ScrapHappy

I promised!

A new challenge... speed scrapping!

I don't know how long you usually spend on a layout, but I'm a fast scrapper unless I'm doing something for publication (then I take a little more time and make sure everything PURRRFECT).

Basically, I'm an impatient perfectionist. I don't slap stuff on the page -- I really consider everything I add -- but I don't spend that extra two hours to find the final exact embellishment for the page. I get about 80 percent of the way there, and if I like what I have, that's it.

I rarely stress over it. That's what makes it funner (Is that a word??).

So, this week I challenge you to create a layout in THIRTY MINUTES OR LESS. If you usually spend four or more hours on a layout, maybe try to cut it in half. If you spend four or more DAYS on a layout, then perhaps your needs surpass the capabilities of this blog to help you (JUST KIDDING!).

Here's what I did in about 30 minutes (while tending to my two-year-old, who was insisting on testing every one of my Fiskars decorative scissors -- it runs in the family! -- and watching "A Series of Unfortunate Events").

Products: Daisy Ds patterned paper, Fiskars scissors (of course!), Bazzill, American Crafts chipboard thickers, and Heidi Swapp letter stickers.

Your turn! Show me what you create and post a link in the comments to this blog entry by Sunday, May something-or-other, and I'll pick a random winner to get some goodies. 

Listen! New episode up

Welcome to episode 3! We have a review of the Pebbles Inc. ribbon iron, a new essay, and more.

Here are the photos from the live, on-the-air trial of the ribbon iron:

Here is how I store my ribbon. As you can see, it occasionally will need an anti-wrinkle treatment of some sort (don't we all!):

The smaller pieces that aren't long enough to hang on these macrame hoops are stored in a glass canning jar. One sample that's primed for a Botox-treatment treatment:

And after the iron has been wielded:

WowZeRZ!~~

Here's another victim, a short piece of twill. Will it also fare well?

The process:

The result:

The verdict: Success, particularly when Lain learns she can replace her "ionic technology ceramic-plated" straightening iron with the mini Pebbles!

Other news:

*Don't forget to check in with Kelli before she leaves for Mozambique.
*Much running is happening
*Last week's winner is Tamara!

Take a listen here.

I suck.

I suck.

I know it.

The best of intentions and still I haven't updated this week with a new challenge... sorry. :(

I have some great ideas. Really. I also have some great ideas for redecorating the house, cleaning out my car, losing 10 pounds, and buying a house in Maui.

John just got back from Sweden (Sweden? Wasn't he just in Italy? Or was it Korea? you ask. I cannot keep track anymore, either, I reply.

I promise I will have a new podcast and a new challenge by Monday.

Read my lips. Really and truly.

Back in the Saddle

Yes, I am still here... just preoccupied with Life, including a husband who's been in Italy all week (Wait! you might say. Wasn't your husband just in Korea like one week ago?! And then I would answer, Why yes, I guess he was! Thank you for noticing!).

The less said about my husband's traveling habits, the better.

On to bigger and better things...

The winner of last week's Use Your Scraps challenge is Christel! Thanks for playing, chica! Send me your address again... not sure I still have it...

Here's her winning LO with tons of Basic Grey scraps:

Thanks for playing, my friend! We had very few entries this time around... I have to assume that either the rest of you do not have any scraps at all (meaning perhaps you're digital scrappers?? The lot of you??) or you are one of those artsy-types who turns all her paper scraps immediately into fetching mini-origami sculptures for the children, and elegant greeting cards that you then submit to Stampington... so which is it?

In other news, I have not been "freescrapping" much. I have two assignments for Simple I need to complete, and a few classes in development at Big Picture Scrapbooking. I am also finishing up the annual Vacation Bible School play that I write and act in (scary...very scary!).

Despite the lack of scrapping time, I've managed to enhance my stash a bit by picking up one of these:

Please do not ask me why I bought it. I can't honestly tell you. It's not like my ribbon is any more wrinkled than the next gal's... it was just so CUTE! And I had a 40 percent off coupon burning a hole in my pocket. What's a girl to do?  Maybe it reminded me of all the various hair-care products and tools that I never used in my adolescence because I had very short hair... or maybe somehow my ribbon was telling me subliminally that I need to take better care of it... Anyway, I haven't opened the package yet, but I will be giving a product review of the Pebbles Inc. ribbon iron in my next podcast... so stay tuned!

I will post the next challenge tomorrow, but with you all being such deadbeats lately (hehehe) I wonder if you'd even notice if I skipped a week... (she says, evil glint in her eye). 

New Episode Up!

ScrapHappy hits the road in the second podcast episode! Check it out here.

Show notes:
*Olive Juice
*Belkin
*Simple Scrapbooks Album Shortcuts
*Big Picture Scrapbooking
*Creating Keepsakes Computer Tricks for Scrapbookers
*Hambly Studios
*Kelli's Mozambique Project
*HeatherC is our winner for last week's podcast!

Technology and Me

As you probably know by now, I have a love-hate (or should I say, hate-hate) relationship with technology.

Remember the banner incident? (You probably noticed that it's still not resolved).

That's only the tip of the iceberg! I recently upgraded my computer system and now I'm having all sorts of fun things occur... like my mouse not working unless I hiss at it, stroke its back with my right index finger, and chant some strange sort of voodoo at it... maybe it wants some cheese?

And Vista is apparently incompatible to certain elements of Adobe Photoshop Elements. Who wouldathunk?

And every time I log into my e-mail, I have to promise not to misuse it or mistreat the program, and as if that weren't enough, I then have to re-promise the same thing a second time as soon as I attempt to send e-mail (did the computer think I had my fingers crossed the first time? Impossible, as those fingers were busy stroking the back of my mouse).

I'm beginning to think that while I wasn't looking, some bleeding heart liberal somewhere started an employees' bargaining unit for electronics equipment (yes, the equipment, not the operators or manufacturers). It was probably Al Gore, seeing as he invented the Internet and all.

Next thing  you know, we're going to have to pay our printers minimum wage and give them overtime and health benefits... An inconvenient truth, indeed!

All this is a longwinded attempt to create a pithy, entertaining lead-in to why today's layout scan looks like it was attacked by a rogue pair of scissors with pieces missing.

I tried to use the "clone" feature in PSE to replace the missing halves of the flowers, but it didn't work. I probably didn't give the computer program the days off it requested, or I asked it to perform a function that is currently being handled by another union, and as such I'm out of luck. Oh, well, it won't be the first time.

This cute layout (and it was cute until my scanner got angry with my request for it to work during its lunch hour) is Imaginisce, Mara Mi, and My Mind's Eye patterned paper, American Crafts letter stickers, 7Gypsies journaling stamp, Heidi Swapp flower, KI index tab, Prima flowers and Hero Arts crystals. And my cute hubby and baby.

What the heck?

I don't know what came over me, but I did a DOUBLE-PAGE SPREAD with MULTIPLE PHOTOS! (insert confetti and horn music here).

Do you get into ruts like that -- just scrapping a certain way? (Single photo pages, single page spreads)? Is it being a creature of habit, or is it getting lazy? I am not sure.

Why is it that if we're talking about a GOOD habit (like running two miles every morning -- something I'm trying to do but will probably flail at), no one would think twice?! They'd say I was very disciplined and they would admire me. But if it's a bad habit (like eating a bowl of Dreyers Slow-Churned Cookies 'n' Cream ice cream every evening) people make fun of and chastise me? No one tells me I'm disciplined for eating ice cream every night. Don't they recognize how hard it is? You have to find a place in the freezer to hide it from your husband and kids. You have to find a quiet time to eat when no one is around and will locate your hiding spot. You have to get the ice cream to just the right softness without being too runny. Geez, compare that to throwing on a pair of shoes and hitting the road for 20 minutes, and then tell me which takes more planning and foresight. It takes EFFORT, people!

Scrapbooking is the same way. If what you do is cute and scrapworthy, people will call it your "style." But if it's boring or just darn fugly, they'll say you're in a rut. Go figure.

Anyway, I did break out of the rut (or my personal style or whatever) with this layout:

Now it's your turn. I know, I know, I'm supposed to post challenges on TUESDAY. So sue me. (I take that back -- someone just might, claiming they have experienced emotional pain and distress at my hands by my wanton disregard for their reliance on my blog schedule...).

The challenge... NO, it's not to do a two-page layout (bet you thought you saw that one coming!). Instead, it is to use as many pieces from your scrap basket (or bin or folder or the pile on the floor or whatever) to create your layout or project. With the exception of the My Mind's Eye paper on the edges, all the other paper was from the scrap box. Create your project and then leave a link here!

LAST WEEK'S WINNER:

We had some awesome entries in the non-chrono scrapping last week. I encourage you to go check 'em out -- the links are down below in the contest entry's comments. The winner is... Deirdre! She created an adorable layout with photos from years apart of her son on St. Patrick's Day. So cute. Thanks for playing, everyone! Deirdre, send me your mailing addy and I'll get your goodies out.

New podcast episode up!

Episode 1 is live! You can search at iTunes under "ScrapHappy" or use the link in the post below.

Latest layout created using a bunch of incredible My Mind's Eye "Tres Jolie" goodies I got in the mail -- LOVE it. One of my recent favorite lines. Other supplies: WorldWin cardstock, American Crafts rub-ons, Prima flowers, All My Memories brads. (In real life, the page is not crooked. Someday I will learn to scan correctly!).

What are you working on?

Yeehaw!

It's a good day!

Why, you ask?

Well, the banner problem is slightly better thanks to the ministrations of my good friend Maria... and I will try some of the other suggestions you all gave. Thanks for the hand-holding!

I should mention that the graphic is provided by darling Stephanie. This woman rocks. If you don't know her, you soon will. (She's spending spring break in Utah with Lisa B.!).

Notwithstanding the improvements in my visuals, the real reason that today is a good day is...

HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PODCAST!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, you read that right! ScrapHappy is now available on iTunes, so hustle your chiclets right over there and download my intro and subscribe! And if you like it, leave a review... and if you don't like it, well, then, go find some other blogs to leave mean comments on. ;) We'll have none of that around here! (Constructive criticism always welcome, though).

I have no idea how to link from here to iTunes (when you get there, click "podcasts" and then search under "ScrapHappy"), but I can link you to this page where you can listen directly RIGHT NOW (because I know you can't wait)...hehehee.

But please, if you like me even a little, subscribe!

PS -- It's freefreefree!

ETA: Try this link to subscribe in iTunes: ScrapHappy

The Banner That Ate the World

Have you noticed something strange about my blog?

No?? Then you must be blind. Because that stupid banner is driving me nuts.

I consider myself fairly tech-savvy (I used to WRITE about technology, for gosh sakes'!). But for the life of me I cannot figure out how to fix the banner. I go into Photoshop Elements and make the file smaller, thinking (obviously wrongly) that this would make the banner smaller. What happens? The banner gets BIGGER.

"Aha!" I think, catching on. I go into PSE and make the file BIGGER. Yes, the "ScrapHappy" graphic gets smaller, but the yellow box gets bigger. And bigger. And bigger.

Don't phunk with my heart, I tell ya.

Anyone got any bright ideas? I'd be happy to repay you in scrapbooking goodies if you can save my sanity.

Stay tuned -- technology notwithstanding, there will be a big announcement tomorrow. :)