Beach Theme - Framed Scrapbooking Shadow Box Layout Idea

Back in October of 2011 I took my 2 cousins down to the Wildwood, New Jersey beach with us and I wanted to make a little keepsake for them of our trip down to the beach. I decided to make a scrapbooking layout (using 3 photos of them) and I framed in a wooden shadow box that is specially made for framing scrapbook layouts.

I slightly cropped down my 3 photos of them and matted them onto chocolate brown cardstock leaving a 3/16" border around the edges. I used a package of "beach" theme'd 3-d embellishment's from Jolees as my accent pieces on the layout. I had 2 large starfish stickers that I used in the bottom left corner to add some additional accent to the layout. I had some light metallic blue square shaped brads and placed one on one corner of each photo and left the other 3 corners of each photo blank.

I used a coupon from my JoAnn's flyer and got the wooden shadow box frame for 1/2 price...I think it was around $14.00 or so and simply slid my 3-dimensional layout inside it. On the backside I did my journaling which I typed up on the computer and printed it out and then used clear adhesive shipping tape to apply it to the backside of the wooden frame.

I think my cousins Brent and Jade will really like it and I can't wait to give it to them next week when I see them!

Scrapbooking | Save Time and Money by Using Premade Scrapbook Layouts

When it comes to saving time and money when scrapbooking many scrapbookers turn to using premade scrapbook pages and layouts because they are super fast to put together and are usually inexpensive. They are also a great alternative for those who are just getting into scrapbooking and don't want to invest a lot of money in tools and embellishments.

Last week I went shopping at one of my favorite online Scrapbooking stores called Scrapbuck.com and found a few premade scrapbook layouts (premade pages) that were on sale for $3.50 a set so I picked up two of them.

Today I am showing you what I did with the 2-page premade "Zoo" theme'd set that I purchased. Almost everything you see in the photos was already attached to the pages. I simply added my photos and a few zoo theme'd stickers. I think they are totally awesome and I love that this 2-page layout only took me a total of 10 minutes to do! Wow!!! Don't those 2 pages look awesome? Can you believe that you can make 2 pages for only $3.50 and they come already assembled? Wow!That's right folks...these are assembled pages! All you need to add is your photographs! If you want to add other things you can but they really are not necessary as these 2 pages are already loaded with enough embellishments and many of them are 3-dimensional! I love them! I am going to go back and get a few more premade scrapbook pages in a few days!

What do you think? Aren't they cute? I saved a slew of time and money buy purchasing the 2-page Zoo theme'd scrapbook layout! Check out Scrapbuck.com for all of your scrapbooking supplies. They are high-quality supplies (same stuff you find in your local store) but at a big discount!

Start Your Scrap Booking Engines With The New Cricut Expression 2

Start Your Scrap Booking Engines With The New Cricut Expression 2
By Gregory Fish and Susan Bravero

Being a crafty person has never been simpler with the Cricut Expression 2. This handy-dandy piece of equipment has made it easy and fun to make your personal craft projects unique and personal to your vision. Being as though the Cricut Expression 2 is not the first of its kind (hence the 2) the new sleek design and the full color LCD touch screen display with stylus shows its growth with the times. Let's be honest, we don't just like things to work well we also all secretly want it to look good too.

Scrap booking can become more of a creative outlet than a hobby with the many features that the Cricut Expression 2 has to offer. But don't make the mistake of thinking that you are just limited to scrap booking because you can use this for any creative project you are doing or even add to ones that you have already done. With the Cricut the possibilities are limitless!

Unlike most new purchases you make this tool comes with two already loaded cartridges one being the Alphabet cartridge and the other being the Essentials cartridge. The Alphabet cartridge is what you will use for numbers, designs and letters giving life to anything you write. No more plain Jane letters and numbers because with the Cricut Expression 2 plain is never an option.

Now let's talk about the Essential cartridge. "Why?" you might ask? Well let me tell you, this multipurpose cartridge is really where the creative fun begins! With this cartridge you will be able to access a ton of designs, shapes and artwork that will open your mind and get those creative juices flowing so that projects can become the masterpieces you intended them to be. Features like mat preview to allow you to see before you commit. There are also material settings so that you can have your work to perfection accordingly. Also you'll have a cutting area light to help with the precise cuts you need done. There is definitely someone in the Cricut development office that is looking to please the consumer!

It always means much more when you or someone you love makes something from scratch for you because they have to put a lot of thought and energy behind it to actually sit down and create it. The Cricut Expression 2 allows anyone to open up a new way of creation. Even if you have never have tapped into your inner craftiness you can use the Expression 2 to expand your mind to what possibilities there are. And the beauty in this is the freedom you have while having the option to express yourself without the help of Hallmark or any other major manufacture.

Imagine how refreshing it is to let yourself be who you are and being able to show that self in an artistic way using the Cricut Expression 2. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our everyday lives that we don't take the time to step out of the daily routine and do something that we can truly enjoy. So stop limiting yourself and start expressing yourself --have some fun!

Susan Bravero is a power house when it comes to writing about her favorite subjects. If it can be used in your home, and give more help and fun to your life, then Susan will research it and write about it. From appliances to sewing machines and anything else domestic oriented, Susan Bravero will be finding out what its about. If you would like to learn more about the Cricut expression 2 and its many fine features, just go to the Cricut Expression 2 Website. If you want to do some scrap booking, make some greeting cards or anything artsy, then you need to check out the Cricut Expression 2.

Scrapbooking | Fun Family Vacation to the Beach Scrapbook Layout

Today's featured free scrapbooking layout is for all of you who love quick, easy and cheap layout ideas! This 12x12 layout took less than 30 minutes to make and cost around $1.25 if that! The 2 photos were taken down at the Jersey Shore and were from a family vacation back in October 2011. They were matted on navy blue cardstock and we left a 3/16" border.

The background is a solid white sheet of cardstock and we used a scrap of striped (blues and greens) scrapbooking paper along the bottom, it measures 5 1/2" by 12" in size. We picked it as it reminds us of moving water due to the uneven stripe pattern.

We used epoxy stickers for our title "Fun Family Vacation" and we took a family vacation sentiment that was printed on white cardstock and matted it onto navy blue cardstock and used it for our journaling block. To finish it up we used 2 "water splat" stickers and placed one on one corner of each of the two photos. Some journaling was done with a gel pen above the top photo and below the bottom photo.

For all of you who enjoy quick, easy and frugal layout ideas...this one is for you! Enjoy!

Making some special frames for gifts

Guest post written by Amanda Lawson

I really love to personalize gifts whenever I can. I kept that in mind when I started thinking about all the things that I was looking at to consider to give my bridesmaids as thank you gifts. I'm going to have a photographer take all kinds of pictures of us on my big day, during the rehearsal and all the events surrounding it too, so I thought it would be neat to make a special picture frame for each of them.

I looked online to get some ideas for some DIY picture frame projects. While I was searching for that, I ran across some info on New Sears windows. Our home that we're moving into after we get married could use some fixing up and I think we're going to use the service to replace the home's windows.

I did find some really adorable DIY frame ideas and I think that I'm going to do a different one for each of my bridesmaids to make them a little more special. I think I'm also going to make a few to keep around our new house, too!

Scrapbooking | Repurposing Holiday Greeting Cards Into Your Scrapbook Layouts

My mother is a very frugal scrapbooker and she made this scrapbook layout a few days ago and I wanted to show it to all of you because she simply used scrapbooking paper, cardstock, holiday stickers and she used some old holiday greeting cards as accents on her scrapbook layout.

She cuts out accents from various greeting cards she receives and saves them for her paper crafting projects. She does "mist" them all with some archival mist to make them safe to use in scrapbooking and lets them dry before using them.

The stickers she used in the layout above only cost her .50 (they were on clearance and she got 3 holiday stickers for that price) and the 3 cardstock images (right side of the layout) were all cut from holiday greeting cards! (cost her nothing). To save even more money she did all of her journaling in her own handwriting and did it under each greeting cardstock embellishment that she added to the page. She used scraps of white scrapbook paper to frame out her photos and to she used a border punch to make "paper lace" that runs down the sides of her big red colored strip. Instead of using expensive glue dots she used 2-sided tape that she got at the dollar store.

Because she used scraps and inexpensive supplies the layout cost her ONLY $1.28 to put together! Wow...now that is frugal for sure! Just goes to show you that you can enjoy the scrapbooking hobby and not shell out a lot of money to do it! Enjoy & thanks for sharing your layout with us mom!

Walgreens Prescription Savings Club Information

This is a partnered post written by me on behalf of Walgreens. All opinions are 100% mine.

Have you heard all of the news lately about Walgreens and Express Scripts? If not, let me tell you a little bit about it. For the past year Walgreens has tried to negotiate a new contract with Express Scripts but the negotiations failed. As of January 1st, 2012, Express Scripts clients have to go elsewhere to get their prescriptions filled, often times this means commuting across town or to another town to get the medications that they need.

Walgreens is doing the right thing by offering the Prescription Savings Club at Walgreens to help ease the "pain" from the failed negotiations. Walgreens is offering a special discount where a family can join the Prescription Savings Club at Walgreens for only $10.00 for the year or an individual can join for only $5.00 for the year. Wow, what a great savings! Thank you Walgreens!

By joining you can received discounts on your family's prescription medications, flu shots, pet medications, diabetic supplies & medications and even asthma & breathing supplies and medications. Wow, you can really save yourself and your family some money by joining the Prescription Savings Club! This discount plan is on over 8,000 brand name and generic drugs which is really important!

If you are an Express Scripts client you really need to know all of this information and how the failed negotiations affects you! I would like to invite you to follow Walgreens on Facebook and/or Walgreens on Twitter so that you can be kept up-to-date and so you can learn more information.

Thank you Walgreens for caring about your customers!

Scrapbooking | Gia - The Bubble Blowing Little Girl - Scrapbook Layout Idea

My little granddaughter absolutely loves bubbles and last October I purchased her a big tub of bubbles with some speciality bubble blowing wands so her and her Pappy spent some time outdoors blowing lots of bubbles for me to catch! I just had to take a few photos & then scrapbook them.

This scrapbook layout is done in the 12x12 format. My background paper is made up of several pieces of scrapbooking paper. I used a sheet of solid medium pink cardstock paper as the base and then used a sheet of pink polka dot paper that measured 7" by 12" and run that across the middle but slightly off-center so that more space was at the top than what was at the bottom. I then cut 2 strips of paper with each one measuring 1" by 12" from lime green paper with pink polka dots and use that as paper ribbon to finish off each long edge of the pink polka dot paper. Finally I cut a strip of dark pink scrapbooking paper that measured 4 1/4" by 12" and ran that strip down the right side of the page.

I had 4 photos that I wanted to use so I cropped down 3 of them to fit onto the dark pink strip and placed them onto the layout with glue dots. I then framed them up with dark pink photo corners that had polka dots printed onto them. They blend in really nicely so it is hard to see in my photo. I cropped down my larger photo just slightly and matted it onto lime green and dark pink scrapbooking paper...left a 1/8" edge with the lime green paper and a 3/16" edge with the dark pink paper and placed it onto my layout with glue dots.

I had a cardstock title that says "Such a Beautiful Girl" that I matted onto dark pink scrapbooking paper and then trimmed around it leaving a 1/4" border and placed it at the top of my page to serve as my title block. I accented the little flower on it with a tiny dark pink rhinestone jewel.

To finish up the layout I used lime green cardstock letters to spell out her knickname of GIA and I chalked around their edges with dark pink chalk. I glued a tiny dark pink rhinestone on the dot of the I and then used glue dots to affix them under the larger photo.

I didn't do any journaling as you can clearly see what the photos are about. I did sign & date the layout in the bottom right corner of the page. I think this layout came out great and it only took me about 40 minutes to do! The colors are really vibrant but my camera flash made them look pale...but trust...they look great together!

Scrapbooking | "ZooTastic Fun" Zebra and Zoo 12x12 Scrapbook Layout Idea

Back in September 2011...My hubby and I visited the Cape May Zoo in Cape May, N.J. so I have been busy scrapbooking some of our Zoo photos for my scrapbook. Today's layout is done in the 12x12 format/size and done in all black and white! The layout features one photo of two Zebra feeding. Aren't they beautiful?

I took a piece of zebra print scrapbooking paper and trimmed it down to measure 5 1/2" by 12" in size and glued it across the center of my solid white cardstock background page. I had 2 self-adhesive zebra print boarder stickers and I ran one of those across the top and one across the bottom of the page. From black cardstock I cut two strips with each one measuring 1/4" by 12" in size and glued them along the top and bottom edges of the zebra print paper. I think that gives it a nice finished look.

I slightly cropped down my photo of the zebra to measure 3 3/4" by 5 1/2" in size and matted that onto zebra print paper and then onto black cardstock. I leaft an 1/8" border around each mat. I then used glue dots to attach the matted photo to my background page. I cut a rectangular shaped block from white scrapbooking paper and inked around the edges with black ink. I then double matted that onto zebra print paper and black cardstock. I used self-adhesive stickers to spell out the word ZEBRA and attached it to my page. (see photo for placement).

I had a large cardstock sticker of a zebra and I placed it onto white scrapbooking paper and then trimmed it into a square size. I inked around the edges with black ink and then double matted it onto zebra print paper and black cardstock. (see photo for placement). To accent that block I simply used a black and white printed paperclip and paperclipped it to the block along the right edge of my paper.

To finish up I used my Cricut on the 1 1/4" size setting and the shadow letter effect to cut out the ZOOTASTIC and FUN! letters from black cardstock. I then ran those letters through my sticker maker machine and placed the ZOOTASTIC at the top of the page and the FUN! on the bottom left of my page. I took a fine point black marker and wrote the zoo name, date, etc. under the Zebra Block Sticker that I had made.

Overall...I love this layout! I think it came out beautiful and I only used BLACK and WHITE in the entire design of the Zoo (Zebra) page. Isn't it cute? LOL

Shopping for New Custom-Made Stamps to Use in My Crafting Projects

If you have been following my blog for awhile now you will have already figured out that I am a big paper crafts type of person. I am very passionate about scrapbooking and making homemade greeting cards so I go through a lot of stamps and inking products.

One of the things I have been wanting to purchase has been a few custom stamps for some of my paper craft projects! I would love to have a new custom stamp that says "Handmade by Shelly" made up so that is probably first on my list of stamps to get this year.

Since my daughter and I both scrapbook and often scrapbook together I would like to get us some signature stamps as I think they are totally cool! I think they would be fabulous to use on our scrapbook layouts, handmade greeting cards or even on a few of our ATC trading cards. I love that you can get these in a self-inking style so you don't even have to mess with separate ink pads to use them.

I went to a few offline retail stores here in my area to search for these two styles of custom stamps and none of our local stores had any for sale. Geesh, go figure! I then decided to get online and look on the internet for custom discount stamps and I found several nice places online that sell them for an affordable price. Yeah me, I love shopping online & finding exactly what I want!

I think when I order my custom stamps that I will also go ahead and order a new address stamp and a new banking stamp "for deposit only" as both of those will help me out with my home-based business. I love the various styles and types you can get with those these days!

So...if you are a crafter like me and can't find any custom stamps in your local area...you really should check out the retailers online because they have a bigger selection of stamps and frankly, they are so much cheaper than our local craft supply stores!

Scrapbooking | Visit to Hershey Chocolate World Scrapbook Layout

Back in October 2011 we were celebrating my husband's 50th Birthday so we decided to take our 26 yr. old daughter and our 2 1/2 year old grand daughter to Hershey Chocolate World in Hershey, Pennsylvania for the afternoon. I wanted to capture that fabulous afternoon so that we would always remember it so I decided to scrapbook a photo that was taken that afternoon while we visited Chocolate World.

I used a piece of 12x12 scrapbooking paper for my background that was done in a neutral tone with beiges and browns. I purchased a pack of stickers at the local Hershey Scrapbooking store and used them to accent my layout (the Hershey's chocolate bar, Hershey's Kisses, Hershey's Hugs and even the title of my page came from that pack).

I took our large photo (slightly larger than a standard 4x6 photo) and framed it out in a dark chocolate brown frame and attached it to the page with glue dots.

This was a super quick, easy and frugal layout to do and I love how clean looking it is. In a few days I will post the matching page which has my journaling and the rest of the photos on it.

Cafe Well: The Social Network to help you get fit and to stay healthy

This is a compensated post written by me on behalf of Cafe Well. All opinions are 100% mine.

Normally I do not discuss health topics here on my craft blog but since it is a new year and I know many of my readers make New Year's Eve resolutions to get more active, fit and to loose weight so today I am making an exception and going to talk to you about the social networking site called Cafe Well. This wonderful social network offers corporate wellness programs that really work and both companies and participants are loving it!

Cafe Well is sponsored by HealthAmerica and Race to the Moon represents a wellness program that is both fun and rewarding to participants. Each member is offered a free wireless pedometer which tracks their steps and rewards them for those steps and milestones! We all love rewards because that is what motivates us to get up off the sofa and to move around!

Race to the Moon works and in just under 1 month the program participants walked over 50 million steps, wow, what an accomplishment that is! You can find all of the information over at Cafe Well so that you can participate and I think this program is so successful because you can interact with other participants over on their site to get some additional support and tips. Social networking online is where folks are and where folks get their support these days and you can get support there too!

If I was to create a challenge it would be to eat more healthy foods as both my husband and I like to indulge way too much in unhealthy foods which is packing the pounds onto us. I am already an avid walker so where I need to make a change is in my eating.

I hope you head on over to Cafe Well and check out the program information as I think you will really like what you see. Good Luck!

Scrapbooking Romantic 50th Wedding Anniversary Scrapbook Layout Idea

A few months ago my great aunt handed me a box full of photos and asked me to scrapbook them for her and I am just now getting around to it. My great aunt has very simple tastes (she is now 86 years old) so I am keeping the layouts pretty streamlined and clean looking as I know she would like that more than me really cluttering up the pages. The layout above was done in the 12x12 format and took about 35 minutes to make.

The background is a piece of 12x12 printed scrapbooking paper done in offwhite with multi-shades of blue in an all-over rose print. I made 2 border strips from solid dusty blue cardstock paper that each measure 3/4" by 12" in size and used a fancy decorative edge on my paper trimmer to pretty up one edge on each strip and glued one to the top and to the bottom of the page.

I had 3 photos that were taken of them about 18 years ago so I cropped them down and matted them onto white cardstock and then onto dusty blue cardstock leaving a 3/16" around each mat. I placed them onto the page as seen in the photo above. I had a 4" diameter paper lacy edge doily that I cut in half and placed each half under the top and under the bottom of the photo of the two of them together on the right side of the page using tiny glue dots. I then accented each end with a 3-dimensional dusty blue flower.

I took a clear-adhesive sticker that says "Two People, One Heart" and matted that onto white and onto dusty blue cardstock and cropped it down for my title block. I then had my aunt write "Mr. and Mrs. Alvin ____" onto white cardstock in her own handwriting and matted that with dusty blue cardstock, leaving a 3/16" edge.

I think I accomplished a clean, simple and uncluttered look with the layout. Auntie loves roses and her favorite color is blue...hence my choice for the print paper and the solid cardstock.

Scrapbooking Aged to Perfection 50th Birthday Party Scrapbook Layout

Happy 50th Birthday to my Husband! Back in October 2011 we held a surprise 50th Birthday Party for my hubby at our local Olive Garden and had almost 30 guests. We had a fantastic time with a lot of great food! I wanted to do a scrapbook page of the Birthday Boy but I wanted it to be "manly" looking and this is what I came up with.

I used a piece of 12x12 scrapbooking paper with a black, dark burgundy and light yellow striped pattern. I then cut two strips that measure 1" by 12" from solid black cardstock and glued them along the top and bottom of the page. I used burgundy stickers to spell out "Ove The Hill Sam!" across the top and "The Birthday Boy" across the bottom.

I had 2 photos that I cropped down and matted them onto pale yellow and then black cardstock leaving an 1/8" border with the yellow and a 3/16" border with the black. I made a 1" by 2 1/2" size tab from yellow cardstock and matted that onto black cardstock and used a glue dot to place a round black button onto it. I slid the tab behind the #2 photo with about 1" of it sticking out. (see photo for pic placements & the tab).

I had 2 clear adhesive back stickers that I wanted to use...one that said "Aged to Perfection" and one that said "Make a Wish" and I put them onto pale yellow cardstock, inked around the edges in black and then matted the blocks onto black cardstock. I trimmed it down so that only 3/16" border remained. I used adhesive foam dots on the back of each one and placed them onto my page. To finish up the layout I used two chipboard numbers 5 and 0 and used glue dots to attach them to the upper right corner of the "Aged to Perfection" block.

I really like the clean (not cluttered) look of this layout and it is certainly manly looking! The layout took me about 35 minutes to make since I used stickers for my lettering and title blocks.