Ever do something sometimes and think “oh wait I should have done . . .” and then its too late! There is no turning back, it is what it is! Well after I finalized my tinyprints order Friday, I didn’t feel that way, but with the follow up phone calls/emails if I had felt that way I would have had plenty of opportunity to fix something I would have wanted changed. By Friday evening I received not only a phone call but a follow up email about my order. I was given some advice on using different wording for my postcards and was informed that the image I sent wasn’t clear. I was so impressed by the response of customer service, it was really nice to hear a voice on the other end of the phone. After we went back and forth, I was sent another email where I had to ok the changes on each card (for front and back) before the order was to be processed. That was Tuesday, by Friday I received my box of goodies!





Look at these party invitations! My son was so excited! He’s been planning his birthday party since we had his sisters 2nd birthday this past summer. His Star Wars theme is going to be equipped with Yoda Sodas, Death Star pizzas, and Jedi training! I’m so glad we found these invitations, it made this part (and the thank you part) of the party planning process less stressful.



With the post cards and ornaments, I embellished a plain brown gift bag with the postcards, tied the handles with yarn, and topped it off with the ornament cards! Oh I only wished I had a gift for myself to wrap it in this unique bag!
(Photos on the postcard and photo ornament by Sara McManus Photography - www.saramcmanusphotography.com)

Anybody on facebook notice the ads on the right hand side? I keep finding myself clicking on the Tiny Prints ad and going to their site to check out their adorable cards. Guess what? I was recently given the opportunity to create cards from their website and I couldn’t be more excited!

I took about an hour (a very enjoyable hour I might add) to look through all of their products, from photo cards (worthy of framing), greeting cards (for any occasion imaginable), photo gifts, Pop up and flip greeting cards (so unique), holiday coloring cards, holiday newsletter inserts and even personalized birthday cards. While looking around you can click on the little folder to the bottom right of each card and add it to "My Picks". It will be placed in a tray along the bottom of your page so you can compare your favorites to one another. The ideas are endless, and this is what I created.

Every year I give my loved ones handmade ornaments with photos of my kids on them to adorn the top of their presents. Each one of my family and friends look forward to receiving them year after year. Can you believe Tiny Prints makes photo ornaments? I had a hard time deciding which one, and decided on this one. (Note that this card was designed by Kate Beckinsale for the Epidermolysis Bullosa Medical Research Foundation.)

It took me all of 5 minutes, between uploading, personalizing and checking out. Don’t get me wrong, its not that I don’t enjoy putting the time into creating ornaments every year, but this really did take away some unnecessary stress this holiday season. What I also chose to do was create a collage postcard to embellish brown gift bags. What a perfect way to further personalized my gifts along with the ornament cards on top. This was the template that I used.



Next I created birthday invitations with matching thank you notes for my son’s 6th birthday party. His theme is star wars and sure enough tiny prints had a layout that was perfect for me to use.



One thing I wished I had ordered were their photo birthday cards. Why look for the perfect card for each and every person on your birthday list. Give them a one of a kind card fully equipped with your photos and personalized sentiment inside. Have 30 birthdays you celebrate a year? Buy 30 of these cards and BAM – your birthday card list is complete. – I LOVE how you can even personalize the back with sweet words and a small photo. Oh well, next time I'm adding those to my shopping cart.


















Look for my next post where I’ll be showing off my personalized goodies and what I did with them!

Happy Turkey Day

We want to wish you and yours a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday.
Here are some coloring pages to keep the little ones occupied at the kiddie table and some additional turkey day fun. We can't wait to see what this holiday inspires you on your next card making or scrapbook project!

What inspires you?

So I'm trying to figure out what inspires fellow scrappers to to scrap the pages they do. Is it a particular photo you have, the season, a title name, a new paper line you found at the store, or seeing another layout? I think whatever way you organize your thoughts prior to scrapbooking tells alot through the page you create. For example if you are driven by a particular photo, it will take center stage on your page and you may tend to spend more time on the photo than on any other part of the page. Yes? No? I was inspired by a title called "Death by Candycorn" and I immediately thought of a photo I took of my kids with candycorn teeth! Here is a photo of the page I came up with! What does this layout say for my inspiration? I'd like to know what inspires you - make sure to leave your commments here.

THIS WEDNESDAY: Catch the debut of the LIVE, call-in, internet radio show, CREATIVE MOJO with MARK LIPINSKI, at 2:00-4:00 pm central on www.toginet.com. IT'S FREE!! First guest - Eric Maisel author of Coaching the Artist Within and Fearless Creating!

Scrapbooking & Beyond Fall 2010 issue

This issue of Scrapbooking & Beyond features a basketful of great Fall layouts, albums, and ideas. If you're sending kids back to college or have family members or friends living in distant parts of the country, you might want to check out "Postcards from Home." For those of you who are travel savvy (or who would like to be), our collection of Destination layouts offers some super ideas on preserving your vacation memories. There's even a special Travel Tin project (perfect for storing your photos), and several album ideas. Pick up the latest issue today!

Rainy Day Activity

Ok, so it didn't rain today. I was really hoping it would because I promised my son and niece a fun little art project. So we pretended. Here is a picture my niece drew












I pinned it to a doubled piece of off-white fabric and sewed around the outside edges (the picture here is actually my son's drawing). Then turned it right side out and had the kids stuff them. Then added clothes and in my sons case a collar (since he felt when all was said and done the doll he drew looked more like a dog) and there you have it!



Two proud kiddos! Ok so what does this have to do with scrapbooking? Nothing really. But this picture would make for a cute card :)!

Scrapbooking & Beyond Facebook Layout Challenge

OK FANS, we want to see your style. Email us a picture of your favorite
layout, 12" x 12", 8" x 8", 4" x 6", it doesn't matter, as long as you love it! Themes to choose from are The Great Outdoors, School Days and Halloween-we will feature a few favorites in the Fall 2010 issue of Scrapbooking & Beyond and the winner will receive a beautiful prize package from GCD Studios filled with the wonderful Artsy Urban collection designed by Melody Ross. It includes 48 12" x 12" papers and nine embellishment packs.






















So, show off your style
and email your finished image to hklimas@allamericancrafts.com ("S&B facebook challenge" in subject line) by 6pm EST on July 1st!!!

Facebook Fan Bottle Cap Challenge

I am so excited to offer our facebook fans this opportunity. Paper Creations magazine wants to throw a challege out there for our facebook fans to create a "Fall Themed bottle cap" (like the one shown here.)



We will pick a handful of our favorites to showcase in our Fall 2010 issue and pick 1 favorite out of that group to win this wonderful prize courtesy of GCD Studios.




















GCD Studios has supplied us with this wonderful collection designed by Melody Ross. It includes 48 12" x 12" papers and nine embellishment packs. And did you know that every piece of paper they make has a textured feel to it? Not something you can experience over the internet!!! If you would like to stay up to date on what is going on with GCD Studios, make sure to sign up for their newsletter.

Keep in mind we are looking for the following:
*Fall Themed pieces - it can be as simple or as complex as you would like. You can embellish the inside or the outside, take your pick. But please make sure these pieces are original.
*Need some direction? Check out this link for some helpful tips on how to prep and seal your piece (if you desire). (Thank you Paper Imagery Design for this tutorial.)
*Only three entries per person.
*Email finished pictures to hklimas@allamericancrafts.com with "bottle cap challenge" in the subject line.
*The contest ends Friday May 28th at 6 p.m. EST. Top winners will be notified by June 16th and they will be featured in our Fall 2010 issue on sale July 27th.


So get out there and CREATE!

Journaling . . . It Could Change Your Life!

By Lisa Lelas



No doubt about it . . . we live in stressful and uncertain times. With health care a major issue for both insured and uninsured alike, professional organizing and life coach Lisa Lelas writes about the proven benefits of keeping a journal. Recording your feelings can be both therapeutic for your body and for your soul. It costs nothing but a few minutes each day.

There are many types of journals from which to choose. Exploring just one or two of the different journals described in the Spring 2010 issue of Scrapbooking & Beyond might be all that is needed to stroke your inspiration and motivation to take on yet another creative masterpiece.

So, if you need to get a few things off your chest, or perhaps to find a new source for inspiration, sharpen your pencil and start journaling!

Summer Party Ideas

Did the heat wave this past weekend put you in the mood to throw a BBQ? Follow these instructions to create a unique way to invite your friends and family to your next party. Enjoy!

Bottle Swap

Have you ever heard of a Bottle Swap? While looking on YouTube to find videos to offer to my facebook fans and blog followers I came across a series of videos by Yoliebean!



Yoliebean, Yolanda Pasillas, is a long time crafter, 16+ years. She's a mother of 7 children (YES I said 7), wife and lover of all things crafty. She first did the bottle swap about 15 years ago with a group of ladies attending classes at a local rubberstamp store. After watching YouTube and seeing swap videos, she realized that no one knew about swapping items in a plastic bottle. She thought it would be cool to do so she made a video.


This video explains the rules and details on getting your bottle ready.


About 30 people participated in her first swap while her second one had 104! She recieved emails everyday asking when the next one was going to be.



This video shows you what your bottles should look like when they are completed. If you are packing them in a box to ship, feel free to decorate the outside of the bottles as well.

If you wanted to start one yourself, this is what Yolanda suggests you do:
*Get confirmations from all who want to participate - give them a date to do so by.
*Pair people up, have them answer basic questions about themselves and their crafting style, likes and items they'd really like to get in their bottle.
*Give a dollar amount per bottle.
*Give a time frame to have them mailed by.
*Contact people via email with gentle reminders.
*Have at least one bottle packed and ready to go - just in case someone drops out last minute!
*She also suggested to limit US swaps to US and abroad swaps abroad. Shipping these items can be tricky across the borders.

I was thinking about all the possibilities for this idea - they are endless. I'd like to share with you what I came up with - but I'm too excited with what I'm thinking about that I want to consider it as a challege for our facebook FANS! We'll see !!!

In the meantime, get out there and start your own bottle swap. Make sure to let us know how it worked out!

WE DID IT!

We reached over 1000 fans on both our Paper Creations and Scrapbooking & Beyond facebook pages! I just can't believe it! If there were a way to shoot fireworks out from your computer screen to show my excitement, believe me I'd do it! You'll just have to settle for a picture of it for now.

I'm so grateful to all of our fans for referring us to their friends and helping us grow! This was all accomplished in less than a month and I can only image where we will be with our fan base - let's say - by the beginning of the summer! A big THANK YOU goes out to all of our fans! I can't wait to start sharing tips, contests, videos and to continue to have giveaways on our facebook pages!

THANK YOU!

Paper Creations Summer 2010 issue

I am so excited to be posting Paper Creations Summer 2010 issue here on the blog. I've met a few of our designers in this issue on our facebook page and I want to share a few of their pieces.

Maricel Fabi (who's card made the cover)



Diane Noble



Charity Hassel



Michelle Woerner



Jennifer Hansen



I'm so thankful to have such a creative group of designers that make our magazine what it is. Thank you so much ladies for being so creative! I am looking forward to getting to know all of you - through the blog and on facebook!

Facebook Fan Winners

We have a new Bic Marker winner on each of our facebook fan pages this week. Rachel Houghton on Scrapbooking & Beyond's page and April Ford on Paper Creations page. We've had a surge of fans this past week and I'm so excited how everybody else is thrilled to be connected with us on facebook!

Happy Easter

I wanted to share one of my favorite Easter treats (other than anything and everything chocolate/peanut butter) - PEEPS. First of all their shelf life is FOREVER! Secondly, they have so many different shapes and flavors to choose from. (Note: At Christmastime the gingerbread men are delicious!) Finally, did you know some great Peeps recipes include peanut butter and peeps sandwich, chocolate covered peeps, peeps wrapped in bacon, deep fried peeps, and even a peep turducken (peep stuffed with a cadbury egg stuffed into a chocolate bunny.)

Ok,I'm sure I wont be trying any of those but I might try my hand at peeps smores. Toasting those little buggers over a camp fire - I bet the sugar coating forms sort of a crispy crust & the marshmallow insides get all melty & gooy! I'll save these for our campouts this summer!

Happy Easter!

Facebook Bic Marker Winners are . . . .

Nathalie Faubert on Scrapbooking & Beyond facebook page and Jackie Kimball Hart on Paper Creations facebook page. Congratulations Nathalie and Jackie, you are our first winner of a 36 pack of Bic markers. To the rest of our fans, keep suggesting us to your friends. We have more to give away and the more fans we get the more prizes we will have to offer!!!

Bic Markers

Make sure to become a fan of our Paper Creations and Scrapbooking & Beyond facebook pages. For every 250 fans we make on each facebook page, we will be holding a random drawing to give away this 36 pack of Bic markers. The winner will be randomly selected, contacted via facebook, and the winner will be posted on both our facebook pages and here on the blog. So make sure to tell your friends to become a fan today.

Kit Kraze

Enter our drawing for a chance to win the kit featured in the Spring issue of Scrapbooking & Beyond. Write your name, mailing and e-mail address, and phone number on a postcard and send to:
All American Crafts, 7 Waterloo Road, Stanhope, NJ 07874, Attn: Scrapbooking & Beyond KIT KRAZE, or click here fill out the online entry form. All entries must be received by April 1, 2010. Winner will be notified by April 15, 2010 and announced in our Summer issue, on sale June 1, 2010. Another exciting kit will be offered in our Summer 2010 issue.

Happy Birthday Jane

I would like to wish my editor, Jane Guthrie, a very happy birthday! I hope your day is lovely!
P.S. Here’s a picture of a chocolate mouse from her favorite little chocolate shop in New Hampsire - L.A. Burdick.

Introduction

I’d like to take this first Blog entry to introduce myself. My name is Heather, I have worked for All American Crafts Publications as an Assistant Editor for 9 years now. I first started working on Craftworks™ magazine for about a year, then moved onto Create & Decorate™ magazine for about 6 years. I have spent the last 2 years as the Assistant Editor for Scrapbooking & Beyond™ and Paper Creations™ magazines.
I’ve been married now for 8 years to my high school sweetheart Noah, and I work full time from home so that I can take care of my 2 kids, Wyatt, 5, and Leah, 19 months. I’m looking forward to keeping you updated on what is new and exciting in the Scrapbooking world (both on paper and digital) all the while keeping you excited about picking up our next issue of Scrapbooking & Beyond™ and Paper Creations™ to find out more.