Orchestra is....

Don't forget to register for our National Scrapbook Day Community Crop Party to benefit R. L. Turner High School orchestra programs.

National Scrapbook Day 2012

Community-wide crop ‘til you drop fundraiser!  

Open to the public!

R. L. Turner High School Cafeteria

1600 South Josey Lane

Carrollton, Texas 75006

Please join us on

May 5^h
from 10:00 A.M. to 10:00 P.M.

For 12 hours of non-stop cropping to benefit

Turner High School Orchestra Program

sponsored by R.L. Turner Orchestra Boosters

FREE beginner scrapbooking class!

All-day cropping, make-n-takes, raffles, vendors,
games, prizes and much, much more!

On-Site Registration is $30

Space is limited

Click here to REGISTER NOW!

For registration and more information

Please visit:   www.CraftyNeighbor.com

Email: nsd@craftyneighbor.com

or call:

Cindy Murray (972) 965-2606

Brought to you by Crafty Neighbor Retreats

Inspiration on your iPod or iPhone

In my last post, I offered several websites and online services where a scrapbooker can connect with and get inspired by the works of others.  My friend, Carole has a fabulous idea for getting that inspiration right on your iPhone or iPad which she posted on her blog, "The Creative Night Owl", and she agreed to let me post it for you here.

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Save the Stampin' Up! Idea Book to your IPhone/Ipad!

Would you like to have round the clock access to your coveted Stampin’ Up! Idea Book & Catalog? Then save it to your iPad or iPhone and you can check out our great products anytime/anywhere! So how do you do it?

To see the step-by-step instructions, please click here.

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Get a little inspiration from the Crafty Neighbor Idea Gallery.  You can view some of our layouts here: Idea Gallery

Unclogging Your Scrapper's Block

We’ve all heard of writer’s block, but have you suffered from scrapper’s block?  Maybe it’s for a few hours or a few days, or it could be for a few months or even years. The fact is, that all of us have felt a little uninspired from time to time or have gone through periods where we just didn’t feel like scrapbooking.  So how do we fix it?  Where do we find inspiration when we feel like there is none?

I’ve known people who just stepped away from scrapbooking entirely, hoping that the pursuit of other interests would take the pressure off long enough for inspiration to strike them.  Sadly, I’ve found that it often leads to people losing interest in scrapbooking altogether.  Some scrapbookers just keep working.  “Just stick the pictures on the paper and the rest will come,” they say.  I’ve tried that method, and it does work, but I often find that I have to go back and “fix” a few pages I’ve created this way later.  By far, my favorite block-breaker is to admire the work of others. 

I love surfing the internet for inspiration.  I subscribe to dozens of blogs and am a member of several different scrapbooking and paper-crafting groups on the internet.  Some are more active than others, and I don’t really read every blog I subscribe to every day.  Creative food doesn’t have to be all or nothing.  I’ve set a few of my favorites to deliver by email so that I can digest every tasty morsel they produce, but there are just as many more that I save for a special occasion when I have time to really savor all they have to offer.  There are still others that I sample on an as-needed basis. 

For example, when I know I want to use a specific stamp set from Stampin’ Up or a die cut from one of my Cricut cartridges, I might search those two company’s websites for ideas, or I might even just do a Google image search for the name of the stamp set or Cricut cartridge.  You’d be surprised at the number of ideas you might get that way.  There are lots of great blogs like “Obsessed with Scrapbooking” that I get by email every day because it’s full of great ideas or there’s something usful in it every day.  I like to use websites like GotSketch.com and Pagemaps.com that have lots and lots of ideas and starters.  I’ve also been known to browse Pinterest, Picasa Web, Google, and even the idea galleries at Scrapbook.com.

The following is a list of some of my favorite scrapbooking websites, blogs, and groups.  What are some of yours?

Groups and Social Media:

Yahoo Groups: Check out the Texas Scrabbookers group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TXSB/  This small group of Texas ladies chat about weekly challenges, swaps, and more.  Look for a Yahoo Group in your area.

Meetup.com:  Get inspired in person!  Join one or more Meet Up groups and start attending gatherings!  Some of our favorites include Dallas Crafters Marathon, Make Something Cute, and, of course, Crafty Neighbor.

LinkedIn.com:  I joined 3 scrapbooking groups on Linked In.  Paper Crafts, Scrapbooking Networking Group, and, most recently, Scrapbooking Industry Professionals Mastermind.  The contacts I’ve made there have lead me to several wonderful blogs and websites.

Facebook.com:  Did you know that Crafty Neighbor has a facebook page?  So do lots of other scrapbook businesses and professionals.  My facebook friends have liked dozens of facebook pages with scrapbooking content.  Check for your local stores, your favorite manufacturers, and even your friends!  Many of them may already be posting some great ideas and photo albums full of layouts, cards, and craft projects.

Sketches and Layouts

Here’s a list of websites that have page maps (also called sketches) and/or an idea gallery of page layouts. 

http://www.pencillines.com/

http://www.dosamador.blogspot.com/

http://www.judymay.typepad.com/

http://www.pagemaps.com

http://gotsketch.blogspot.com/

http://scrapbooklayouts.blogspot.com/

More

Challenge yourself!  In February, I took part in my first ever LOAD (Layout a Day).  It was really fun and I learned a lot about myself while creating some pages that I probably wouldn’t have made otherwise and I enjoyed it so much, I’ve already signed up for the May challenge.  Check it out at http://www.layoutaday.com/load512/

YouTube is a great source of inspiration and ideas.  Anyone who has ever watched a YouTube video knows how easy it is to go from one tutorial or demonstration to the next in a never-ending queue of ideas.  I’ve found some of my favorite techniques on YouTube.

Pinterest:  This hot new website allows members to “pin” pictures found on other websites onto user-defined “boards”.  There’s no limit to the number of boards or pins a person can have. Search the pins of other users by subject, user name, or even colors. You can even browse the boards of others to find great ideas, then “repin” them on your own boards.  I’ve found tons of wonderful project ideas this way.  You can “follow” my boards at http://pinterest.com/c1ndyluhu/

“It’s easy to come up with new ideas; the hard part is letting go of what worked for you two years ago, but will soon be out of date.” — Roger von Oech

Fresh Ideas for Spring!

I love spring.  The green is a different shade than you'll find in summer or early fall.  Everything feels so vibrant -- so alive!  I always start out with the best intentions of doing better at this or that, and I often start new projects or renew my interest in old ones.  In my recent spring cleaning post, I promised to post some more spring-themed ideas.  Ooops!  The month was nearly over by the time I made it to post, and the only blog post I've made since was to promote the GASC ticket sales.  That means only one thing -- I need to extend the spring theme into April!  Because I'm not tired of spring yet, are you?

And what could be more spring-like than fresh, bold colors?  I recently joined a Yahoo scrapbooking group called Texas Scrappers (or TXSB for short).  The group is still very small, but fun.  I love taking part in the weekly challenges.  You may have noticed a birthday card in my "Five Simple Cards..." post.  Last week's challenge was a color challenge.  Our moderator gave us a color combo which we had to use to create our project.  The combo was based on Stampin' Up colors: Melon Mambo, Always Artichoke, and Lucky Limeade.  When I saw the colors, I knew they were just perfect for using my new "Mouthwatering" stamp set from Stampin' Up.  It also gave me an excuse to try out the Stampin' Up scented embossing powder!

I am not as happy with the first card.  I used the Paper Lace cartridge for the Cricut to cut the lattice background and realized only too late that the design ran off the edge of the paper.  And then when I put it together, I realized that my over-sized "Happy Birthday" stamp and watermelons covered most of it up.  I like the second card much better, and I even got to use some left-over pieces of Stampin' Up glimmer paper!  The sentiment on the second card was printed on my laser printer and colored with a marker.  I found a font I liked and used the Word Art feature to turn it into an outline.  As for the scented embossing powder, I used the melon scented one and it is so scrumptious that I want to eat it!  Unfortunately, the scent doesn't last very long.  I made the first card a week ago and the scent is already gone, so if you are going to use this on scrapbooks, don't bother, and if you are going to use it on a card, send it out right away!

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Do you have plans for National Scrapbook Day?  Celebrate in style with the Crafty Neighbors! Join us for our

National Scrapbook Day 2012

Community Scrapbook Party

Crop ‘til you drop fundraiser!

R. L. Turner High School Cafeteria

1600 South Josey Lane

Carrollton, Texas 75006

May 5^th from 10:00 A.M. to 10:00 P.M.

12 hours of non-stop cropping to benefit

Turner High School Orchestra Programs

sponsored by R.L. Turner Orchestra Boosters

All-day cropping, make-n-takes, raffles, vendors, 

games, prizes and much, much more!

Beginner Scrapbooking Classes offered on request.

Sign up online at 

CraftyNeighbor.com

  

3 Great Scrapbooking Opportunities!

GASC  Comes to Arlington! 

Great American Scrapbook Convention is right around the corner!  Do you have your tickets yet?  GASC tickets will be $12 at the door, but you can buy yours in advance for just $10!  Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to see all the new merchandise, learn new techniques, and shop, shop, shop ‘til you drop.  But hurry!  Due to some unforeseen issues last year, any tickets purchased after May 15 must be picked up in person from Crafty Neighbor -- we won’t be mailing out any tickets after Tuesday, May 15^th and we cannot hold them for you at the door.  Just go to http://www.craftyneighbor.com/ to order online, or send us an email to pay by cash, check, or money order!

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5^th Annual Scrapbooking Cruise

The time is NOW to book your all-inclusive scrapbooking cruise with Crafty Neighbor!  We only have 2 more balcony cabins at the rate of $634.15 per person and there are only 5 interior cabins left at the low, low rate of $454.15!  This is no April Fool’s joke!  Spend 5 nights aboard the Carnival Triumph for a FABULOUS Caribbean cruise, including the ports of Cozumel and Progreso, Mexico!  For details, visit our website at http://www.craftyneighbor.com

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Spread the joy of scrapbooking!

Do you know someone who would like to learn how to scrapbook?  Do you have boxes of photos that you never look at?  Are you afraid to create a scrapbook because you don’t know where to start?  Tell your friends and join us for one of our Beginner Scrapbooking Basics classes.  We have 3 sessions to choose from: Saturday, April 14^th at 2:00 pm,  Tuesday, April 17^th at 7:00 pm or Wednesday, April 25^th at 7:00pm.  Sign up online or by email to: classes@craftyneighbor.com