Postcards from the Edge

Layerin' and Lovin' It

2012-01-19T19:15:07-05:00

In my humble opinion, my friend Debbie Hodge is the absolute QUEEN of layering ... her pages leave me with my jaw agape wondering "How the heck does she DO that?" I'm really excited about the new class she is offering over at Creative Passion and I want to spread the word about this opportunity to learn from a master scrapper AND teacher to all of my friends. Whether you scrap digitally, prefer traditional paper scrapping, or dabble in hybrid ... there's something for everyone in Debbie's class.

Debbie's attention to detail is evident in every page of her handouts, and if you're the type of learner who likes to SEE what's going on, you'll find her videos invaluable.

Here's a small taste of what the class includes:

Workshop runs Jan 24 – Feb 14

Master design techniques for layering on both clean and richly-packed scrapbook pages. Come away with ideas for using your stash and a stack of layouts you’ll love.

this class is for paper and digital scrapbookers

Class includes:

6 reasons layers belong on your scrapbook pages
2 things every layer must do
5 layered foundations for scrapbooking any photo combination
4-part formula for mixing patterns
3 mix-and-match approaches to making eye-catching focal points
7 ways to get “layers with lift”
3 hybrid foundations that use stash and dazzle the eye
8 perfect placements for embellishments
3 recipes for making embellishment clusters with your stash

Whether you like clean and simple scrapbook pages, freestyle collages, clustered groupings with lots of white space or something in between, layering adds interest and creates design unity. Lessons are illustrated with digital and paper pages including work by guest designers Dina Wakley, Doris Sander, and Lisa Dickinson.

Get two free resources as soon as you register:

Learn Scrapbook Design Principles (in one 100+page pdf with 12 lessons): We’ll be referring to and using solid design principles throughout the class and this is an easy resource.
Masterful Scrapbook Design “Layering” issue (seminar pdf, 3 video/audio interviews with Lisa Dickinson, Dina Wakley, and Amber Ries), focused lessons and annotated galleries.

You'll find more details and sign up info when you click right here! Beat the winter doldrums by treating yourself to a fantastic learning experience ... I know I'M looking forward to it!

"Creative Composites" with Jana Morton Opens Monday!

2012-01-07T18:41:38-05:00

On Monday, January 9th 2012, my friend Jana Morton will open the classroom door at Creative Passion and welcome students to her newest online class, "Creative Composites".

Want to amp up your digital photo art with advanced blending, sequencing and motion techniques? I encourage you to join Jana, who is one of the most talented layout artists I know. I'll be sitting in the front row ... and I'll save you a seat! :)

Note: Creative Composites is designed for students who have completed Blending & Beyond. Photoshop Elements 9 or 10 or Photoshop CS is required, as is proficiency with one of them. This class does not teach Photoshop, but rather digital art made with Photoshop.

Take your blended images to the next level with color enhancements, layering of blending modes, filters, sequencing of photos and creating motion. In this follow-up to Blending and Beyond, once again you look over Jana Morton’s shoulder, to better understand how she uses Photoshop tools to transform photos into a piece of art and achieve her signature look.

Just click on the image above to read more or sign up for "Creative Composites" ... you won't be sorry!

P.S. If you DON'T have the pre-requisite skills for Creative Composites
sign up for Blending and Beyond so that you can take Creative Composites in the spring.

And the winner is ....

2011-01-18T20:32:23-05:00

Tickles me right down to my toes to read how many of you enjoyed Digital Scrapbooking Magazine and mentioned that you'd love to see the return of a magazine specifically for digi scrappers. :)

I plugged the numbers 1-55 (there were 55 comments left on the post) into Random.Org and it spit back number 34!

The 34th post was from Terri

Congratulations Terri! Shoot me an email with your mailing address and I'll see to it that the folks at CK get the info. (They will mail your winning copy directly to you from their offices.)

Thanks to all of you who posted a comment ... I wish I had 55 copies to give away!

The Best of Digital Scrapbooking Special Issue

2011-01-10T19:46:27-05:00

As a digital scrapper I often longed for a magazine devoted entirely to those of us who chose to preserve our memories using photo editing software. In 2006 my dream became a reality when CK Media introduced Digital Scrapbooking Magazine and I had the honor of serving as a member of the magazine's Creative Board.

A year later I was asked to serve as a Contributing Editor writing the Digi 101 Column teaching others our craft, a position that brought me great joy for two more years. I was so proud of our work and cherished the friendships with the other members of the team that came my way. Thus, it was with a very heavy heart that I received news that DSM had fallen victim to a failing economy and would cease to production.

I still receive emails from digital scrappers telling me how much they miss Digital Scrapbooking Magazine and expressing hope that it will be reborn one day. A sentiment that I wholeheartedly agree with!

Thus I'm pleased as punch to deliver the news that a Creating Keepsakes special issue, The Best of Digital Scrapbooking, is now available on a newstand near you ... and I have a free copy for one visitor to my blog who leaves a comment here!

Here's a sneak peek at the special issue:

Open publication - Free publishing - More scrapbooking

And a walk down Memory Lane ... I found the layout from my very first Digi 101 column included in the special issue.

Want a copy of your own? Leave me a comment here and I'll use the Random Number Generator to choose a winner for a free copy from all entries posted by Midnight EST on Monday, January 17th. Be sure to include a method of contacting you if your name is chosen so I can get your mailing address for the folks at Creating Keepsakes, who will send the magazine out to you directly.

AND, if you aren't the lucky duck ... here's a coupon code for you good for Free Shipping on orders of $25.00 or more at the Scrap & Paper CK store:

Coupon code: DS25DT (free shipping on orders of $25 or more)

Looking forward to making one of my friends the owner of a copy of this new special issue!

Sale Time at Designer Digitals!

2010-02-18T21:36:33-05:00

It’s time for our first quarter sale of 2010 at DesignerDigitals. Every regular item in the store is marked down 30%. And we have 55 brand new items also marked down as well. This coming Saturday we will be having all day chats with freebies. Hope to see some of my friends at my NOON Layered Template Chat on Saturday ... come snag a free template and enjoy a few giggles with the crowd! The sale runs through Tuesday morning, February 23rd at 6am EST.

Help Haiti Collaborative Kit

2010-01-24T12:06:04-05:00

The team at DesignerDigitals has been touched by the devastation in Haiti and how it has affected our Creative Team Member Christina and her friends and family and we’ve pulled together to help. 100% of the proceeds from our Help Haiti Collaborative will be given to MercyCorp. So please purchase this kit or go directly thrugh our link and show your support for Haiti.

Collaborative participants include: Katie Pertiet, Ali Edwards, Andrea Victoria, Anna Aspnes, Cathy Zielske, Jesse Edwards, Lynn Grieveson, Michelle Martin, Mindy Terasawa and Pattie Knox.

Purchase the Help Haiti Collaborative Collection here.

The face of Haiti

2010-01-16T21:55:41-05:00

This is my beautiful friend Christina. The photo was taken approximately a year ago today during a wonderful weekend spent together at the "most magical place on earth" ... Disney World. In January of 2009 laughter was the order of the day. Laughter is not easy to come by in January of 2010 ... for you see, Christina is a native of Haiti. Port-Au-Prince, Haiti to be precise.

It has been four days since a 7.0-magnitude earthquake leveled her city in the most powerful natural disaster to hit the impoverished Caribbean nation in more than 200 years.

Thankfully, Christina and her immediate family were not harmed. Physically. Emotionally the toll is beyond measure. She awaits news of friends that have not been accounted for while wondering how to pick up the pieces of her life.

In Christina's words: "...from now on life will never be the same again, our city is destroyed, our schools are destroyed, our works are destroyed, as well as hospitals, hotels and all major government buildings. All to top UN staff is dead as many of our government officials. We are a sinking boat with no captain ! And it's very hard to see how we are going to start normal lives again."

Tonight Tom and I sat pouring over catalogs in an attempt to pick out fixtures for the bathroom we are remodeling. And then the irony dawned on me. Here we sit in the comfort of our cozy little home discussing the merits of various valves used to control the flow of water we will use to shampoo our hair while hundreds of thousands of people in Christina's land are desperate for even a single drop of water to quench their thirst. To simply keep them alive for another day.

Unemployment and a continuing economic downturn has hit many of us where we live. We are all counting our pennies these days. In Haiti 80% of the population survives on $2.00 a day. Kind of puts "hard times" into perspective doesn't it?

You can text "HAITI" to 90999 to donate $10 to Red Cross relief efforts in #haiti." A few seconds of your time and a charge added to your next cell phone bill. $10 may seem like a drop in the bucket in the wake of such a massive need ... but the last time I checked the Red Cross site over 700,000 people had sent that text message. Please, won't you consider becoming one of them?

Shutterfly Savvy

2009-09-08T17:35:57-04:00

I'm REALLY excited about my latest class at Get It Scrapped! I'm a huge fan of Shutterfly photo books ... there is nothing quite like ripping the packing material away from the postman's delivery and finding my layouts contained inside a professionally bound book. BUT, I remember the disappointment I experienced when I received my very first book with portions of the text cut off in the gutter and my carefully edited photos rendered in bright, garish colors.

At the time I didn't understand Shutterfly's size specifications or realize that I had to turn off Vivid Pics. Through no fault of Shutterfly, my album was less than what I had hoped for. Judging from the number of questions I see asked on a regular basis in the digi scrapping forums I participate in ... MANY scrappers are intimidated by the process of creating a photo book with their own layouts ... and there are LOTS of questions out there! My new class will walk you step by step through the entire process -- from creating and sizing your layouts to ordering your completed photo book.

AND (insert drum roll here) the gracious folks at Shutterfly have provided me with coupon codes for the participants! Sign up for the class and receive a FREE 8 x 8 hard cover photo book ... good until December 15th, 2009 ... while supplies last.

Here is some more detailed information about the class. I hope you'll consider joining me!

Would you like to make photo books laid out to suit your photos?

Would you like to use backgrounds, frames, and other charming details that are tailored to your album subject?

Shutterfly Savvy, taught by Pattie Knox, takes you step-by-step through the process for installing the necessary software (a free trial copy of Photoshop Elements for PC and Mac), using digital templates to arrange your photos on the page in ways standard photobook formats don't allow, adding digital papers and embellishments of your choice, and getting all of this uploaded and laid out at the popular photobook service Shutterfly.

This class comes with more than lessons! It also includes 4 digital page kits from DesignerDigitals, 16 page templates by Pattie Knox, and one 8"x8" 20-page Shutterfly photobook (with a photo hard cover to be ordered by 12/15/09; shipping and handling not included).

Come on over check out out the many many details about what this class covers and includes and get ready to get not only "Shutterfly Savvy" but digi-scrapping savvy!

And the winner is.....

2009-07-12T20:39:29-04:00

These are just awesome, Patti. Always glad to have great inspiration

Posted by: sawdust (Barb) | July 11, 2009 at 02:51 PM

Congratulations Barb! I've sent your email address off to Tania and Debbie. You should be hearing from one of them soon. Enjoy the class!

When you care enough ....

2009-07-10T15:02:36-04:00

I don't know about you, but when I find a greeting card in my mailbox it lights up my whole day. And if it's handmade the warm glow lasts all week!

Take a peek at these ... arent' they lovely?

Cards: Beautifully Handmade
with Tania Willis
July 13 - July 30

Join Tania for a 6-session course, over 3 weeks, where you will learn a diverse range of card making techniques. Not only will you have increased confidence in yourself for making beautiful handmade cards, but you’ll also increase your stash of ‘ready to be used’ cards for every occasion along the way. She’ll also share her knowledge on postal rules and regulations for mailing your embellished cards and those card creations that are unique in shape and size.

Tania is not only amazingly talented ... she's generous too! I've got a free pass to her class to offer one of my readers ... yep, FREE!

Just leave me a message here including your email address and I'll draw a winner on Sunday the 12th ... just in time for some lucky guy or gal to make it to Tania's classroom on Monday the 13th.