this collection......

Check back later for another layout using NEW product you can find HERE :))

Talk soon.

j. xo

......one new layout

2012-01-17T10:11:00.001-08:00

.....I've been holed up in my office every night working on layouts for upcoming workshops, store samples and some just for me :))

Here is one I created on the weekend using the NEW "With Love"
from Pebbles by American Crafts......

This line is now in stock HERE.

I absolutely LOVE the kraft base on the patterend papers. I precision cut a couple of heards and raised them on top of the heart paper using 3D foam to add some dimension. I even added some "Mr. Huey's" mist to the base too !!

I have the best collection of buttons and thought this was the perfect place to use all these red ones !!!

Dig out your embellishment stash and try using them in ways you hadn't thought of before......Have fun :))

Talk soon.

j. xo

Day 2.....

2012-01-17T05:00:00.006-08:00

Okay ladies......Day 2 reveal is......yep, you got it....

.... BUTTONS BUTTONS and more BUTTONS !!!!

These are going to be FABULOUS additions to our albums and projects !!

Don't forget to head over to the Bella Blog and COMMENT TO WIN your own set of these pretty pretty buttons.......

I'll have a few new layouts for you tomorrow with some instructions too so don't forget to check back here and get some more inspiration !!

Talk soon.

j. xo

it's TIME......

2012-01-16T06:00:00.002-08:00

Here we go everyone.....We've got a full 2 weeks of CHA releases to share with you and we're all SO EXCITED !!!

Day ONE we're sharing the brand new BABY BOY Collection......and it is absolutely ADORABLE !!

You can check out close up plus a CHANCE TO WIN over on the Bella Blog every day for the next 2 weeks so make sure to call your friends and spread the word.....Bella's got the goods so head on over and have a look !!

Check back here every day and see what's coming......you will not want to miss out :))

......and remember.....you'll find ALL of the CHA RELEASES in stock HERE in March !!!

talk soon.

j. xo

snow....FINALLY !!

2012-01-15T17:26:00.002-08:00

I had to share this with you 'cause we're pretty excited around our house today !!

My boy has literally been waiting for snow since November and every single morning he gets up and runs to the window to see if it snowed overnight.

I was working at my desk late last night and turned around to see SNOW out the back door......I couldn't wait to tell Alex so I snuck into his room, woke him up and carried him outside to see the first snow of winter.....for us anyway :))

....and you know what he said to me ?! "Mommy, Santa brought me a late Christmas present."......Yep, totally brought tears to my eyes......

The sky was so bright and with the street lights shining this was what it looked like out my front door at about 12:30am.

Today was spent outside off and on all day.....the dryer got a workout with me getting the snow suits dry enough to go out and get them wet again !!

I was so happy for these 2 kids......they deserved to have their snow......

Make sure to check back tomorrow and every day for the coming 2 weeks as we start sharing all the NEW NEW NEW from Bella Blvd........sooooo exciting !!

j. xo

P.S. If you commented HERE.....the winner is KRISTINE PONTE.....contact me at jenniferedwardson@me.com to get your prize package :))

"Just a Note"

2012-01-12T18:40:00.000-08:00

I have been so excited to share these with you.......I found this fabulous idea on Pinterest and just had to put my own spin on it and this is what I came up with !!!

They are "sticky note" holders and are made from clear acrylic photo stands that you can get at your local stationary or photography store.

I used 5 x 7" vertical stands and chose (2) fabulous bright collections to create this fun project.

For my first note stand I chose Bella Blvd. "Hello Beautiful"....This collection was released a few years back but it is still one of my favorite's.......

First I chose the base pattern, cut it to 5 x 7" and sanded the edges. I embellished it like a mini layout and inserted it into the 'frame'.

Then I added some raised embellishments to the outside and then glued the base of a 3 x 3" sticky notepad to the center !!

The 2nd note card holder was created using American Crafts "Daydreams".....This line is one of my new favorite's and it is now in stock HERE.

The 3D embellishments combined with the bright bold patterns worked perfectly !!!

I think this is the perfect 'hostess gift', 'birthday gift' or just 'thinking of you' gift too.....

I hope these inspire you to create one or two or more of your own !!

Have a wonderful night.

j. xo

......meet "Anita"

2012-01-11T19:00:00.001-08:00

......So i have been wanting a dress form for my home office for quite some time but haven't been able to find the right one.....until today !!!

I loved the stand for this one and knew it would be perfect......

....Do I sew you ask ??!! No.....but.....I want to. To date I only sew on my layouts but that is going to change and when it does I will have a dress form to use .... maybe :))

The funny part ?! .....I had Emma with me and as soon as I had decided on this one she picked her up and said "Come on Anita, let's go home ".

I just about fell over right there in the shop.....I said to her "Anita ?

Where did that come from ?......and she said, "I don't know she just looked like an Anita."

So Anita it is......We came home and Emma got this skirt out for her and this bracelet which is now a necklace and I think she looks perfect :))

Check back tomorrow for my take on a SUPER CUTE idea I found on Pinterest......

j. xo

Journal 2012

2012-01-09T11:30:00.000-08:00

So sorry for not updating for the past few days.....I've been working on so many new projects !!

I'd love to show you, but they're a secret.....for now. You'll see them soon :))

......until then I have my new day planner to share.......

I am one of those people that have an iPhone and love it but find that I just have to have a paper book day planner.

It's weird I know and I've tried to use other more technological means to planning my dates but I end up going straight back to my paper and pencil.

Last year for 2011 I used Bella Blvd. "Sunny Happy Skies" and as you can see from this pic....it was WELL used :)) I stuff papers and sticky notes and lists and letters in my planner until it literally is falling apart.......

For my new book....I loved the bright spring-y colors from my planner last year and thought that "Daydreams" by American Crafts was perfect for 2012 !!

Have fun covering your journal or notepad or calendar or....... ??

Message me what you plan to cover and be

ENTERED TO WIN

a prize pack of "Daydreams" for your own projects !!!

I'll choose a random winner on Saturday Janaury 14th.......

j. xo

5 down 15 to go......

2012-01-04T15:19:00.000-08:00

So I designed a super fun workshop a couple of years back and teach the concept several times each year.......

It is very popular and allows you to create

(20) layouts in only ONE DAY

......yep, that's right (20) 12 x 12 layouts in 10 hours !!!

I am teaching it HERE and HERE and HERE this spring

and would love for you to join us !!

This is one of the layouts we'll be working on in class. For the first class I've got (5) layouts complete.....(15) more on their way :))

All the details can be found HERE. Feel free to email me at jenniferedwardson@me.com if you have any questions or want me to come teach this where you live !!!

Talk soon....

j. xo

Fun Project.....

2012-01-03T08:09:00.000-08:00

You can check out this fun project and more

over on the Bella Blog today !!

I am so excited to share this project with you. Our daughter is home-schooling this year for Grade 6 and I am LOVING having her with me every day. We set up a desk and computer in the kitchen. So when I found this cute little chalkboard easle, I couldn't wait to make it to add to her workspace! I surprised Emma with it one morning with a note telling her to 'have a great day' and she LOVED it too. She keeps her pencils in it and I have fun changing the note to her every few days too!

The easle stands approx. 11" tall and is 7 1/2" wide so it's the perfect size for her desktop. I wanted to use a collection that had lots of primary colors to keep with the school theme so I headed straight to my stash of "Hello Beautiful" and got to work.

To cover the 'tray' I used both sides of my patterned paper making sure to sand the edges

before adhereing, to add a bit of a distressed look.

To frame the outside of the chalkboard I used strips of patterned paper and added a border sticker at the bottom. I absolutely LOVE the name of this collection and thought it was appropriate to 'title' this project to Emma so I added 'hello beautiful' to the top of the chalkboard !!

I precision cut out the calendar pieces, hearts and tree, sanded a few and adhered flat and raised too to add more fun to the edges of the easel.

I hope your kids have a fabulous first day back at school !!

j. xo

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T19:39:00.001-08:00

We had a wonderfully relaxing New Year's Eve and day at our house with the kids and dogs.....

Emma only had one short nap with Samson......

.....both the kids LOVED all the goodies in their bags and Alexander seriously asked every 10 minutes if it was time to open the next one !!

As soon as the ball dropped on "Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve' they were out the front door with all their noisemakers shouting HAPPY NEW YEAR at the top of their little lungs to the whole neighborhood.....

I can remember being a little girl doing the EXACT same thing on the front step of my Granny's house in Port Alberni so for me it was super special to see my kids to the same.....

Happy Happy New Year my friends.....

j. xo

New Year's Eve Treat Bags

2011-12-31T10:33:00.000-08:00

I just had to share these fun 'treat bags' with you today.

I found the idea HERE and literally shoved my laptop over and made some of my own !!

I used the bright birthday line "Confetti" by American Crafts and am sooooo happy with how they came together.

I've filled them with fun goodies for the evening like packs of gum, M & M's, glow sticks and even some noise makers for Midnight too......and I couldn't resist these cute hats.

I am so excited to show them to Emma and Alexander as I know they're going to be so excited to start opening them at 7:00pm tonight !!!

I have to say that this may possibly become a little New Year's Eve tradition at our house.....I hope you all enjoy your night.

Whether you're snuggled at home in jammies watching movies or dressed to the nines for a night of dancing, I wish you all a very Happy New Year !!

See you in 2012....

j. xo

Christmas Day pics.....

2011-12-30T01:43:00.000-08:00

Phewf....it's been another BUSY week around our house !! I have just gotten around to going thru some of our Christmas Day pics and thought I'd share a few of my faves with you....

......this is my absolute favorite photo of the day. These 2 puppies did NOT want to wear these Santa hats much less sit for this photo !! They were good sports just long enough to get this shot - LOVE IT !!!!

Emma and Alex loved their stockings and I love that I can capture their smiles like this.....they were soooooo happy !!!

Alexander is so interested in science and how things are made or created and he was REALLY excited about this science kit.....

....Emma had tried ordering this Playmobile pool about 6 months ago and a few weeks back she said "I guess it's not going to come in" and had put it to rest reluctantly. That very day the store called and said it came in....so me being the sneaky Mom decided to get it for her for Christmas and was she surprised. She got so excited she cried.....super sweet !!

.......and finally the finished dessert !! This was

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

from SCRATCH and it was FABULOUS if I do say so myself......Everyone loved it and I am pretty sure Christmas dessert is now going to be my job each year :))

Well, the dogs and my husband have been sleeping on the couches for hours now so I am off to bed......

j. xo

Sale @ Scrapbookin' Adventures

2011-12-26T08:49:00.000-08:00

Scrapbookin' Adventures is having their biggest sale of the year starting tomorrow December 27th and it runs 'til the end of the week (Dec. 30th)

The shop is open from 9:30am - 4:30pm and is packed with savings.....

so call the girls and come on in to find........

- 50% off ALL CHRISTMAS PAPER and EMBELLISHMENTS

- 50% off ALL HALLOWEEN PAPER and EMBELLISHMENTS

.....AND

30% off EVERYTHING ELSE !!!!

Don't miss out on this one ladies......

j. xo

Please Note: Sale excludes AC Ribbon, All adhesive and Albums

Cannot be combined with any other offer, sale or discount. No 'full stamp cards' can be used. You will not receive stamps for sale purchases.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T11:30:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Eve everyone !! If you are like me, you are still up puttering around the house making sure every detail is in place for the big day.....

I was up early this am down at the shop to collect all the goodies you all have been donating all month to help us feed local families in need. As always, Scrapbookin' Adventures has the best customers and you came through again this year.

The back of my jeep was full and I always get so excited to take it to the Salvation Army - thank you to each of you that gave....it's appreciated more than you know.

After dinner with family, I came home to bake dessert for tomorrow. I found this great recipe online and since I love cheesecake and raspberries I decided to try it.

For those of you that don't know me, the big joke around here is that I cook breakfast, lunch then breakfast again and I rarely bake. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't want to, it's more of a time thing....BUT, tonight I MADE the time :))

......so this pile of ingredients turned into......

THIS

and then THIS.......

I was soooo proud of myself I even did a little dance

in the kitchen when it came out of the oven !!!

Once it cools and sets for 10 hours I will decorate it for dessert tomorrow. I'll post a pic of the finished cheesecake as it still needs fresh raspberries and shaved white chocolate on top - YUMMY......

This is the pile of gifts I need to get under the tree and Santa is on his way so I need to get to bed !! I hope you all have the most wonderful Christmas and I'll be back in a day or two....

......Merry Christmas......

j. xo

"Christmas" Mini Album

2011-12-23T11:45:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share this fun little Christmas album with you that I just finished.....

I absolutely LOVE Chip/Acrylic Albums from Clear Scraps and had the most fun putting this one together. It is their holiday themed album and the shapes are so cute. It is a really fun size at 6 1/2 x 12" so I was able to really use the whole Christmas Wishes collection !!!

I added a couple more chipboard pages to include a few more photos from Christmas last year. I am a huge fan of 3D foam and used LOTS to really embellish this and make it full.

One of my favorite things about Bella product is all the fabulous cardstock stickers and shapes that I can precision cut to add to my projects. The Santa and reindeer may possibly be some all time faves.

I love how I can capture all the best moments of an event in an altered mini album and it can take me back to that time in an instant. Christmas 2010 was so much fun and creating this album was so much fun !!

Supplies:
Christmas Wishes patterned papers and stickers; Simply Simona Chipboard Alphas

I'm off to do some last minute wrapping and baking.....Hope you're almost ready at your house !!

j. xo

Birthday Blog Hop

2011-12-19T03:00:00.000-08:00

Today is the day.....It's a Bella Blvd. Birthday Blog Hop in honour of Stephanie's special day and you're invited !!!

For those of you that are just joining me, you'll want to make sure you head over to the Bella Blog so you can start at the beginning of the Blog Hop.....you DO NOT want to miss anything :))

I loved making this cute little card featuring Sophisticates by Stephanie.

I cut a rolled (7) strips of patterned paper and 'tied' them together with twine, adhered with quick dry glue and added a birthday sticker from Bella's new miniatures card stickers....easy and sweet !!

I want to send a HUGE birthday hug to you STEPHANIE !! I am so happy that you came into my life a little more than one year ago. You are a special lady and I am happy to call you my friend. Enjoy your special day......xo

CONTEST ALERT

We know it's Stephanie's birthday....BUT....Thanks to Robin at the Bella office

we are giving away TEN collections to TEN lucky 'blog hoppers' - Yes, that's YOU !!

All you need to do to be entered in the random drawings is to post a birthday wish to Stephanie in the COMMENT SECTION !!

This means you have LOTS of opportunities to win as you can comment on every single blog as you hop :)) With (26) blogs plus Bella that gives you (27) chances to win.

Winners will be be chosen randomly from (10) randomly chosen blogs so make sure to visit us all !! Good Luck......

Now head on over to visit with my friend Sheri......have a fabulous day 'hopping' around with all of the Bella girls !!

See you soon.....

j. xo

......where I've been

2011-12-18T21:18:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share a few photos of what I've been up to this past week and why I've been a bit of a 'bad blogger'......so sorry but I was in Washington having SO MUCH FUN with my girl and her pony !!!

Emma had the opportunity to ride for (3) days with a wonderful clinician just outside Seattle and we made the very most of the trip.

She had a fantastic time in each lesson and learned so much. I still can't believe that this girl smiles the entire time she is jumping each course - love it !!

We walked through the Pike Place Market and saw the sights.

I bought the BEST apples ever and almost got talked in to taking fresh crab home too !! Almost......

.......and I just HAD to take a pic of this sign as it made me laugh out loud. Hell yeah.......

We even made a stop to visit Santa at Nordstroms Dept. store. It was sooooo cute. They made the whole corner look like a little cottage. We were all offered coffee/hot chocolate and cookies while we were waiting.

Because we were visiting from out of town and couldn't go back to pick up our picture in (2) days, they let us use our own camera and took the pics for us !! So much fun.......

Emma was so cute whispering what she wanted into his ear..... It was so funny as she had to push his hair and beard aside to find his ear.....she had us all in the giggles, even Santa :))

We did LOTS of shopping and even got the girls party dresses at Jessica McClintock too.

Of course our horse lovin' kids had to visit this police horse and were so happy when the officer said they could get their picture taken too.

The lights on all the buildings were beautiful and I loved this incredible star at Macy's.

...and we ate VERY well. NOT healthy well but portion size well...This was my first burger ever at Red Robin. Seriously, I could barely get my mouth around it.......and true to my "I don't like onions but eat onion rings" form the burger even had french fried onions on it and they totally made the burger. I could barely move out of the booth as of course i ate the whole thing.....could not even touch the fries !!!

......so needless to say, I am currently drinking litres of water each day and having protein shakes for breakfast and lunch.....and no crazy onion filled burgers for me for quite some time !!

I hope you all are enjoying some good fun family holiday time in the days leading up to Christmas.....tomorrow is my 'wrapping day' - wish me luck :))

j. xo

Holiday Trees

2011-12-16T21:29:00.000-08:00

For the last few years I have wanted to do something with these styrofoam tree shapes but never felt inspired enough to sit down with them…..that was until I got Bella Blvd. "Christmas Wishes" !!!

I literally used something from every single patterned paper and sticker sheet in the collection to create these fun decorations for the holidays.

I punched several circles from both sides of the patterned papers with plain and scalloped edges and adhered them using 'tacky glue'. I then added brads for visual interest and a bit of extra security to keep the circle in place. Once the base of the trees were complete I went to work on 'decorating'….this was the super fun part !!

I adhered ribbon and a border sticker for garland, then added stickers and a few stars to tuck in on the green tree too.

The stars on the tops of the trees were cut from patterned paper and scored from each point into the center and adhere with a craft stick in behind pushed down into the foam tree.

The last step was adding chip shapes and precision cut shapes for gifts under the tree. Love it……

(Supplies: Christmas Wishes paper, Alphas & Bits, Just Write Journaling stickers. Misc: brads and ribbon)

Check back tomorrow to check out what i've been up to the past few days and why I've been away from my computer :)

Talk soon.

j. xo

....a little bit

2011-12-08T12:23:00.000-08:00

Just a little look at what's been going on in my office the past few days.....It's been non-stop Christmas around here and I am making some good headway on cards and gifts.

Thanks to my fellow DT friend Marie-Josee Hamel for this super cute idea for candies, cookies and more.....I needed one more thing to add to my fabulous staff gift bags and this was PERFECT !!

We're having a scrapbooking party this Saturday and I got them done just in time. I had so much fun making these with my favorite

"Christmas Wishes" paper and stickers from Bella Blvd.

I punched and cut and sanded and glued and LOVE how they turned out....and I guess this part of their gift is no longer a surprise ?!

I had lots of bits leftover from making the candy bags so I finished up with this cute layout of Em and Alex on Christmas morning last year.

I am also a HUGE fan of all things American Crafts and had fun making this holiday card for a friend in Utah.

I MUST get all my cards that have to go south of the border out NOW so they get their wishes before Christmas !!!

I hope you're all having a fabulous day.......Talk soon.

j. xo

"Christmas Wishes"

2011-12-06T21:36:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share some of my mini projects that were featured on the Bella Blog today.

I love Bog Dies for my Big Shot and this bag is one of my favourites. It is the perfect size for small gifts such as jewellery, gift cards or candies too !! I am using these for Em and Alex's teacher Christmas gifts this year....they're going to love their holiday drink cards from Starbucks.....I hope :))

Supplies:
Christmas Wishes: Borders, Cute Cuts.

This box is another die that I love to use for all occasions. It is so fun to pretty up with paper and ribbon and holds bite size treats such as homemade chocolates and little holiday cookies too! After wrapping a patterned paper strip around the box I added a border sticker and cut up a word sticker strip to add a sweet sentiment to the front of the box. The small circle alphas were the perfect size for the little gift tag.

Each year I like to create a few new handmade ornaments and I love how these ones came together. When I saw these plain white shapes at Ikea I knew I could change them up and make them the perfect addition to our tree.

After choosing the paper for the bird, I traced the shape for both sides, cut them out, adhered them to the chipboard base using quick dry glue and sanded the edges. Because the patterned paper is a heavier weight than what was used in the original piece, I reduced the length and width of the wings to be able to 'spread' the wings and have them stay open.

I then punched a hole in the bottom and used mini jump rings to add stickers from the bottom. I really had fun making these and hope to find a minute before Christmas to make a few more as gifts :)

Supplies:
Christmas Wishes: Christmas Love, Gifts Galore, North Pole, Miniatures stickers

I hope this finds you all having a great start to your week.....Talk soon.

j. xo

Wanted: MORE TIME

2011-12-04T21:42:00.000-08:00

How many of you wish you had a few more hours in the day ?!

I find that i keep saying "if I just had 6 more hours in my day i could....."

This rings true even more at this time of year. Scott is home for the holidays this year so I am working late late late every night trying to be able to be at home with him and the kids for 2 weeks over Christmas.....that is the plan anyway. I'll let you knowhow it goes ;))

......because of this, my desk looks like this

(only until tomorrow night when I FINALLY clean it)

I went and got all the Christmas decorations from storage the other day and the kids had a blast decorating the tree. We alternate each year between a real and artificial tree depending on Scott's schedule so the kids can enjoy the tree being up for as long as possible !! Emma LOVES fluffing the branches and hanging the ornaments. I think they did a fabulous job.....

I've been working on LOTS of projects lately.....most of which you'll have to wait to see :))

Here are a few layouts that weren't for anything other than our family albums !!

These pics were taken at the pumpkin patch a couple of days before Halloween.....

.......and these were on Emma's 11th birthday when we completely surprised her with Taylor Swift's new perfume and body wash.....she smells fabulous every morning :))

Well....I am off to get a bit more work done for the shop this week with plans to be in bed by midnight....wish me luck !!

Make sure to come on back later this week for more inspiration,

another fun tutorial and a FREE draw too !!

Cool Clipboard Tutorial

2011-11-27T23:40:00.001-08:00

I have always been a list maker and a few years ago I decided that pretty clipboards were the perfect place for my lists. I have a shopping list clipboard at home and at my shop we have them for schedules, orders, time sheets and more. I am just finishing up a "Scott could you please…." clipboard too as EVERY time I ask him to do something he asks me to write it on a list….Now he won't have any excuse 'casue he'll have his very own clipboard !!!

Last year for Christmas I took a pretty clipboard shopping for the kids gifts and it saved me and kept me soooooo organized. When I saw Bella's "Christmas Wishes" line I knew I had to make them for the kids wish lists too…..and of course a new one for me to match :))

I wanted to share with you how I make the paper fit perfectly around the clip at the top….so here we go….

Start with a plain clipboard, a pencil, ruler and a piece of scrap cardstock.

Line up your piece of cardstock under the top of the clipboard as shown.

Make a small pencil mark on either side of the top portion of the clip as well as lined up with the bottom edge of the clip.

Using your ruler connect the lines and cut out to create template.

Cut your patterned paper to the width of the clipboard and lay it underneath the clip so you know where to trace your template.

Precision cut out the space for the clip.

Add quick dry liquid glue to the back of your patterned paper.

Open clip and carefully place your patterned paper around the clip and smooth down to secure.

Then decorate and embellish as desired !!!

Emma and Alex LOVED filling out their cards and it was PERFECT for me so I knew exactly what they really wanted to see under the tree on Christmas morning.

I added envelopes to mine to keep my shopping list for each of them inside AND…..I can also tuck the reciepts in the envelopes 'just in case'…..

December is such a crazy busy month and now I can head out and get the shopping done with LOTS of time leftover to wrap !!!

Have fun creating your own holiday (or everyday :)) clipboards.....

j. xo

...an easy build ??!!

2011-11-26T10:44:00.000-08:00

Okay so I am sure i am NOT the only one that has dreaded opening that bog heavy box from IKEA that should really only take you an hour or so and then it really takes you 4 - 6 hours right ??!

Well remember when I told you I managed to fit everything, even a bed in my jeep a few weeks back ?! Well, Scott got Emma's bed up before he went back to work but these (2) chairs and another shelf for my office had to wait.

I was refusing to put up the Christmas tree until the box was gone from my living room and since I couldn't lift it, the kids and I decided (okay I decided :)) to tackle it on our own.

I thought this chair was so cute and had to have a couple of them 'cause they look EASY to put together right ??!! Well.......

.....the first chair caused me a bit of grief and I did have to take it apart once or twice and move a piece or two around but.....I finally got it and chair number 2 went much more smoothly :))

So then I moved on to the shelf. Everyone I know seems to have this shelf and I've always loved it but when I couldn't even get the box open without tearing it to pieces I wasn't feeling very optimistic.

In honour of Scott, I even laid all the pieces out first to make sure I had them all 'cause my luck I'd get to the end and be missing a screw. So I had them all and got to work.....

...and I have to tell you that it went WAAYY more smoothly than I had expected and i LOVE the shelf.

Emma helped me move things around to make it fit and now I just have to fill it....shouldn't be a problem :))

I figure now that it wasn't such a huge deal that I should go back and buy some more.....and not tell Scott ?!

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend and

CHECK BACK MONDAY

for another fun tutorial !!!

j. xo

SAVE BIG......

2011-11-25T08:38:00.000-08:00

.......a note from Scrapbookin' Adventures

DO NOT MISS THIS........

Saturday November 26th from 9:30am - 4:30pm you will SAVE.

Scrapbookin' Adventures is excited to offer you

25% off ALL CHRISTMAS PRODUCT for ONE DAY ONLY !!

This means more than (12) holiday lines are ON SALE.

ITEMS INCLUDE:

patterned paper
stamps
embellishments
ribbon

PERFECT for all your holiday themed projects such as:

Christmas cards
mini albums
calendars
layouts
gifts and more......

So call all your friends, jump in your car and head into the shop SATURDAY ONLY and stock up on all your favorite CHRISTMAS product !!!

.......HAPPY SHOPPING.......

j. xo

Please Note: This sale does NOT include winter themed lines. "Winter Wonder", "Winter Twig" and "Snow Days" are NOT included in this promotion. Stamps will NOT be given for sale purchases. Full stamp cards are not accepted as a form of payment on sale items. Thank you.....

Gatefold Album Tutorial

2011-11-21T22:58:00.000-08:00

Okay ladies......here it is, the Gatefold Album tutorial I promised !!

It's a long one 'cause I wanted to show you step by step.

Once you do it the first time, it's a piece of cake every time after that......

I love this album and hope that you will too :))

First you will need to have your favorite scoring tool, (2) 4 x 8" pieces of cardstock,

(1) 8 x 8" and (2) 4 x 8" pieces of decent weight chipboard.

Next, using the (2) pieces of 4 x 8" cardstock, score at every 1/2" and fold as shown.

You will want to use a quick dry liquid glue (Tombow is my fave) and adhere the INSIDE of the folds together as shown below.

This is how your 'binding' should look once dry.

Lay all (3) of your chipboard 'cover's flat 1/8" apart as shown to accept your 'binding'.

Add glue to the bottom 2 flaps and adhere onto the edge of your center

8 x 8" piece and the edge of one of your 4 x 8" pieces as shown.

Close and hold together until dry.

Your album should look like this on each side once dry.

....and like this when open laying flat !!

....and like this standing up with all (3) pieces adhered together with your cardstock binding !!

Once you have secured your covers together, you can choose patterned for the inside and outside of your album.

Cut (1) 8 x 8" and (2) 4 x 8" pieces for the inside and outside. I choose different patterns, but you can embellish however you like :))

Now it is time to add your inside 'pages'. I use (4) chipboard and (2) acrylic.

They are cut to (2) 3 x 5" and (2) 4 x 5" of chipboard and (1) 3 x 5" and (1) 4 x 5" acrylic.

Feel free to round the inside corners of all, some or none - your choice !!

Using your quick dry glue, adhere your pages into the folds of your binding as shown.

It should look similar to this when complete.

Remember, add your mini pages alternating throughout your binding folds as you choose. There is no rhyme or reason :))

I like to 'cover' where I've adhered my inside mini pages using 1/2 x 8" pieces of patterned paper as shown.

Once you've added your inside mini pages you can go ahead and complete

the covering of your pages with coordinating paper, stickers and borders too !!

Pretty up your covers with matching embellishments, die cuts

and stickers as desired.

.....then fill it with photos and journaling !!

I hope that you've enjoyed this tutorial on one of my favorite Altered Albums.

If you have any questions just shoot me an email at jenniferedwardson@me.com anytime !!

Have fun making your own Gatefold Album from scratch.....

using your favorite Bella Blvd. paper of course :))

j. xo

....a card sneak peek

2011-11-21T13:10:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday all you fabulously crafty ladies......Just a short share today.

This is a peek at a few of the cards I am dropping in the mail this week for a DT Christmas Card swap that I'm participating in.....

I am so excited to do this with such a talented group of ladies and can't wait to get my card package in the mail.....I highly doubt that I will be wanting to give them away tho :))

Make sure to check back tomorrow for a Gatefold Album Tutorial.

It is the perfect gift album and I wanted you all to be able to make one for the holidays.......

See you soon.

j. xo

Gatefold Album

2011-11-20T22:09:00.000-08:00

I created this fun altered album using Bella Blvd. "Finally Fall" for Summer CHA in Chicago and it is one of my favorite style of mini albums to create.

The colors of the line made it so easy to work with and it came together beautifully.

I used a friends fall photos of her daughter playing in the leaves....they were perfect !!

This is a 'go to' album for me for gifts as it holds so many photos and is really fun to embellish.....

I've got SO MANY projects on the go right now and will be sharing some sneak peeks this week so check back for more fun ideas for your own holiday projects !!

j. xo

FREE from Bella......

2011-11-18T14:34:00.000-08:00

Looking for a fun, easy and ADORABLE project to work

on this weekend ??!!

Stephanie over at Bella Blvd. has the answer.....

She has created a fantastic download-able mini album for you that you won't want to miss out on.....Head over and start printing !!!

Perfect for all your Fall and Thanksgiving photos !!!

Have fun....

j. xo

.....too long

2011-11-15T22:57:00.001-08:00

So sorry for the delay in new posts....After the power outage it took me a day to get back the one I lost and then it was back to school and crazy days of running kids here there and everywhere......Back in the routine now thanks goodness !!

Check out these great Fall crates I prettied up with 'Finally Fall' from Bella Blvd.

They were not so pretty when I found them at a discount store but I knew just what I wanted to do with them as soon as I saw them....

A few hours, several pieces of paper and some chipboard bits later, this is how they looked......Perfect for the Thanksgiving table !!

Check out the BLOG POST over at Bella today for this and more fun ways to use pretty pretty paper :))

Check back tomorrow for a few new layouts I've been working on to inspire you to sit down and create for your own albums too.

j. xo

.....power please

2011-11-11T20:59:00.001-08:00

Today has been a CRAZY day......I had BIG BIG plans to clean my house today. Yep, might sound silly to plan a day to clean the house but life has kept me from vacuuming lately

.....so today was the day.

No more had Emma started the vacuum when the power went out. I literally had just finished putting soup in bowls for lunch and it was out. Normally it wouldn't have bothered me much but today

I HAD PLANS TO CLEAN

....and trust me, that does not happen often :))

So, we read books, watched a movie on Em's computer until the battery died, went out for a loooong dinner and came home to light as many candles as we could find

(which is a lot 'cause I like smelly candles)

Poor Emma.....She had invited Mackenzie for a sleepover and now we're bundling up to stay warm. I offered to take Kenzie home, but what a girl...she thought it was a fun adventure !!

So I gave everyone flashlights and when I went to Em's room to check on them I found this......

They were huddled on the floor in her room playing Operation by flashlight.

I absolutely LOVE how kids find the fun in EVERYTHING.....

So it's been a little over 8 hours now....and they say (1) more to go. We'll see.....

My laptops' battery had enough time to post this with about 3 minutes left. I'm going to read by candle light and hope that the power comes back

before the groceries go into the green bin !!!

Wish us luck......

j. xo

GREAT weekend....

2011-11-07T20:52:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday everyone....

So sorry for the delay but I had the most fun this past weekend and had NO TIME to post until now !!

I spent a great weekend in Coquitlam and Maple Ridge and was THRILLED to meet all the crafty girls at Cherish the Thought.

I am super thankful to Jessie for inviting me over.....the store is adorable and she is one talented lady. Make sure you stop in and say hello the next time your out her way. She's got some fantastic product for all your projects and LOTS of samples to help get you inspired !!!

(35) excited scrapbookers hung out with me this weekend and they made it through their (20) Layout Workshop.....CONGRATULATIONS ladies. I'm super proud of you....thanks for spending your day with me !!

They didn't look up often 'cause we were on a schedule :)

These ladies even packed the EXACT same paper for the EXACT same kit and they had no idea....funny !!

At least once every time I teach this workshop one person packs the same product that I used for the same kit (and they don't see the samples before). This kit Shonia and I both used NEW Fresh Goods from Pebbles by American Crafts - FUN !!!

THANK YOU to the ladies we did manage to get in a picture before the end of the night (sorry I missed almost half the class here).....You look fabulous....and so do your layouts :))

........and YES, I DID get absolutely everything that I wanted from IKEA into my l'il ol jeep. Boy was Scott surprised when I drove up with a new bed for Emma !! ....and he thought if I didn't take his truck that I wouldn't be able to shop......I showed him :)))

Well....the bags are unpacked, the new bed is made, the kids and puppies are sleeping so I am heading to my desk to make something FUN !!

...........and yes miss judy from Cherish, I will absolutely make something cute out of the green box and post it ASAP :)

j. xo

check this out....

2011-11-04T12:14:00.001-07:00

Lots going in my little world today.....I've been trying to get this posted ALL DAY but I've been having so much fun travelling over to HERE that this is the first chance I've gotten !!

So I got up early, said good-bye to Scott & the kids (and puppies) and headed for the boat. Talked with Stephanie, read THIS (my new favorite magazine) and listened to JRFM......so happy.

After I got set up at Cherish The Thought I went around the corner to IKEA. Next to a scrapbook store, this place may possibly be my favorite building to spend hours and hours in......AND I didn't have Scott with me !!!

Funny story.......I said to him yesterday, maybe I should take your truck and go to Ikea, he laughed and I brought my Jeep. Then I am in the store today and I texted him and said

"yep, should've brought your truck" :):)

I think I'll be able to make it all fit.....

including a new bed for Emma !!!

After dinner @ The Cactus Club I headed over to spend the evening with my friend

@ Photo Express in Maple Ridge.

Now we're headed out for a drink before bed......

Sorry there were no photos for you today......tomorrow night for sure. So check back and see what the girls are going to be working on :))

So excited to meet the ladies tomorrow and teach all day long !!!

Before you go to bed tonight you MUST GO HERE and read Stephanie's post about US......

Have a wonderful night....talk soon.

j. xo

at the same time

2011-11-03T09:12:00.000-07:00

You wouldn't know that I took these (2) photos of this layout at the same time of day in the same space would you ??!!

Laura (Bella DT Coordinator) has been giving me some great tips on photography of projects for blogs ect....so I've been playing around.

She talks about location, natural light and angle. I've ALWAYS photographed on a white background but am starting to enjoy changing it up a bit here and there.

....BUT, judging by these photos taken this am....

I think I have some work to do :)

(I still love the layout though, even if the color still seems off.)

Each month Bella Blvd. offers a 'Project Sheet' (Nov. will be online for YOU next week) This one was designed by Laura using "Finally Fall' and it was PERFECT for our pumpkin picking pictures from this past weekend !!

Scrapbookin' Adventures has ALL (6) of Bella Blvd's latest lines in stock now....head to the shop and pick your up then go home and create your own version of this layout for your own album.

Have fun and Happy Thursday !!

j. xo

....i love Christmas carols

2011-11-02T22:40:00.000-07:00

We did it...we took the plunge before any other business in Parksville and decorated our store for the holidays and it looks BEAUTIFUL (if we do say so ourselves :)

We had so much fun last night. Everyone brought their families, we ate pizza and had a 'kid zone' with the 'Santa Buddies' movie while the adults got to work....

..and YES YES YES we listened to Christmas carols and it made me soooooo happy !!

We trimmed the tree (thanks Kerri and Simon for 'fluffing'), put snow on the 'ground', added as much of the fabulous Christmas product as we could fit, put the newest winter layouts in the window and then lit the tree lights......the results are AMAZING !!

The girls are so excited to show you all we have in store to help you scrapbook your photos, make your Christmas cards and create gifts for everyone on your list......so hurry in and get your favorites !!!

Me....??!! I'm closing this computer for the night and scrapbooking until I can't see straight....

....or until the paper isn't straight anymore :):) Which ever comes first.....

j. xo

NEW Bella & Workshops....

2011-11-01T09:54:00.000-07:00

.....over at Scrapbookin' Adventures. It's a great day to head into the shop

and pick up the (2) Mid-Season Releases from Bella.....

They are adorable and once they're gone they're gone !!

I had so much fun creating these layouts using "Winter Wishes".....Being that we spend time each year visiting family and friends in Alberta i have LOTS of snow pics to choose from.

We're decorating the shop for CHRISTMAS tonight so check back to see how it all turned out tomorrow !!!

j. xo

happy halloween

2011-10-31T00:08:00.000-07:00

Well.....we made it !! The pumpkins were carved......

the goodie bags and cupcakes made it to school

Emma got through her first orthodontist appointment

the pony and the puppies got their treats and Oscar LOVED his vampire costume

(okay, we loved his costume)

we visited the family, went trick-or-treating, did the pumpkin walk

watched fireworks by the bonfire and.....

ate our weight in candy.....

Best Halloween yet I think.....

I hope you all had a fabulously spooky day (and night). Make sure to check back ASAP 'cause I can't wait to scrapbook these (and more) photos....

j. xo

Make 'n' Take 'n' Save

2011-10-29T13:43:00.000-07:00

Today @ Scrapbookin' Adventures the team is offering

FREE Make'n' Take's all day......AND you can take your completed

Make 'n' Take to the counter to receive

15% off your entire purchase of new product !!

There are (3) adorable Make 'n' Take mini projects to choose from all created using

Bella Blvd.'s "Too Cute To Spook" and "Christmas Wishes"

I hope you're enjoying your almost-Halloween weekend !!

j. xo

2011-10-26T13:26:00.000-07:00

More inspiration over at the Bella Blog today !! The DT has been creating like crazy.....

These are a couple of projects that I made using "Spring Flings and Easter Things"

i LOVE making treat bags for the kids and this paper was perfect for the rainy days we're having now that Fall has officially hit.

i picked up these little note pads at the dollar store months ago and was waiting for the perfect time to 'pretty them up'.....this was the time with the perfect product !!

Make sure you head over and see what the other girls cooked up for you and then check HERE to see when you can get your new Bella Blvd. as soon as it hits the shelves !!

Remember.......rainy days are the PERFECT time to scrapbook ;)

j. xo

Spring Flings and Easter Things

2011-10-25T11:55:00.001-07:00

Over on the Bella Blog you'll enjoy samples from the DT using new Mid-Season Releases "Spring Flings and Easter Things' and 'Winter Wonder'

You'll see samples such as this one below and other great layouts, cards and altered projects too !!

Remember.....This product will be in at Scrapbookin' Adventures ASAP !! You'll want to make sure you come in and get yours as soon as it arrives.....'cause once it's gone it's gone.

The sun is shining here today so we're heading out to enjoy it.....but back to scrappin' tonight when the kids head to bed !!!

Hope you're having a great day where ever you are.....

j. xo

2011-10-24T08:33:00.001-07:00

.....This message from Bella Blvd. this morning.....

Today is the big day! The Bella office is all a buzz, with our NEW Mid-Release collections starting to ship out to your favorite LSS's and online retailors! You will want to pick these up as soon as you see them, since they are limited edition collections. Once they're gone, they're gone.

Make sure you head over to the Bella Blog every day this week for some incredible inspiration from the Bella Design Team.

This great new product will be shipped to Scrapbookin' Adventures today....so watch our BLOG to see when it arrives. You will want to be among the first to get in to buy yours before it's gone !!!

j. xo

New Layout.....

2011-10-23T11:53:00.001-07:00

I've had a few kits sitting in my stash from my friend

Sandra at The Memory Workshop

for quite some time and I FINALLY opened one up last night.

I am in LOVE with Simple Stories right now and this kit had just what I needed to scrap these pics from the Spring.

Kayla is the BEST babysitter EVER....and I am so happy how this layout came together. Kayla and the kids were coloring eggs this past Easter and they took these great pics.

Create this @ home.....

12 x 12" pp base
Adhere pp circle
Adhere (3) 4 x 4 1/2" photos
Add flourish stickers
Using 'Tiny Attacher' staple ribbon on bottom
Add flowers, embellishments ect....
Title and journal

Have a wonderfully relaxing Sunday !!

j. xo

i survived.....

2011-10-22T22:55:00.001-07:00

Well.......it happened, my girl turned 11 yrs old and we had the party to prove it !!

Em had (5) of her closest friends spend the evening with her and it was so much fun.

First, I ALWAYS bake and decorate a fancy cake for both the kids parties, but this year Emma asked if I would order these fabulously oversized chocolate stuffed cupcakes from Thrifty's......Being as busy as I am, of course i said YES !!

My feelings weren't hurt AT ALL :)

The highlight of the party this year was the 'Splatter Party' at

4 Cats Arts Studios. Emma and Alex go every week for art class and study artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci ect.....but this 'Splatter Party' was sooooooo cool !!

The girls had to wear old clothes (thanks goodness) and I am not kidding you....I thought they'd get paint on them but they were COVERED....and then it dried :) They made the most fabulous canvas for Emma and a small one for each of the girls....

Needless to say, each one of them came home to have a shower before the 'sleep' over began !!!

They truly had so much fun and I am so happy that Em enjoyed her 11th birthday with this really great group of girls. I hope they stay close for years to come....

j. xo

.....another project

2011-10-21T21:32:00.000-07:00

.....soooooo in love with this project !!! I saw this fabulous idea at the Maya Road booth at CHA Summer and could not wait to make one for myself......

I used their extra large bottle caps, punched holes in them using my crop-a-dile to tie together with ribbon.

I cut circles in my favorite Jillibean Soup patterned paper, added coordinating embellishments and........

......completed it by adding the 2012 calendar pieces from Maya Road.......

Only problem.....

I don't know if I am going to be able to give it away :):)

I am off to supervise Emma's 11th birthday party.....(6) girls 'sleeping' over. Wish me luck and I'll post some pics tomorrow !!!

j. xo