For March, I created this chandelier graphic. Chandeliers are all the rage right now and I love ‘em. Its pink here, but you can modify the color, lightness darkness, opacity, etc.

Enjoy!

Download for free here.

(Warning: A bit of a rant below…)

I tend to focus on the big picture sometimes. Probably to a fault.

I also don’t have the luxury of spending however and whenever I want on scrapbook supplies.

Its interesting to me that the scrapbooking industry ranks right up there with the fashion industry when it comes to marketing. Us ladies love our loot, and we’re suckers for girlie, sparkly, pretty things. Its the same pattern as everything else in retail-land. And to be honest, at times I tire of the frenzy.

You know the routine…

…the new iPod that comes out every year, 1/4 inch wider and 5/8 inch longer than the one before

…the new minivan with heated seats and cooled cup holders

…skinny jeans as opposed to boot cut

…the 12×12 distressed polka dot paper rather than the plain polka dot

Now, I’m a consumer like everyone else. In fact, I do a lot of product reviews of some wonderful products. I enjoy newness and advancements and a new spin on the so and so and the such and such.

But really? Is it a must to buy every. single. product. that comes out just because I’m supposed to? I mean, if I don’t, I’ll be left behind, right? Doesn’t it seem that companies are replacing their own product lines at break-neck speed? Especially in the craft industry, there’s not even enough time to use the product before the newer, better, greater, prettier, brighter one comes along. Is better synonymous with new? Do I really buy the latest thing because I love it, or because…I somehow feel I’m supposed to?

I say, its ok to stop, take a breather, ask myself “Do I really love this or need this?”, and possibly pass on it and use the 37 polka dot 12×12 papers I already have in my stash. Then, when something comes along that I truly love, there’s no guilt, no hiding bags from the Mr., and room in my stash for the new addition.

I purchase

because I create

because I want to preserve

because I want to remember.

I want to keep it in that order…not the other way around.

Ok, off my soapbox. How about you…ever feel this way?

But…I love to spatter digital elements here and there in my scrapbooks. I love that I can find something online, purchase it, download it and print it out in a matter of minutes.

I guess that would qualify me as a “hybrid scrapper”. We love our labels, don’t we?

So with that in mind, I’ve launched a new section on this blog called the Digi Graphics Shoppe. Here, I’ve brought together some designs, illustrations, page elements and other goodies for your pleasure. The shoppe is in its infancy, but its going to be a big fat baby in a very short while.

To get things rolling, Im offering two things right up front…

1. A Tutorial. Never used a PNG file before, or know what it is, for that matter? Oh, what you’re missing. Its easy peasy. Take a look…

2. A giveaway! Who doesn’t love a giveaway? I’m offering 2 (two) readers a $15 credit in the Shoppe. And with most things $3 and under, that’s a lot of graphics!

If you don’t want to wait for the giveaway, purchasing is simple. Add the image you want to your cart, check out, pay with PayPal and your file will be immediately available for download. Simple.

Win It! Enter for a chance to win one of two $15 credits to the Digi Graphics Shoppe:

1. Comment on this post with your favorite graphic in the Shoppe.
2. For extra entries, (a)tweet about this giveaway up to once a day, (b) subscribe to this blog.
3. Entries must be made by Friday, March 12 at 11:59 p.m. MST.

For more great tips, check out WFMW (this week is at Rocks In My Dryer!)

Its easy.

Its affordable.

Its fun.

It offers photo embellishments, page elements, digi characters, flowers, cute birdies, bling bling…and more added regularly.

Its for everyone…digital scrappers, hybrid scrappers, new scrappers.

Its the Digi Graphics Shoppe.

Enjoy.

So I came up with an idea to use an origami folding technique to create my Blossom layout. This was the layout I did for the first day of school pictures from this year and I remember thinking as I posed early in the wee hours of that morning how quickly and amazingly my boys are blossoming into young men.

So I thought I’d do a tutorial on how to create the main element of the layout, the origami cherry blossoms.

Was that helpful? Did I talk too fast? If you use the technique, what kind of layout will you do?

Enjoy!

I always have. I don’t know if its poor genetics or poor education way back when (not that I had a poor education, but maybe I was sick that day…). Seems like good handwriting is like good hair, a good singing voice, good hand-eye coordination…you either have it or you’re me.

Anyway, as a scrapbooker, I know I want to leave my mark on my scrapbooks for generations to come. Its a piece of me, however much I detest it, so sometimes I journal in my own pen. Other times I use pretty, fancy fonts.

Here are some resources I’ve come across in search of ways to improve my handwriting and finding and using that perfect font:

Font Capture

I love this and use it in my scrapbooks regularly. It creates a font out of your handwriting and makes it appear much  more uniform and less like chicken scratch.

Tips for Improving Your Handwriting

Turns out, you can improve the handwriting God has (or hasn’t) given you. I found this link several months ago and I see improvement, but I still have a long way to go. PaperPenalia talks about hand position, muscle control and relaxing while your writing.

Font Space

This is a great tool to use to find that perfect font. They have over 12,000 fonts available and what I love about this site is you can see the actual word in recommended fonts. So, if I type “scrapbooking” in the search field, not only will it suggest scrapbooking style fonts, it will show them to me using the word “scrapbooking”. Very cool.

Font Freak

A great resource for finding oodles of fonts.

What The Font

Have you ever seen a font that you just must have but don’t have a clue what it is? Simply scan and upload it to whatthefont.com and it will probably find it for you. This is such a handy tool.

Letter Girl

See the cute button on the right? I found Letter Girl on Etsy and she and I are polar opposites…well, our handwriting is anyway. She is a.mazing. She creates everything from her own handwriting (oh to be her…) and then makes them into stamps for addresses, weddings, gift tags, etc.

What about you? Do you love your handwriting? This post is part of We Are That Family’s Works for Me Wednesday series. To find other helpful tidbits on everything under the sun, be sure to check out the McLinky.

..and enjoying the melodic croonings of him..

It’s rough but somebody’s got to do it.

If you want to know all you’d ever care to know about Blissdom, check out my other blog.

Whatever size or shape it is, I want to see your space! There’s something inspiring and interesting seeing where other’s create. Are you in?

Link up below with Mr. Linky (I said ‘in the comments’ in the video, but I changed my mind. ) with your name or blog name. If you don’t have a blog, upload your photos or video to Flickr, YouTube, etc. and list your name below.

So…here’s my scrap space:

You know when life gets crazy and nothing really goes as planned?

You’re chugging NyQuil, just to be able to breathe through your nose?

When all the spoons are dirty?

When soccer (x 3…count them…3 boys) consumes your every available moment?

Your email inbox is nearing capacity?

You have more work than time?

Permission slips and unsigned reading logs get lost in the mountain of paperwork?

And most worstest of all?

You know when you have no time to scrap…let alone blog about it?

Yeah. I’m there.

Hopefully next week suddenly has more hours in the day.

Either way…see you then.

(But on the upside…you might want to jot on over to my other blog. I’m giving away a $50 Snapfish gift card! That’s a lot of prints for scrappin’…)