Sneak Peek #6: Lily Bee Persnickety (FOTM)

"Sweet Sisters" by Brenda Carpenter

"You'll find all of your favorite trends in colors, shapes and patterns in this line. With a fresh palette, this collection is sure to span all seasons for all kinds of projects!" -- Lily Bee blog

Sneak Peek #5: American Crafts Ready-Set-Go (FOTM)

"Leaving On A Jet Plane" by Beth Hallgren

"Amy Tangerine Ready Set Go has a wide array of warm autumn colors — including navy blue, pink, and woodgrain — that create a base for unique travel, home, and school icons: from cameras, cars, and houses, to globes, speech bubbles, and an adorable hand-drawn elephant. (Seriously, so adorable.)" -- American Crafts blog

Sneak Peek #4: Simple Stories Take a Hike (DS)

"Fireside Fun" by Aphra Bolyer

"A campy collection that's all about your rustic outdoor adventures! From nature-inspired yellows, greens and oranges, to deep woods blues and browns - not to mention touches of dark woodgrain, stripes, dots, plaids and chevrons mixed in with oh-so-campy icons and elements - it's the perfect collection for your outdoor adventures!" -- Simple Stories blog

Sneak Peek #3: Bella Blvd Thankful (FOTM)

"Thankful..." by Jennifer Moore

"Find the perfect amount of cozy and crisp in the holiday season's newest Thankful collection.  From houses and homes to pumpkin patches and leaf piles, this fall is bound to be colorful.  Celebrate your family, your neighbors, and annual traditions with these festive patterned papers, cardstock stickers and coordinating embellishments." -- Bella Blvd blog

Sneak Peek #2: Pebbles Walnut Grove (DS)

"2 Sisters 1 Dress 45 Years" by Theresa Sovacool

"Stroll through fields of prairie flowers and wrap up in the textures of the homestead with Walnut Grove. Teal, blue, yellow and pinks, ranging from blush to cranberry, are accented beautifully with black, making the perfect palette for patterns inspired by textiles and nature." -- Pebbles blog

Sneak Peek #1: Simple Stories Harvest Lane (FOTM)

"So Very Blessed" by Melanie Call

"Grab your favorite sweater and take a stroll down Harvest Lane. With rich teal, crisp green, deep red, golden yellow and rustic orange - plus pops of kraft, wood and homemade goodness - our new Harvest Lane is a bushel full of homespun happiness. It's the perfect collection for celebrating your seasonal homemade memories." -- Simple Stories blog

Card Crop Coming Soon!

Have you been over to our Message Board recently?  If you have, you'll notice that we've got a little something cooking for next weekend:  a card crop!  We've got members issuing challenges and some discussion going about getting Christmas cards started.  NO, DON'T GLARE AT ME LIKE THAT!  I didn't come up with that idea!  (But geez, dontcha think that's brilliant???  Do it now while we have time!)

In case you aren't sure what goes on at a card crop, here's some more info:

1. Dude. It's cards. Don't worry about getting piles of photos prepped.
2. Maybe you should put a hairy eyeball on the scraps you've got hanging around. Just saying. 
3. September 28/29/30 - just in time to participate in our Be A Blessing Challenge, too!
4. You will need snacks and stretchy pants. Make sure you can get into them ASAP on Friday.
5. Want to yawn all night and go to bed early? Well, then, don't hang out at the crop. We are going to be hoppin'!
6. Randomly awarded prizes for really nonsense stuff awarded by yours truly. No, I don't have a bunch of clearance stuff taking up space. I don't know what you are talking about. 

What?  Not a member?  Easy peasy.  Go to our Message Board and sign up.  You'll get access in plenty of time to participate in the crop and all the fun that goes along with hanging out with awesomely supportive and fun (did I mention fun?) scrappers.

What?  Want to throw a card crop challenge out there?  Easy peasy.  PM me (Savi is my super secret scrappy name on the Message Board) and let me know what you are thinking.  I'm not that scary; just screening out the duplicate challenges... but if you feel the need to bribe me with chocolate, I won't argue.

What?  No mojo?  Easy peasy.  We are here for you!  Check out the Ideas Gallery - our Design Team makes cards with every kit, every month.  Just for you.  And to get you going, here's September's cards from the gallery:

Melanie Call

Melanie Call

Jennifer Moore

Jennifer Moore

Beth Hallgren

Theresa Sovacool

Theresa Sovacool

Hope to see you next weekend!

- Theresa (a.k.a. "Savi")

Hungry for Some Soup? It's In the Details!

Jillibean Soup, that is!  We're pretty happy to have a delicious double helping this month, with Grandma's Lima Bean Soup and Country Pumpkin Chowder in the kits.  While I'm not exactly sure those soups would be a hit on my dining room table (my boybarian horde is picky), I am sure that all the extras that came with the kits were a hit with our Design Team!  Check out how we put those great extra bits to work:

Brenda perfectly matched her daughter's headband with this gorgeous felt blossom - and added those great "banner bites" flags, too!

Melanie took the banner bites stickers to the next level - layers, twine, and brads - oh my!

Jenny created a sticker and button embellie cluster to match the Bean Blossom flower.  Love all the different textures and patterns - and they make a great flag anchor, too!

Beth layered one diecut under a photo and popped the other up for great dimension.  She also trimmed off those fuzzy tabs that end up on diecuts - quick and easy, but a lot of impact.

I used one of the larger diecuts to anchor my title - and used more diecuts to stand in for the letter "O".

So break out all the delicious extras and season your Jillibean Soup layouts with wonderful details, too!  Soup's on!  MMMMmmmmm...

- Theresa (a.k.a. "Savi")

Photo Assignment: September

September.  What's the first thing to pop into your head when you see that word?  Back to school?  Friday night lights?  Fresh garden produce?  Leaves starting to turn?  Cooler temps?  (Or maybe warmer, depending on where in the world you are!)

As it turns out, Tammy has picked kits for September that would look awesome paired with any photo you take with September in mind.  Isn't it amazing how that works?  *giggle*

We've kicked off this photo assignment with these photos from the Design Team:

Jenny says:  "This is definitely what September means to me! School time!"

Beth says:  "#77 is my son on his way to the quarterback. When I think September I think football!"

Melanie says:  "This September is an exciting month of beginnings for our family. My oldest started kindergarten....eek! And the little one started preschool...which he calls Kindergarten to be like big brother.  For some reason they didn't want to wear the cute polo shirts I picked out....Lego Ninjago and Captain America was much more awesome!"

Aphra says:  "The school bus rolling down the street is iconic for me for the month of September."

Brenda says:  "My oldest daughter Emma celebrates her birthday on Sept 5th."  Happy Birthday, Emma!

I say:  "Apparently my kids are nudists during the summer. School starts and suddenly there's tons of laundry!"

So now it's your turn to go out there and capture that image you have in your head when you think of September.  It would be a great addition to your Project Life, Month-in-Review, or calendar pages.  You may even be inspired to take more than one photo and make a layout about what this time of year means to you.  Do you have a smile on your face?  I do.  And just for fun, here's Mr. Linky to display your September photos.  I guarantee someone will look at your link and be inspired - so thanks for sharing!

- Theresa (a.k.a. "Savi")

Step It Up with Melanie - If You Choose!

I loved the pre-made pattern papers included in the September kit from Basic Grey and My Mind's Eye! 

You can make a quick page by just adding a photo and a bit of journaling to the pre-made pattern paper and voila...you have preserved a memory!!! Plus it looks fab :).

Or you can add a bit of embellishments to the layout and Step It Up if you want. I decided to add a few of the fabulous embellishments included in our kit to my layouts! After all, I have decided to no longer hoard my embellishments, but to actually use them :)

Here is the Basic Grey Flannel Suit Pattern Paper...it already looks great!

Step Up 1: I added my photo, title with a SC veneer heart, and journaling.  (Ignore the glare and poor lighting. I'm a night owl scrapper so my lighting was not the best for a photo)

Step Up 2: I could have easily left my layout alone...but those adorable banners were just asking me to use them!  So I added a banner, SC fabric rips, some BG journaling cards (cut up), SC wood arrow, and twine with staples.

I do love adding the extra embellishments to make it a bit more personal plus I LOVE embellishments :).

Be sure to use those pre-made pattern papers...they are a great way to scrap quickly and love your layout!

- Melanie

Got Scraps? New Challenge!

I think just about all of us have them.  Lurking.  And we avoid making eye contact - out of sight, out of mind, right?  You know what I'm talking about...  those pesky little scraps.  We *want* to kill our kits, we really do, but there's just a few too many pieces left to let us turn our backs and walk away.

Maybe I can help.

Just like the Freaky Fast Formula and Page Starter, this challenge is designed to get you scrapping quickly and with a minimum of fuss.  You can do as much or as little as you like, in whatever style suits you.  And the best part... you just might be able to finally kill off some kits, or at least make a dent in that scrap pile!

Step 1:  Find an almost-dead kit.  No kit?  No worries - go dig through your scrap pile and find some coordinating patterned paper scraps.

The remnants of WRMK Hall Pass.

Step 2:  Slice your patterned paper into 1" strips.  [This took me about 2 minutes to do.  Maybe I'm a little fussy.]

Step 3:  Find some pictures and cardstock to match.  [Now I'm about 10 minutes into this project.]

I decided to focus on the red shirt of my kid - loving the greens and yellows in the paper, too.

Step 4:  Stir.  And shop your stash for the extra bits, like alphas, journaling blocks, and coordinating embellies.  [Another 10 minutes.  Whoa... this is pretty fast for me!]

Pretty much what the end page will look like.  Ohmigosh, am I going to have white space???

Step 5:  Finish.  Make this layout your own.  Do your thing!  [This part took 40 minutes.  Yes.  I like to fuss.  But I think I already established that fact!  LOL]

I am trying to feel a wee bit embarrassed for pleating and distressing paper AGAIN.  But I don't.  'Cuz that's how I roll.

So check that out!  I got a double layout done in one hour.  I killed a kit.  AND... I used some stuff out of my stash.  All with the power of 1" strips. 

Now it's your turn!  I challenge you to turn 1" scrap strips into layouts this month.  You have until September 30th to link up your layout here for a chance to win a $10 gift certificate to the TSR Store.  Oh, and if you do happen to kill a kit - or four - stop by the Message Board and record it in our Kit Killer thread.  We're on our way to a goal of 225 dead kits by the end of the year - come help us out!

- Theresa (a.k.a. "Savi")

Scrapping School Memorabilia with Jenny

Hey everyone!

It's September, and that means back-to-school time in full effect! I don't know about you, but I've got TONS of school pictures to get onto pages and into albums. It can seem a little overwhelming at times, can't it? I have to just keep reminding myself that each page is a memory preserved...I may not be able to scrap every single photo I take, but those that do get scrapped are documented and preserved forever.

Not only do I scrap school photos and events of my children, but sometimes I keep special mementos of awards, good grades, and events that may occur during the school year. But what to do with those little items???? SCRAP 'EM! Include them on your pages!

That's just what I did with this 2-pager of my oldest son's 1st Six Weeks Awards from 2nd grade:

He achieved so many accomplishments during his 1st Six Weeks of being a 2nd grader (Academic Excellence, Perfect Attendance, A in Citizenship, A Honor Roll, and Readership Award), and I wanted to show them off and get them put in his school album for everyone to see! Nothing wrong with being a proud mama, right? ;)

As you'll notice, this 2-pager only includes ONE photo, which I quickly snapped in his classroom after his awards program, but I needed space to include all of the awards...and that's why it turned into a 2-pager. (Please note that you may want to spray awards and non-scrapbooking items with an archival mist to preserve them. I sprayed the silk ribbon awards with Krylon Acid-Free spray first so that they would be acid-free and not turn colors/deteriorate in the future).

I gotta say, it feels great to have these awards displayed on his pages. Not only does it make my heart swell with pride to show off his accomplishments, but it gives him a little boost of self-confidence too. Win-win. :)

So the next time you are creating a school themed page, don't forget to include some of those special little mementos you've kept as keepsakes. They don't have to be tucked away in a box somewhere...put them on your pages and proudly display them!

Back to School? It's In the Details!

Whether you have kids in the classroom, get your paycheck through the local school district, or have a pile of "vintage" photos of yourself in that oh-so-cute velour jumpsuit - we all have Back To School memories.  If you check out our SEPTEMBER IDEA GALLERY, you'll see that this month's kits are all set up to bring those memories out of your camera or photo box and into your scrapbooks.  Check out these great details, and get scrappin'!

Jenny shows some love and records the age of her little sweetie.  Dang, could he get any cuter?

Brenda cleverly put the paper to work as part of her title - and check out the paperclip and altered banner!

Beth made this great ribbon from scraps and a brad - perfect for lots of school activities.

I took the lazy way out and put the bottom edge of the paper with the paper names to work as tags.  Easy peasy!

Inspired?  Or do you need just one more little push to get your mojo going back to school?  Either way, swing by later this week - Jenny's got something great for you!

September Sketch Challenge - and winners!

Ready to get this challenge going?  I'm sure you've noticed the sketch in the sidebar... and maybe drooled a little over what we've got in the Idea Gallery.  So I'll cut to the chase already!

Tammy Harp

Melanie Call

Jennifer Moore

Brenda Carpenter

Beth Hallgren

Theresa Sovacool

Inspired?  Ready to make some paper fly?  Have a handful of embellies ready to throw down?  Link up your layout here by September 30th for a chance to win a $10 gift certificate to the TSR Store!



Um.  Why are you still here?  What are you waiting for?!  Oh, winners from August?  I think I won both of those challenges.  Thanks for playing anyway!  *giggle*  Just kidding. 

For the August Sketch Challenge, scrappy_granny won with this precious layout.  Love the butterflies and pops of pink!  The Jillibean Soup paper is a great choice for garden photos.

For the August Page Starter Challenge, Deanna won with this beautiful layout.  Kickin' way to use that Prima paper, Deanna - it's perfect!

Congratulations ladies!  Please email Tammy at admin@scrap-room.com with your real name, address, and the name of the contest you won.  She'll get your prizes to you right away.  Happy shopping!

NOW... go get your scrap on!

Welcome our new TSR Blog Coordinator

Tammy here. I want to start by extending a huge "Thank You" to Aphra for taking care of keeping us all inspired and motivated on the blog for the past several months. Aphra was offered her dream job in August, so she has decided to take that teaching job and sign off as our TSR Blog Coordinator. (What... being the TSR Blog Coordinator wasn't her dream job. Unbelievable? :)) Anyway, while this might not have been her official dream job, Aphra did a fabulous job of running this blog like a well-oiled machine, and she will be missed. However, we'll still be able to enjoy Aphra's gorgeous layouts and cards in our monthly Idea Gallery, where she will be designing with our Doubleshot Kit. Yea!

So, since I have very little wit and raw creativity to inspire you with personally, I knew that I would need someone super-special to take Aphra's place here at the helm. It didn't take me long to know exactly who would be the perfect choice, and I am so excited to announce that she has agreed to take this post. You already know her and love her. She has been inspiring us here on the blog with her awesome tutorials and in our Idea Gallery with her Doubleshot layouts and cards for some time now. Join with me in welcoming Theresa Sovacool as TSR's newest Blog Coordinator! (ecstatic applause here...)

For the record, you will need most of a 6 hour car trip to get a decent self-portrait in the visor mirror.  Just sayin'.  Or maybe it's just me.

Hey, Theresa here!  Wow, with an intro like that... I may have a hard time getting my head to fit through most doors!  But knowing I've got Aphra's awesome footsteps to walk in... that brings me back to earth.  Mostly!  Because I'm super excited and a little bit giddy about being able to bring you the things you love on the blog as well as some fun new stuff.  We want you to make this blog a regular part of your scrappy life - need some inspiration, a kick in the mojo, or maybe just a giggle?  Stop in and see what we're up to.  I think you'll like it. 

Tomorrow we'll kick off the September Sketch Challenge and announce some winners.  See you then!

September Kits!

September's Kits are available on The ScrapRoom's website. Be sure to check out all of the details and view this month's IDEA GALLERY, inspired by our September Kits!

FLAVORS OF THE MONTH KIT

DOUBLESHOT KIT

EMBELLISHMENT KIT

VENTI KIT

PATTERNED PAPER KIT

CARDSTOCK KIT

STAMP KIT