Tips & Tricks: Tell Me About It

We probably all know the saying that a picture is worth 1000 words, but I'm not entirely convinced. As a scrapper I appreciate a good photo more than most, but when I look back at photos from my pre-scrapping days I'm always surprised at how much I can't remember about them. (I'll admit to having a horrible memory, but I'd like to put the blame squarely where it belongs-on my kids! How am I supposed to remember details from 10 years ago when I'm busy keeping track of who ate what when, where every toy was last seen, and whose turn it is to pick the book or video? Oh, wait...I was in the middle of making a point, wasn't I?)

When I look through my albums, I spend at least as much time rereading the journaling as I do looking at the pictures. Without my journaling there's so much I'd have forgotten, like what my oldest son used to call himself, how the boys reacted to the news that they were going to have a sister, and what everyone's favorites were at each age. Maybe it's because I'm not as strong a photographer as I'd like to be, but I often capture my children's personalities more completely through my words than my pictures.

I know a lot of scrappers struggle with journaling, so I wanted to share a tip and a website that I rely on.

First the tip. When I upload pictures from my camera to the computer, I take a few minutes to write some notes in a word processing document and store them with the photos. I might include a quote from one of the kids, some thoughts about what I felt while I watched them interact, rules to a game they made up, or a list of milestones the baby accomplished that month. If you already share that info online, refer back to your blog, FB wall, or wherever. You can copy and paste your posts into a document and save it if you want to keep everything together. It may be a year before I get around to scrapping those photos, but with notes to draw from I'll still be able to write meaningful journaling.

Now on to the site. I include lots of details about daily life in my scrapbooks, but I need inspiration to go beyond the moment. For that I love the website Friday letters (also known as Baby Love Letters). Each week there's a prompt and a story about what inspired it. To give you an idea of how varied the promts are, here are a few from my "to scrap" list:

#129 How are you teaching your child to handle stress?
#71 What is something you would like your child to know about their grandparents?
#130 What was your world like when you were little?

Here's a LO inspired by #112 What are your child's favorite things? (Credits here.)



I used Lyndsay's Berry Delightful Kit and Alphas for it.




I hope you make (and journal about!) lots of happy memories this summer.

Freebie Time!

Now if you stopped by the blog yesterday you will have seen that Lyndsay has an awesome collab out this week with the fabulous SuzyQ Scraps...

and if you buy the kit you get the quickpages FREE! Both also have 20% off for one week only!
I've used Now Playing to create a freebie cluster frame for you - I hope you like it - just click on the image to download :)
Enjoy!
Ellie :)

NEW! Now Playing & Free Quick Pages with Purchase!

Lyndsay has teamed up with Suzy of Suzy Q Scraps, to bring this week's new release Now Playing!, a super fun kit for scrapping all your favorite movies, date nights to the theater, and obsessions with movies!

As always, this Fresh Fruit is 20% off, until 30June.
Now Playing! $5.19 (reg price $6.49)



Special Free with Purchase Offer:

Buy the Now Playing collab, get the co-ordinating Quick Pages FREE! until 30June.

Now Playing Quick Page Pack $3.19 (reg price $3.99)



Here's some layouts from the CT girls to inspire you!




Have a great weekend!

Di

Sneak Peek

Hi everyone,
Di here with a quick sneak of Lyndsay's new release this week. She has teamed up with Suzy from Suzy Q Scraps to bring you a fun and amazing kit you won't want to miss.


Doesn't it look fun? Be sure to check Lyndsay's store at Scrap Orchard a little later in the week to pick it up! Oh, and if you don't already follow Lyndsay on facebook, you should go and signup. There might be a chance to win this kit before it is released! Just sayin'.

Weekend Surprise!

Hello Lyndsay Riches fans! Hope the weekend's a fun one for you. Anyone scrapping? I'm going to try but we'll see if it happens or not. Have you seen Lyndsay's new releases this week?

"Colour Me Girly" is the cuuuutest kit!

It's an essential as I'm sure my little girl will be coloring & drawing me lots of pictures in the years to come.

I actually stopped by today to give you all a freebie! Who doesn't love those? I know it's summer (at least for the Northern Hemisphere) & that usually means that schools are all out. With that, means the kids are home so less time to scrap! For today, I've made a quickpage for you with Lyndsay's bright, fun, summer kit-"Juicy Citrus".

I get a smile on my fave everytime I see this kit, I love the bright colors. I made my QP out of this layout that I did.

To get the QP-download here

Have a great weekend! Remember to upload any layouts you create with Lyndsay's kits, to her gallery at Scrap Orchard! We'd love to see them.

NEW! Color Me Girly & FREE Quick Pages with purchase!

My new kit, "Color Me Girly" is a fun twist on an arts and crafts theme - with loads of pink, hearts and flowers for your little girly girl artists-in-training! Check out the sweet crayons, scribbles and FOUR scribbly alphas that are included!

As always, this Fresh Fruit is 20% OFF now until June 24!
Color Me Girly Kit: $4.79 (reg. price $5.99)



Special Free With Purchase Offer:

Buy the Color Me Girly Kit, get the coordinating Quick Pages FREE!
June 17 - 24

Color Me Girly Quick Page Pack: $3.19 (reg. price $3.99)



Here are some CT layouts to inspire you!



COMING SOON to a theatre near you - a collab with SuzyQ Scraps!

Have a great weekend!

A Sneak Peek & A Chance To Win!

Hop over to my Facebook Fan Page for a chance to win my new kit (releasing June 18th) before you can buy it! Hurry - I'll be drawing winners in just a few hours!

Let's meet Helen!

1. Your Name
Helen Parker

2. Your Photo


3. How long you've been on Lyndsay's team
Since April 2010

4. Your favourite Lyndsay product


5. Your favourite layout created using Lyndsay's stuffs


6. Where do you get/what gives you - your scrapping inspiration
My inspiration is often sparked in either 1 of 2 ways. Sometimes, I will be blessed enough to capture a photograph of one of my nephews that just knocks my socks off and so I am inspired to find a kit to scrap it with. Many other times it is the latest kit one of the designers I work for has created. I will see the kit and know exactly which photo I want to use with it.

7. Do you usually start with the picture or the paper?
Now that I am on 4 CT's it is usually a kit but I have a folder of "pics to scrap" on my EHD so when the perfect kit comes along, I have my photo(s).

8. Your favourite snack/drink while you scrap
I don't usually snack much while I scrap....I hate constantly wiping my fingers off in between bites (lol). I will either have a cup of coffee or bottle of water sitting next to me though.

9. Anything else you want to tell everybody?????
If you are in the SO forums very much you probably know too much already :) I will leave it at that!

10. A link to your SO gallery
My gallery

Behind The Page

Hello fellow scrappers! Niki here to share with you some background info behind one of my favorite layouts with Lyndsay's kit, Mommy Deerest.

When I looked at the kit, I immediately thought of my favorite picture of my little girl, Alahna, and I. It was taken on my 30th Birthday, last September. We were sitting at our dining room table in the middle of the afternoon enjoying some yummy Birthday cake. It's hard to tell in these photos, because I turned them Black and White for the layout, but Alahna has cake all over her face and we were giggling because of that!

I loved all of the feminine swirls and bows and ribbons in this kit, along with the colors and textures in the papers. I had to use my favorite photo with this gorgeous kit!

Saturday Surprise!

Hey everyone, Lisa here with this weekends Saturday Surprise!

Have you gotten to the market to pick up Lindsay's new kit with the amazing Laura Banasiak a.k.a. simply.scraps?! It is seriously an adorable kit, so many cute elements and the papers are totally lush!!



Here is one of my layouts with this amazing kit



And for today's Saturday Surprise I have a clustered frame freebie! Enjoy!
click here to download

NEW! 2 Peas in a Pod Collab with simply.scraps!

This week, I've teamed up with one of my most favourite digi-girls in the whole wide world...Laura Banasiak a.k.a. simply.scraps! She is guesting with us at the Orchard for the month of June and from what I hear, she has a lot more fun collabs in store for you before the month is out! Check out her store at the Orchard HERE.

And...check out this a-DOR-able collab we put together for you! It's PERFECT for mom's of multiples...but has so many other uses, too! (Can you say "SHOWER INVITES?!")

Here is "2 Peas in a Pod"



On sale this week for just $5.19 PLUS, you'll get these sweet Quick Pages FREE with purchase of kit (offer valid until June 11).



Here is some fantastic CT inspiration for you - everything from babies to BFFs!



I'm off for a much needed mini holiday, so have a wonderful weekend!

Blast From The Past - Cool Summer (and a coupon!)

Hey everyone,
Di here again! Is it warming up where you are? Well with Summer just around the corner in the Northern Hemisphere, I thought what better kit to bring you in this month's Blast from the Past post that Lyndsay's awesome Cool Summer kit.



I love the bright summery colours in this kit, and it is full of unique elements like popsicles, clear glittery bits, and funky layered paper flowers that will be perfect for any summer layout!

And if you need anymore inspiration, here's just a small sample of the fantastic layouts created with the kit.


Friends by Lyndsay


Lickin' The Heat by Jen


Cool Treats by Stefanie


Shaved Ice by NeeNee


WOW....if you've reached this far, you need a little something to thank you for visiting. How about a coupon for 35% off the Cool Summer kit. Use the code BLaSt-CooLSumM to pick up the Cool Summer kit from Lyndsay's store at Scrap Orchard. The coupon is valid until 01JUL10. So what are you waiting for!

And if you make a layout from the kit, make sure you link us up in the comments, so we can go and leave you some love. Enjoy!

Sneak Peek

Hey everyone,
Di here, bringing you a sneak peek of the amazing kit Lyndsay has for you this week. She has teamed up with Laura from {Simply Scraps} to bring you something really special.



Doesn't it look gorgeous? Well let me tell you, it is!

Be sure to check Lyndsay's store at the Orchard a little later in the week to pick it up!