WM[squared] Designs

Update....

2011-11-08T11:50:00.004-06:00

So, last week I announced some pretty crazy news! WM[squared] is moving...but I didn't tell you WHERE I was going to.....Well...wonder no further.......
I'm headed to.................
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That's right!! I'm going to be an Orchard Gal!!

I'm so excited for my new adventure!

In addition to that - I have TWO MORE exciting announcements!!

I will be having a CT call this month, so be on the lookout for that!

WM[squared] now has a WEBSITE! www.wmsquared-designs.com . . .this weekend, all news and blog posts will be posted over there, in addition, this blog will be re-directed to my new site, SO..bookmark it now! :D

xoxo

Important WM[squared] Announcement!!

2011-11-05T23:48:00.003-05:00

...SM will always hold a special place in my heart, but it's time for me to say farewell...

I'm not retiring, just moving, so if you have something on your WM[squared] wish list, now is the time to grab it!! It may be a while before it's available again!

If you haven't picked up my facebook freebie, head over and become a fan!! While you're at it, sign up for my newsletter and get freebies and news every week!!

My last day at ScrapMatters will be 11.11.11. Thank you SO much for all of your support these last few years, I hope you will follow me to my new home!

Happy DSD & Freebie!

2011-11-05T10:12:00.001-05:00

I hope you are all having a wonderful day of shopping, games and prizes!! I come baring freebies! I couldn't choose which of Wendy's new grab bags to make a freebie with, so I made 2!!! Frame clusters from her Stir it Up grab bag at Scrap Orchard and her Winter Frost collab grab bag at ScrapMatters!

And here is the download! Hope you enjoy it! And happy shopping!!

DSA Blog Train! Toot!!

2011-11-05T07:00:00.003-05:00

Hello!! Happy DSD!! I hope you are enjoying all that DSD has to offer! I have a super cute DSA Freebie for you!! The image is linked!

Your next stop is: Find Your Bliss Designs

Here are the two stops before me and after, in case you get lost. And you can always head back to DSA, if you get REALLY lost!! :D

Lyndsay Riches
MScraps
---->> You are here: WM[squared] Designs <<----
Find Your Bliss Designs
Ocean Wide Designs

I also have a few grab bags available too, but grab them now, they'll be broken up on 11.11.11!! See them below - images are linked!

Happy Scrapping!!

HAPPY DSD!!!!!

2011-11-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

Hello ladies!! Are you ready to party it up? Well, I sure hope so! I have SO MANY goodies this week, you may be exhausted after you read this! I didn't mean to have so many goodies, it just kinda happened that way. I love each and every one of my grab bags, and I hope you do too!!

If you're like me and don't like surprises, then just take a peek at the detailed images to see exactly what is in each GB!

SALES @ ScrapMatters: EVERYTHING is 40% off!! CU & PU! My Shop
SALES @ Scrap Orchard: EVERYTHING is 30% off!! CU & PU! My Shop

Ok...as you know, i'm guesting at Scrap Orchard this month and not only do I have GB's at ScrapMatters, but I also have a grab bag at SO too! At SM, I have 3 PU Grab Bags and 1 CU Grab Bag! At SO, i have 1 PU Grab Bag and 1 CU Grab Bag!

2011 DSD *PU* Grab Bag at ScrapMatters
Perfectly matches "Oh Snap"!

Some LO's made with this GB:

Grab the PU - SM GB: HERE

2011 DSD Template *Collab* Grab Bag at ScrapMatters

Some LO's made with this GB:

Grab the SM Template Collab GB: HERE

2011 DSD Kit *Collab* Grab Bag at ScrapMatters

Some LO's made with this GB:

Grab the SM Kit Collab GB: HERE

2011 DSD *PU* Grab Bag at Scrap Orchard

Some LO's made with the GB:

Grab the SO *PU* GB: HERE

2011 DSD *CU* Grab Bag at ScrapMatters

Grab the SM *CU* GB: HERE

2011 DSD *CU* Grab Bag at Scrap Orchard

Grab the SO *CU* GB: HERE

Happy Scrapping!

DSD- Sneaky Peeks

2011-11-03T08:31:00.004-05:00

Woo-hoo! DSD officially has began in some places- a great chance to snag some amazing deals including grab bags galore! Wendy is releasing 5, yes 5, grab bags. 4 at ScrapMatters- one is PU, two collabs with another SM designer, and a CU collection! She is also releasing a grab bag for her guest spot at Scrap Orchard that might please your taste buds. :) Lots of new fun stuff awaiting you tomorrow! Check it out:

Are you ready?!

2011-11-02T23:58:00.002-05:00

Also!! My Guest Shop @ Scrap Orchard is 30% off, starting TODAY! I also have two BRAND NEW Grab Bags over there, one PU & one CU!

Check out my guest shop to see 'em!

November 2011 Template Challenge!

2011-11-01T18:07:00.008-05:00

Hey girls! It's that time again, where we get to participate in a template challenge - and the winner will receive a gift code to Wendy's store - sweet! All you need to do is download the template, create a page with it using at least 85% of Wendy's stuff, and upload it to the gallery here and BOOM you're entered to win! You get a free template, get a page scrapped, get to use awesome scrapping kits, & you might win - got to love that! Looking forward to seeing all your great entries!

Here's a preview of the template:

click here to download the template from box.net

Here's the page I made the template from I used Be Aware:

Here's an example by Ami using A Life So Sweet:

Just upload your complete pages here and a winner will be randomly picked! You can also post your layouts here to enter the drawing! You have until the end of November to finish your layouts and upload them to these galleries!

November is HERE!!! So is MaK!!

2011-11-01T05:00:00.003-05:00

Well, it's been cold the last few days, and it's finally starting to feel a little fall-ish! It's about time! It's NOVEMBER after all!! :D Happy November to you, and do I have a gorgeous set of products for you, for MaK!

See you this Friday, for DSD! I have A TON of product for you!!! Both at ScrapMatters and my guest shop Scrap Orchard!!

Autumn Whispers - The Extras:

Grab the Extras: HERE

Autumn Whispers - The Word Art:

Grab the WA: HERE

Autumn Whispers - The Patterns:

Grab the Patterns: HERE

Autumn Whispers - The Solids:

Grab the Solids: HERE

Autumn Whispers - The Alphas:

Grab the Alphas: HERE

Here are some gorgeous LO's made by my fabulous CT & Guests!

Happy Scrapping!

Inspiring Templates & A GUEST SPOT!!

2011-10-27T22:45:00.002-05:00

Hello gals!! Happy Thursday! I bet you're wondering why I'm posting a DAY early?!

Well, i'm guesting at Scrap Orchard and their releases are turned on a bit early, so here i am!! I am releasing some fun Be Inspired templates, and I have a few older items in my SO shop this week too, so they may look familiar!!

The Flairs are Free With Purchase for a limited time when you buy "A Life So Sweet" to collab kit (which is also 20% off).

Be Inspired - Kim R - V.2

Grab the templates: HERE

A Life So Sweet - Collab Kit

Grab the Collab: HERE

A Life So Sweet - Flairs
FWP for a limited time when you buy the collab kit!

Grab the Flairs: HERE

Here are some gorgeous LO's made by my fabulous CT & Guests!

Happy Scrapping!

October's Winner is...

2011-10-26T12:43:00.000-05:00

Melanie here with this month's winner! We had several awesome layouts, but of course there can be only one winner! So this month's winner is....

Carol {Iownan}!

She used Wendy's kit Back to School for her fabulous layout - perfect for those cute photos. Thanks so much everyone for playing along and be sure to come back for next month's template and another chance to win!

Manic Monday - 10/24

2011-10-24T14:51:00.002-05:00

Hey all- check out these cute word strips- Just Sayin' Halloween- on sale for just $2.00 today! These will go great with most Halloween kits and even better with Wendy's kit Boo Bash! Pick them up now! Have a great Monday!

Saturday Tip/Trick: Family History

2011-10-23T00:15:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone ... Amy here to chat a bit about something that I love - family history! Many people seem to struggle with capturing their families history on their scrapbook pages yet it seems to be something that a lot of scrapbookers want to do. As family history and genealogy happen to be topics that I am semi-obsessed with, I thought we could talk a little about the resources that I've found out on the web that might be able to help you begin to think about capturing your family history in scrapbook pages.

Obtaining the Facts and Details:

One of the most critical steps in creating pages about your familiy history is to obtain all of the factual information that will help you to identify your ancestors and the details of their lives. There are quite a few genealogy sites on the web but here are a couple that I've spent time at and can definitely recommend:

1. Ancestry - There is so much information packed into this site that I definitely recommend you check it out. You can search for information, begin to create family trees, and connect with others also searching for information. They also have a fantastic learning center that can walk you through how the site works, how to find specific types of information and more.

2. Family Search - This site is newer to me but I've really enjoyed exploring their site. Their website states that they are the largest genealogy organization in the world. The site is a service provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There is a great deal of information there if you spend a little time there.

Thinking about the Scrapbook Album Design:

Once you begin to collect some data and find some family photographs, you'll want to begin thinking about putting them together in either a physical scrapbook or a digital scrapbook. I've decided on a digital scrapbook that I can print down the road for other family members. I also like this option because I am planning to create some pages about our family history that are more about my thoughts and feelings. Those aren't pages I'll want in an album that I'm sharing with other family members. However, if you are creating this album primarily for you and your children, a physical scrapbook might be something to think about.

There are a lot of resources out there that can help you as you begin to think about your heritage album and how you want to design it. I've listed just a few options below for you to check out as you start working on your scrapbook.

The Paperclipping Roundtable podcast did a recent show all about this very topic - you can find that particular episode here. It was a fantastic show that gave me a lot to think about!
Family History Album Class 1 at Jessica Sprague's site - this is a self-paced class that will help you create a 20 page album about your family. There are templates, a digital kit, journaling prompts & more included in the cost of the class (around $45).
Family History Simplified is a self paced class over at Big Picture Scrapbooking that is just $10 and looks fantastic!
An article at ancestry.com that might be helpful - The Legacy of Heritage Scrapbooks

And last, but not least, don't forget to check out the My History kit and the other items in the collection over in the WM [Squared] Designs shop! It is an amazing family history/genealogy kit!

I thought I'd share a couple of my own heritage pages (both created with goodies from WM [Squared] Designs to give you an idea of how fantastic it can be to scrap about your family's history! The possibilities are endless ...

Have fun searching out more information about your family and creating new scrapbook pages to celebrate your family history!

Great Escape - New York!!

2011-10-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Day!! TGIF!!! Today I am continuing the add-on process for my Great Escape Kit!! This time we're going to New York!! I visited New York City two years ago, and it's an amazing city!! And while the majority of the add on does revolve around NYC, there are also a few items that will help you scrap your other NY State memories!And if you haven't grabbed that kit, you can do it now! I've included a coupon to purchase it for 30% off. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Great Escape - New York

Elements

Papers

Grab the Kit: HERE

Great Escape - New York - Word Art Bits

Grab the WA Bits: HERE

Great Escape - New York - Alpha

Grab the Alpha: HERE

Here are some amazing LO's made by my fabulous CT & Guests!

Happy Scrapping!

Manic Monday: It's a BOO Bash!

2011-10-17T06:30:00.000-05:00

Quick! Run screaming to the ScrapMatters store to grab WM[squared]'s BOO BASH for a frighteningly good deal!

Its price is cut in half (AAAAAHHH!!!) for today only, so go straight there... don't stop to loiter at any deserted houses, or answer (or make! LOL) any creepy phonecalls! BOO!

CT Spotlight - Ophelia!

2011-10-15T00:00:00.008-05:00

Name: Ophelia

Favorite WM[squared] Kit: It's a tie between School Days and Back to School.
Why do you Scrap? First, to preserve my memories and second, because it's my therapy from my technical work life. I love to get lost in a layout as I'm putting it together.
How do you describe your scrapping style? I tend to cluster but I have tried all styles.
Favorite LO at the moment: My favorite layout right now is Scary Pumpkin just because I love the large blended photo and the halloween theme. I'm all excited for halloween this year :o)

Random Fact about you: i love hot tea with half&half and sugar. Apparently, I'm weird for drinking my tea that way lol
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? England! I would love to visit all the places that I've read about in Tudor history. I have a slight love affair with that era and will read any book about that time, especially during King Henry VIII and his wives and Queen Elizabeth I.

Clearance Sale!!! 172 Items 50% off!!

2011-10-14T10:53:00.002-05:00

Ok, as promised, i have A LOT of items (172 to be exact) up for grabs for ScrapMatters' Fall Clearance & Retirement sale!

These items include: Date Stamps, Alphas, CU, MaK, Collabs, Full kits and more!!!

Here is the list:

B.F.F
B.F.F - Alpha
B.F.F - Bonus Alpha
Back To School
Back To School - Alpha
Back To School Stamps
Back To School: Bundle
Back To School: Extras
Be Inspired - Becca A & Wendy
Be Inspired - Heather T.
Be Inspired - Jewelle
Be Inspired - Megan - Templates
Be Inspired - Melissa R
Be Inspired - Melody - Templates
Be Inspired - Niki - Templates
Be Inspired - Tanya - Templates
Be Inspired: Bundle
Be Inspired: Bundle V.2
Believe
Believe - Extras
Believe - Templates
C is for Cat
C is for Cat - Alpha
Candy Cane Alpha
Christmas in Paradise
Cupcake Love
Cupcake Love - Alpha
Cupcake Love: Bundle
D is for Dog
D is for Dog - Alpha
Day By Day - V.1 - Templates
Day By Day - V.2 - Templates
Day By Day - V.3 - Templates
Day By Day - V.4 Templates
Decorative Overlays - V.4
Decorative Overlays V.1
Decorative Overlays V.5
Decorative Overlays Value Pack
Extinct
Extinct - Alpha
Fabulously Negative V.1
Fabulously Negative V.2
Family Matters
Family Matters - Bonus Alpha
Family Matters - Bundle
Family Matters - Extras
Family Matters Siggy's
Feeling Fall
Feeling Fall - Alpha
Furry Friend Combo
Get A Move On
Go Green
Happy Easter
Happy Easter - Bonus Alpha
Happy Easter - Word Art Extras
Happy Easter: Bundle
Heart & Home - Alpha
Heart & Home - Extras
Heart & Home - Papers
Holiday Cheer: Bundle
iNSD 2011 Collab Template Pack
iNSD Collab Template Pack
It's a Boy Thing
It's a Boy Thing - WA
It's a Girl Thing
It's a Girl Thing - Alpha
It's a Girl Thing - WA
It's Gonna Be A Happy New Year
It's Gonna Be A Happy New Year - Alpha
It's Midnight - Mini
Journal It - CU
Just Sayin' - Christmas
Just Sayin - Mr & Mrs
Just Sayin' - Thanksgiving
Just Sayin - Valentines Day
Just the Basics: Alpha Bundle
Just The Basics: Black Alpha
Just the Basics: Rainbow Alpha
Just The Basics: White Alpha
Journal It - CU
Lakeside: Bonus Alpha
Lakeside: Bundle
Lakeside: Extras
Let It Snow
Let It Snow - Alpha
Let them Eat Cake - Bundle
Love Potion #9
Love Potion #9: Bundle
Love Potion #9: Extra Alphas
Messy Stamped Alpha
Month By Month - V.1
Month By Month - V.2
Month By Month - V.2 - Alpha
Month By Month - V.2 - Elements
Month By Month - V.2 - Papers
Month By Month: Pregnancy
Mr & Mrs - Bundle
Mr & Mrs - Collab Kit
My Hero
My Hero - Alpha
One Thousand & One Nights
One Thousand & One Nights - Alpha I
One Thousand & One Nights - Alpha II
Peace, Love & Flip Flops
Peace, Love & Flip Flops - Alpha
Peace, Love & Flip Flops - Bundle
Peace, Love & Flip Flops - WA Bits
Photo Masks - V.1
Pretty In Pink - Alpha
Rainbows & Butterflies - Alpha
Rainbows & Butterflies - Bundle
Rainbows & Butterflies - The Kit
Rainbows & Butterflies - WA
Rainbows and butterflies - Siggys I
Rainbows and butterflies - Siggys II
Ringing in The New Year - WA
Rock Star - The Alphas
Rock Star - The Extras
Rock Star - The Papers
Rock Star - The Word Art Bits
Rough & Tough
Rough & Tough - Alpha
Santa Baby
Santa Baby Alpha
Santa Baby Bonus Alpha
Shabby Chic
Shabby Chic - Alpha
Simply Dated - V.15
Simply Dated - V.14
Simply Dated - V.2
Splashing Around
Splashing Around - Alpha
Splashing Around - WA Bits
Spray Dots
Spring Is Here
Stars & Stripes Forever
Summer Sunshine - Alphas
Summer Sunshine - Extras
Summer Sunshine - Papers
Sweet Love - Alphas
Sweet Love - Extras
Sweet Love - Patterns
Sweet Love - Solids
Teen Grunge
Teen Grunge - Alpha
Tropical Paradise
Tropical Paradise
Tropical Paradise - Alpha
Tropical Paradise - Alpha
Tropical Paradise - BA
Tropical Paradise - BA
Tropical Paradise - Bonus Alpha II
Tropical Paradise - WAE
Tropical Paradise - WAE
Tropical Paradise: Bundle
Tropical Paradise: Bundle
Turkeys & Stuffing
Vintage Christmas: Bundle
Vintage Spring
Vintage Spring - Bonus Alpha
Vintage Spring - Bonus Alpha II
Vintage Summer
Vintage Summer - Bonus Alpha
Vintage Summer - WA Extras
Vintage Summer Bundle
Viva Fiesta
Viva Fiesta - Alpha
Yankee Doodle
Yankee Doodle - Alpha
Yankee Doodle - BA
Yankee Doodle - Bundle
Yankee Doodle - WA

Scary CU!

2011-10-14T06:10:00.001-05:00

Hello & welcome to another fun Friday! This week I have some overlays and some fun stamps! These patterns are super fun & can be mixed and matched for more customization! It's all up to you!

As with all my CU items, they can be used for personal use also, and credit is never required. If you want to give credit, I appreciate it, but if you don't, that's fine too! For the layered .psd's, I also include .tiff files & .pngs for those without Photoshop!

All Hallows Eve Overlays - V.3:

Grab the Overlays: HERE!

All Hallows Eve - CU Stamps:

Grab the Overlays: HERE!

Dia de los Muertos - Stamps:

Grab the Stamps: HERE!

Happy Designing!

It's a Fall Cleaning Sale, Y'all!!

2011-10-11T09:00:00.002-05:00

I have gone through my shop and I'm retiring over 100 items!!! Grab 'em while you can!! I'll be back Friday with a list of all the goodies that'll be gone forever!!

See ya Friday!!

Manic Monday 10/10

2011-10-10T02:00:00.001-05:00

It's another Manic Monday at ScrapMatters. Today only, you can get Fall Shapes - CU by WM[Squared] Designs for 50% off!!

Hurry and pick these up today while they are 50% off!!

"Be Aware" Desk Calendar Freebie

2011-10-08T06:22:00.000-05:00

Happy weekend! It's Nikki here with a hybrid printable freebie for you using Wendy's new Be Aware kit, alphas, and words arts. I love having a small calendar next to my computer, and what's better than a little bit (or a lot!) of pink and a little daily reminder to love and support all the "girls" in our lives! :)

DOWNLOAD HERE

The download includes 13 months, from Oct. 2011 through Oct. 2012. They are sized to print perfectly on 4x6 photo paper, so you can print at home or (do what I did and) send them off to a handy-dandy one-hour photo counter. Even non-digi-scrappers will likely feel comfortable with printing some basic photo-sized prints, so be sure to tell all the important women in your life to come visit this blog and download a calendar for themselves!

I wanted mine to prop up in my bent-antique-fork holder, so I simply rounded all the corners (not necessary, of course!) and adhered the prints back-to-back on gray or pink cardstock, cut to 6.25x4.25 inches. A small tabletop easel would work as well, or use the pages one month at a time tacked to a bulletin board or magnet-ed onto your 'frige. You might want to punch a hole in a corner or on one side of the prints and make a mini book, or even add photos of your favorite memorable women for a year of wonderful reminders.

And don't forget to circle some important dates... like your annual mammogram, and monthly self-checks.

Enjoy the calendar and have a wonderful weekend!

Be Aware!! October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

2011-10-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

The first new releases of October! I've been busy with school and spending time with my nephew who came into town that I almost forgot to whip up the blog post!! :D I know i said it last week but....I still cannot believe that it's October!! Speaking of October, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month! To help spread the word about awareness, i've whipped up a mega mini and some coordinating pieces. 20% of the proceeds will go to Susan G. Komen.

Be Aware - Mega Mini

Grab the Mega Mini: HERE

Be Aware - Word Art Bits

Grab the WA: HERE

Be Aware - Alphas

Grab the Alphas: HERE

Here are some gorgeous LO's made by my fabulous CT & Guests!

Happy Scrapping!

Sneak Peek

2011-10-06T06:00:00.001-05:00

Here is a little peek at the fabulous items Wendy has in store for you this week:

Be sure to come back tomorrow to see the full reveal and pick up these awesome new goodies!

October Template Challenge

2011-10-05T09:02:00.002-05:00

Hi and welcome to October's template challenge! I have made this template for you to use. Simply use it with Wendy's kits, post in the ScrapMatters forum and be entered to win a prize! Easy peasy!

Here is the forum post to place your completed layout.

Click here to download the template!

Have fun!!

Manic Monday

2011-10-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

Check out this great alpha for $2.00 today only!! Don't miss out on a really great deal.

Be sure to check out all of wm [squared] products.

It's time for October MaK!

2011-10-01T03:00:00.003-05:00

Hello October!! Can you believe it? October? I can't!! I love October! It's the start of the cold weather here in South Texas and of course, one of my favorite holidays - Halloween! For this MaK, it's all about Halloween!!! I got a little crazy with this months MaK, hopefully you love it as much as I do!

Frightful - The Extras:

Grab the Extras: HERE

Frightful - The Word Art:

Grab the WA: HERE

Frightful - The Playing Cards:

Grab the Cards: HERE

Frightful - The Patterns:

Grab the Patterns: HERE

Frightful - The Solids:

Grab the Solids: HERE

Frightful - The Alphas:

Grab the Alphas: HERE

Here are some gorgeous LO's made by my fabulous CT & Guests!

Happy Scrapping!

Templates & A Sketchy Alpha

2011-09-30T07:00:00.000-05:00

Well, what do you know?! It's the end of September!! Phew! I can't believe it's practically October! Just silly!! At any rate, I have a few goodies for you today, some templates and a super fun over sized sketchy alpha! Be on the lookout for my October MaK goodies tomorrow!!

Be Inspired - Cami - V.2 - Templates

Inspiration:

Grab the Templates: HERE

Sketchy Times - Alpha

Grab the alpha: HERE!

Here are some gorgeous LO's made by my fabulous CT & Guests!

Happy Scrapping!

9/29 Sneak Peek!

2011-09-29T08:00:00.001-05:00

!here's a little teaser for all you wondering what awesomeness will be in Wendy's shop tomorrow!

Make sure you stop by on Friday to see the full reveal!

Manic Monday 9/26

2011-09-26T02:00:00.000-05:00

It's another Manic Monday at ScrapMatters. Today only, you can get Brothers & Sisters - Paper Pack for $2.00! This paper pack matches Wendy's Brothers & Sisters Wordart.

Hurry and grab this paper pack. They are $2.00 for today only!

A Little Hybrid Tip: Gel Medium

2011-09-24T07:24:00.001-05:00

Good Saturday morning! Nikki here, bright (or rather, dark!) and early! I hope you're getting to sleep late this morning and enjoy a relaxing day--my husband's so-called "smart" phone woke me up buzzing when he got an email at 6 a.m., so... I thought I'd pop over here and share a little tip with all you wonderful hybrid crafters! :)

It may be just me but after years of doing decoupage projects, I have a borderline-obsessive dislike of Mod Podge. I know it is often the go-to tool of hybrid/altered-art crafters, but I always ALWAYS had the most aggravating problems with it causing paper to bubble and then dry wrinkled. I spent ages brayering, and even using stick pins and craft knife blades to "pop" the air bubbles to I could squish the air out of them. But the day I learned about a little tub of goodness called Gel Medium, it was as if the skies parted and the birds started tweeting The Hallelujah Chorus. (Okay... maybe I need more sleep this morning. I know.)

Admittedly, it's a bit more expensive than Mod Podge (so be sure to shop with a coupon!) but for sanity's sake, I think it's worth every penny, especially if you are making projects that you expect will get some wear and tear, or items you want to be long-term keepsakes. Gel Medium is found in the "art" aisle at the craft store, along with artist-quality oil and acrylic paints, gesso, etc. It comes in different weights and finishes (glossy, semi-gloss, matte), and you'll see it made by several different companies. I've tried both Golden and Liquitex brands and had good results with both.

What makes Gel Medium very different from Mod Podge is that it does NOT have the high water content that makes Mod Podge runny (and makes it soak and then buckle papers). Cue birds singing!

Gel Medium CAN work the way you'd use Mod Podge, to give a "lacquered" finish over glued-down papers, as in decoupage. It dries somewhat slowly (overnight, for a good solid dry) but it dries non-sticky. You can use it over printed digi papers (with no ink smudging!). You can paint over it. You can also wipe it with a damp cloth or paper towel; try brushing a little paint over cute printed patterned papers, then wiping some of the paint off with a damp paper towel to let the patterns peek through! *love*

But wait! There's more! ;)

Gel Medium also works wonders as a strong adhesive! Yes, use it to adhere papers, and then give them a top coat for decoupage... but then use little blobs of it to stick on buttons, ribbons, dimensional flowers, frames, charms, anything you can think of! Once dry, it will stay seriously stuck--perfect for holiday decorations that get packed away, and you cross your fingers in hopes that all your cute embellies are still stuck on when you get your projects back out a year later. I even used it on a project to adhere two little twisted bundles of metal wire--and they are still firmly stuck to my project after being packed and unpacked in two cross-country moves! Woo-hoo!

I hope you're planning lots of awesome crafty goodness for your home and for your friends and family this coming holiday season... and that maybe this little intro to Gel Medium will help you make some fabulous decor and gifts with (of course!) your WM[squared] stash! Be sure to show us what you create!

Happy hybrid crafting!

Inspiring Templates & CU!

2011-09-23T07:00:00.001-05:00

TGIF Gals!!! So glad it's Friday, as I'm sure most of you are too! This week, I have a fun set of templates for you inspired by our very own Mel! Move stuff around, or keep stuff as is, it's all up to you! Also this week I have some CU Overlays up for grabs!

Be Inspired - Mel - V.2 - Templates

Inspiration:

Grab the Templates: HERE

Decorative Overlays - V.10

Grab the Overlays: HERE

Here are a few gorgeous LO's made by my fabulous CT & Guests!

Happy Scrapping!

Sneak Peek

2011-09-22T14:35:00.001-05:00

Here's a peek at what's coming tomorrow:

Stop by again tomorrow to see the reveal! :-)

Manic Monday

2011-09-19T04:35:00.000-05:00

It is that time of the week when WM[squared] Designs has another fabulous product on sale for ScrapMatters Manic Monday!! This week, WM[squared] Designs has Brothers & Sisters Wordart on sale for just $2.00

If you haven't done so, you should check out all of WM[squared] Designs products in her ScrapMatters store!

Happy Monday!

CT Spotlight - Heidi

2011-09-17T08:00:00.001-05:00

Name: Heidi
Favorite WM[squared] Kit: School Days - The College Years - Bundle - Having older kids, I don't need crayons and colored pencils anymore, so this kit is PERFECT!
Why do you Scrap? To remember the little things I will forget years down the road.
How do you describe your scrapping style? Paper/cluster
Favorite LO at the moment:

Random Fact about you: I don't want my girls to grow up any more. I want to stop time right now and freeze my family forever.
If you had words of wisdom to share as CT Lead, What would you say? Being a CT member is first a job, not a privilege. Our work is to support and promote the designer. Do what is required of you with a cheerful heart. If you don't think you can make the requirements, then don't try out for the team. We want the CT to be a fun, exciting, rockin' place.
How long have you been with the team? Not sure??? Ami how long have you been on? I think I came on after you?

Now when I asked Heidi about how long she's been on the team, I thought she'd have a numerical answer. I guess we'll just have to settle on the fact that she's been here for a while. Thanks for keeping us under control Heidi!

Thanks for tuning into this month's CT Spotlight!

Cats & Dogs

2011-09-16T07:00:00.002-05:00

Hello & Happy Friday!!! I have a fun set of products for you this week!! Originally a participation prize a few months back, I've added on and made a lot of fun stuff to go with the kit! Have a great day!

Cats & Dogs: The Kit

Elements

Papers

Grab the Kit: HERE

Cats & Dogs: The Word Art Bits

Grab the WA: HERE

Cats & Dogs: The Bonus Alpha
Comes in 7 different colors!

Grab the BA: HERE

Cats & Dogs: The Bundle

Grab the Bundle: HERE

Here are some gorgeous LO's made by my fabulous CT & Guests!

Happy Scrapping!

9/16 Sneak Peek

2011-09-15T08:51:00.005-05:00

Friday's NEW RELEASE will be PURR-fect for scrapping all of your closest friends - especially the FURRY kind!
Here's a little SNEAK PEEK:

Manic Monday - 9/12

2011-09-12T08:00:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone! Whit here with this week's Manic Monday- School Days: Extras- for just $2.00! It matches perfectly with School Days and School Days: College Years so grab them all for the complete collection! Have a great day!

Title Work Tip/Trick

2011-09-10T05:00:00.001-05:00

Today's tip/trick is an easy one, but may be crazy as I put it down in words for ya! So I hope you can all follow along and love this little tip!

First and for most, be sure that your "move tool" "Auto-Select" box is checked!

This week you are lucky, you actually get to learn TWO tricks in one!! While working in Photoshop (I use CS5) select your "Rectangular Marquee Tool." Now, for the first little tip, hover over something on your LO. See that little "+" sign? While hovering there, click on your CTRL key!! See that? With all of the other tools, when you click on the CTRL key, it temporarily switches your cursor to the move tool! How awesome is that? Such a time saver! (I have to admit, at times I forget to use it)

Now I'm going to share with you a way to use this along with putting together a title using one of those alpha sheets out there!! Instead of pulling up your alpha sheet next to your LO and doing a copy, move and paste, I'll show you how to do this a little faster....which can be especially nice for those long titles!

Here's the page I am going to add a title to:

Open your alpha sheet and drag it ONTO your LO, like so:

Make sure your "Rectangular Marquee Tool" is selected then go ahead and select the first letter of your title:

With the letter selected, select CTRL+J. This letter is placed in the layer above the alpha sheet in the layers palate, and it is now the selected layer. Now to use the tip from the beginning of this tutorial! Select CTRL and click on your next letter, this will select the alpha sheet in the layers palate. Continue the CTRL + J, and then CTRL/click until you have selected and copied all the letters for your alpha.

In my case I used two separate alpha sheets. After getting all of your letters copied, go ahead and click on the eye ball next to the alpha sheets in the layers palate and you will see your letters for your title!

This works so well for those long titles rather than copy, move to LO, copy, move to LO, etc. And of course, all of the alpha's are on separate layers so you can move them around as you wish!! Align them how you want etc! My title wasn't extremely long for this particular LO, but the technique works just as well for shorter titles....and that little CTRL click to have the instant move tool is pretty amazing!!

Here's my final layout:

To see all of Wendy's amazing products that I used to make this layout, you can find it in my gallery HERE!

Hope this helps you save time making a layout!! Have a great weekend!

Curvy Templates & A large Stamped Alpha!

2011-09-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

Hi there, and I hope you're doing wonderfully this Friday morning! I have a fun set of curvy templates for you this week! Move around the curves, or leave them be. Flip the template or not, it's all up to you!

Got Curves? V.4 - Templates

Grab the Templates: HERE

Big Stamped Alpha (Former Facebook Freebie)

Grab the Templates: HERE

Here are some gorgeous LO's made by my fabulous CT & Guests!

Happy Scrapping!

Sneak Peek at the 9/9 release

2011-09-08T08:00:00.001-05:00

Are your ready for a sneak peek at the new releases coming out tomorrow? Here ya' go!

Stop by again tomorrow to see the reveal and inspiration from the Creative Team!

September Template Challenge

2011-09-07T05:00:00.001-05:00

Happy HUMP day....:giggle: It's the first Wednesday of the month, and you know what that means...template challenge day!!I had a lot of fun creating this template for you and I hope you have as much fun creating your pages with it! I know our creative team had fun.....just check out these amazing pages:

Melanie:

Ami:

Nikki:

Susan:

Wendy:

Aren't they amazing??? Now you want to play too?!? Challenge reminder - use at least 40% of WM[squared] Designs to be eligible for a GC at the end of the month. Be sure to come back and link us up with your layout! Here you go...

Download

Saturday Freebie...sort of...

2011-09-03T06:55:00.002-05:00

Hi, WM2 fans! Becca (becca372) here with you on this Saturday. Hope you are having a great Labor Day weekend! I am planning to enjoy it like mad, because today's my birthday, too! I've got some bad news and some good news for you, though...bad news is, I realized late last night that my EHD with the freebie I had allllllmost done for you is locked in my classroom, and we've been banned from entering the school this weekend, while our custodians finish all the floor waxing before school starts...boo. The good news? I'm turning lemons into lemonade for you! Here's the deal--leave a comment, and let me know what kind of freebie you want, and I will be posting it for you on Monday! So, what do you think? Cluster? Paper stack? Any other ideas you can think of? I'll try to accomodate you! The other part of the deal? You can pick which kit I use to create the freebie! Here are your choices, from some of Wendy's recent goodies--

So, I will be checking back when I get home from my weekend away on Monday, and I will be back to give you the freebie y'all request, plus the one that is currently locked away on my EHD! See you Monday, and hope you have a fantastic weekend!!!

Goin' Back to School.....

2011-09-02T07:00:00.003-05:00

Hello again! Hopefully you're not sick of me just yet! :D I have a super fun add-on to my School Days kit!! And if you don't have the original kit yet, I've included a coupon for 25% off! If you went to college, or know someone who is going...this add-on is for you!

Inspired by my own journey, i thought it was perfect timing! :D

School Days - The College Years - Mini

The Elements

The Papers

Grab the Mini: HERE

School Days - The College Years - Word Art Bits

Grab the WA Bits: HERE

School Days - The College Years - The Greek Alpha

Grab the Alpha: HERE

School Days - The College Years - The Alpha

Grab the Alpha: HERE

School Days - The College Years - Bundle

Grab the Bundle: HERE

Here are some gorgeous LO's made by my fabulous CT & Guests!

Happy Scrapping!

Sneak Peek 9/1

2011-09-01T05:00:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone! Heather (isaacsmom) here. I can't believe it's September already!!! Where o where did my summer go? I can say though, that I am really looking forward to the cooler weather that fall will bring, and not to mention that football season will open this weekend! Can't wait!!!

And here is your sneak peek of what is coming to the store tomorrow:

Come on back tomorrow to see it all revealed!!!

Rockin' the September MaK

2011-09-01T05:00:00.000-05:00

Hello to September!! Seems unreal! We have eight months under our belt, and only a few more until Christmas and the new year! September usually means fall is knocking at our door, but here in S. Texas, it couldn't be further from the truth. We're still in the 100's as far as temp's go. Ah well. You'd think I'd be used to it now, but I'm not. :D

At any rate, I bring you some amazing new goodies for September's Mix A Kit. I've been wanting to do a rockin' themed kit for a while, and the colors, while not grungy, worked for the theme! So here it is!

I will see you tomorrow for MORE new goodies!! :D

Rock Star - The Extras:

Grab the Extras: HERE

Rock Star - The Word Art:

Grab the WA: HERE

Rock Star - The Papers:

Grab the Papers: HERE

Rock Star - The Alphas:

Grab the Alphas: HERE

Here are some gorgeous LO's made by my fabulous CT & Guests!

Happy Scrapping!

Template Winner

2011-08-31T08:00:00.001-05:00

At the beginning of the month Jenny gave us a very fun template challenge. Thank you to everyone who played along and posted their layouts in the wm [squared] gallery. It was hard to choose, but I found a layout that I really liked. So the winner is.....

Robin!!

I really like how she mixed a color photo with black and white ones. She also did a great job with all the ribbons and especially the tied one in the front across the photo and paper mats. Great layout!! Robin watch your inbox for a special little something from Wendy!!

Remember it's easy to win- all you have to do is play along and post it in the gallery.

Saturday Tip: Scrapbooking and Creativity Podcasts

2011-08-28T16:37:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! Amy here to chat a bit about one of my favorite things ... podcasts! Podcasts are a great way for me to learn something new or dive deep into topics that are of interest to me. If you have an interest, there is a high likelihood that there is a podcast out there for you! If you want more information on what podcasts are and how they work, you should visit this site for more information!

But, today, I'm going to focus on scrapbooking and creativity focused podcasts. I work full-time so my scrapbooking/creativity time tends to fall on the weekend. But, I love listening to podcasts all week that help keep me in a creative mindset! I listen to them in the car, while I'm cleaning house, cooking dinner, putting away laundry, etc! They are great company!

Here are just a few that I recommend (you can also find them via the iTunes store - just search for them):

1. The Digi Show is my go to podcast as it is about all things digital scrapbooking! I believe it is the only podcast specifically focused on digital scrapbooking. (If you know of another, let me know!!) Hosted by Steph from the Daily Digi with regular guests Katie the Scrapbook Lady and Peppermint Granberg. It's a fantastic podcast that I look forward to every week!

2. Paperclipping Roundtable is a scrapbooking podcast run by Noelle who owns the Paperclipping website. This website is a lot of fun and very informative. Much of what they discuss is relevant to the world of digital scrapbooking but even those episodes more focused on paper scrapbooking offer a great deal of value! The have had a variety of guests on the show - Ali Edwards, Angie Lucas, Stacy Julian, Ana Cabrera, and Debbie Hodge to just name a few!

3. Layout a Day: The Simple Scrapbooking Podcast with Lain Ehmann is a newer scrapbooking podcast for me. But, I am really liking it so far! Lain has a lot of tips and techniques that are applicable to all types of scrapbooking.

4. Creative Living with Jamie is a podcast that really focuses more on creativity than scrapbooking but I learn something from it every time that I listen. Focusing on creativity and living an authentic life really helps keep me focused on the creative side of me, even when I'm not able to actually BE creative! I think that she has a show featuring Ali Edwards so perhaps that would be a good one to start with!

I hope you'll enjoy these four podcasts which I think are a great first start in terms of scrapbooking/creativity podcasting! If you have other favorites, please leave a comment! I'd love to hear about them! Have a great rest of the weekend!

Splashing Around!

2011-08-26T07:00:00.001-05:00

Well, the first week of school is done with! I hope you all are doing as good as I am! I have a super fun summery kit for you this week, this kit is kind of a love letter to the end of summer! Just in time to help you scrap all your pool & water fun pictures!

Grab the kit & WA in the bundle & save! See ya in September!!

Splashing Around - The Kit

The Elements:

The Papers:

Grab the Kit: HERE

Splashing Around - Word Art Bits

Grab the WA Bits: HERE

Splashing Around - Alpha
(Included with the kit, but available separately too)

Grab the Alpha: HERE

Splashing Around - Bundle

Grab the Bundle: HERE

Here are some gorgeous LO's made by my fabulous CT & Guests!

Happy Scrapping!

Manic Monday - 08/22/11

2011-08-22T08:00:00.001-05:00

Hey all- Whit here with your weekly Manic Monday! Today Wendy has School Days on sale for %50 off! A perfect kit and great timing for capturing all those first day of school memories!

Have a great week!

CT Spotlight- Yolanda

2011-08-20T06:10:00.001-05:00

Hello and welcome to a new segment we like to call CT Spotlight! WooHoo! Call me nosy, but I like to know more about my online friends, especially since that's the only way we communicate and it's nice to put a face to the user names. So when Wendy announced this new blog post, I was so excited. I am happy to kick it off, so without further ado (yeah I like to say that a lot, lol) here are my interview questions to one of my fellow Ct'ers? Ct'ees? Well you get what I am saying, haha.

Name:

Yolanda (y_baros)

Favorite WM[squared] Kit:

A Life So Sweet (with Jady Day Studio)

Product linked

Why do you Scrap?
I mostly scrap to preserve memories for and of my children. It's also a really great creative outlet for me!

How do you describe your scrapping style?
Schizo LOL Sometimes I love nice, clean layouts and other times, I love to throw as much onto a page as I can!

What is one element that is always in your LO's?
If a kit has stitches, they're somewhere on my layout. I love me some stitches!

Favorite LO at the moment:
My latest:

Image linked, feel free to leave some love

Random Fact about you:
I LOVE cereal. The sugary, not-so-good-for-you kind. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch AND dinner! I'm going to go have a bowl right now.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Italy. I love the language, the accent, the food, the gorgeous people...The pictures I've seen of Lake Como are stunning and I would love to visit someday!

So now you know a little more about Yolanda, thanks Yolanda for letting me interview you! Hope you guys have a nice weekend!

Templates, Bundles & CU!

2011-08-19T04:00:00.001-05:00

August 19th. Seems like it was just yesterday that I was dreading school...now it's only a few days away!! Hopefully the semester will go by quickly, and judging from the way the summer has flown, im sure it will. I've been traveling a lot, trying to get in every little bit of fun stuff in before school starts!! I cannot believe vacation is almost over!

Be Inspired - Fran

Inspiration:

Grab the Templates: HERE

Be Inspired - Bundle - V.6

Grab the Bundle: HERE

Fleur de Lis - V.2 - CU Overlays

Grab the Overlays: HERE

Here are some gorgeous LO's made by my fabulous CT & Guests!

Happy Scrapping!

Sneak Peek 8/18

2011-08-18T09:49:00.001-05:00

Here's a peek at what's coming tomorrow:

Manic Monday: 8/15 It's My Party

2011-08-15T08:00:00.001-05:00

It's Heather here, with another Manic Monday sale! The kit this week is one of my favorites, It's My Party! It's 50% off today only!!

Don't miss out, the kit is only on sale today, August 15!

A Bundle and Be Inspired - Yolanda - Templates

2011-08-13T09:06:00.000-05:00

Hey All! Good Morning. Ami here - I'm supposed to be here with a tip or a trick for y'all, but first a quick pit stop with some new releases.

First up we have Be Inspired - Yolanda - Templates! And I'm going to tease you a bit-

Here's the inspiration-

And here's the template pack-

Get a close up look at the first template - there's CUT OUTS!!!!

These are on SALE until Sunday!

And them to your collection HERE!

And now for the bundle! What is more fun than a fantastic set of dating elements?

A BUNDLE PACK!!!

Pick up Simply Date Bundle 5 and add not just one but 4 of the fantastic Simply Dated elements!

This is also on sale until Sunday!

Grab your copy HERE!

Now back to our regularly scheduled blog posting-

Today my tip and trick is write it down (and it can apply to everyday, non-scrapping life too).

About 2 weeks ago, I volunteered to post a tip or trick for Wendy's blog, but I didn't write it down.

I nearly forgot!

But seriously, when you're scrapping, take the time to make note of what products you are using and even how you've done a new technique. Whether it be a fellow scrapping asking you "how did you do that?" or a magazine saying "we want to publish your creation!", a quick note to yourself will make all the difference.

Thanks for tuning in to my tip or trick for this week. Have a great weekend!

Sneak Peek 8/11

2011-08-11T12:12:00.000-05:00

Have a peek at what's coming your way tomorrow...

Be sure you come back for the full reveal!

Toot Toot!!

2011-08-06T08:00:00.012-05:00

Hello & Happy Saturday!!

We're in the midst of a huge celebration! It's ScrapMatters' birthday!

We have a great SM Mega Collab for you, and it's free, when you purchase $20.00 in the shop! The sale will be going strong until Thursday, so be sure to grab your wish list goodies!

Now, onto my freebie:

Grab it here. It'll be taken down in one week, so grab it now!

Your next stop is Val. If you get derailed, you can always go to the ScrapMatters blog and go to the next gal!

Happy Scrapping!

Hybrid Home Freebie!

2011-08-06T07:38:00.000-05:00

Hi! It's Nikki here with a little printable hybrid freebie for you! I used Wendy's new August Mix-A-Kit, Heart & Home, to create a coordinated "welcome home" set… perfect for a housewarming, delivering a gift to a new neighbor, or celebrating any kind of home-coming (home from a deployment? home from college? home from a hard day at the office?).

Download HERE

The set includes a 5x5 card front (based on a Be Inspired-Ophelia v. 2 template), a gift-bag decor strip, a small gift tag, a business-card sized "call me" card, and a bookmark-sized "important numbers" sheet… everything you need to welcome a new neighbor or congratulate a new homeowner!

This set is designed to print on a single 8.5x11 sheet; keep in mind that different papers will give different results. For crisp, sharp color, photo paper works nicely, but can be pricey. Cardstock tends to absorb ink so it may give a more subdued look, and different cardstocks act differently… you can get some cool results from textured stock (I love printing on linen-y cardstock!).

The beauty of hybrid is that you can simply print the digital images and go…. or you can add your own personalizing touches. I used buttery yellow cardstock as a mat on the gift bag strip (to add additional coverage over the store logo that was on the bag!), and to frame the oval gift tag with a pinked-edge finish (thank goodness I kept my old deco-edge scrapbooking scissors! *wink*). I inked all the edges with blue, and added just a few buttons and bits of string to polish it all off.

I hope you'll have fun playing with hybrid crafting, and I hope there's someone in your life who might be cheered by a bit of Heart & Home!

Grab A Ticket - Great Escape - California!

2011-08-05T04:00:00.002-05:00

Happy Day!! It's Friday, and it's also ScrapMatters' birthday!!! We are having a HUGE celebration with a blog train, games with LOADS of GC's and facebook & twitter coupons. So if you're not following ScrapMatters on Facebook or Twitter, nows the time to do so!! I'll also have loads of GC's on my twitter, so if you're not a follower, now's the time, it's not too late! :D

All of my Personal Use items are 30% off, and my Commercial Use goodies are 20% until 8-11-11!

Today I have one of my all time favorites, I think! Having lived in California, I could've gone on and on and on with this kit! It's an add-on of sorts to my "Great Escape" Full Kit. And if you haven't grabbed that kit, i'd do so now! Or if you'd rather wait, you can do that too - I've included a coupon to purchase it for 30% off. Although, the coupon is not good during sales. At any rate, I hope you love it as much as I do! Happy Shopping!!

Great Escape - California

Elements

Papers

Grab the Kit: HERE

Great Escape - California - Word Art Bits

Grab the WA Bits: HERE

Great Escape - Journaling Bits

Grab the Journaling Bits: HERE

Here are a few gorgeous LO's made by my fabulous CT & Guests!

Happy Scrapping!

Sneak Peek!

2011-08-04T09:24:00.000-05:00

Here's a little peek of what's coming your way tomorrow. Be sure to check back tomorrow for the full reveal of these awesome products!

August Template Challenge

2011-08-03T05:00:00.002-05:00

Can you believe it's August already!?!? It's really crazy, but it's here so let's enjoy it! I was excited to create the template this month, as I'm a little obsessed with templates!

Challenge reminder - use at least 40% of WM[squared] Designs to be eligible for a GC.

Download Template

Download PNG Layers

Jenny (me):

Whit:

Fran:

Melissa:

Nikki:

Can't wait to see what you create with this template!

Wendy's Marathon Manic Monday!

2011-08-01T08:58:00.000-05:00

Wendy has this fun set of word bits for 50% off today only for Manic Monday! Grab them quickly!

August Mix A Kit!

2011-08-01T04:00:00.002-05:00

Happy August to you!! August is going to be SUPER busy for me! Loads of trips, a BIG BIRTHDAY party @ ScrapMatters and school! Today i have a few Mix A Kit goodies to show ya! The palette screamed home sweet home to me, and so it was! It's perfect to scrap your home, or your family!

Heart & Home - The Extras:

Grab the Extras: HERE

Heart & Home - The Papers:

Grab the Papers: HERE

Heart & Home - The Alphas:

Grab the Alphas: HERE

Here are some gorgeous LO's made by my fabulous CT & Guests!

Happy Scrapping!

Be Inspired & CU!

2011-07-29T04:00:00.001-05:00

Hiya! It's the end of July! Amazing!! My little nephew is turning 1 in a few days, I can hardly believe it!! I can't wait to visit with him and share some cake with him next month!

Today I have some fun templates for you, as well as some CU goodies! And as always, they're on sale for the weekend only! Remember, on the first, I'll be back with August's Mix A Kit items! And the pieces are super fun! TGIF!

Be Inspired - Ophelia- V.2

Inspiration:

Grab the Templates: HERE

Fleur de Lis - Overlays

Grab the Overlays: HERE

Here are some LO's made by my fabulous CT & Guests!

Happy Scrapping!

7/29 Sneak Peek

2011-07-28T07:55:00.005-05:00

Two great NEW RELEASES coming to the ScrapMatters Shop tomorrow-be sure to check them out! Here's a little peek at 'em!

Peace, Love & Flip Flops!

2011-07-22T04:00:00.005-05:00

I hope you guys had an amazing week! Every week I am amazed at how fast the summer is flying by! In no time my nephew will be celebrating his 1st birthday, I'll be back in school, and then it'll be Christmas! :D But for the time being, I have an amazing new release for you with my pal Tanya of Crossbone Cuts! I hope you love it as much as we do! Have a great weekend!!

Peace, Love & Flip Flops - Kit

Papers:

Elements:

Grab the Kit: HERE

Peace, Love & Flip Flops - WA Bits:

Grab the WA Bits: HERE

Peace, Love & Flip Flops - Alpha
Comes with the kit - but is also available separately!

Grab the Alpha: HERE

Peace, Love & Flip Flops - Bundle

Grab the Bundle: HERE

Simply Dated - Bundle 4

Grab the Bundle: HERE

Here are a few gorgeous LO's & Projects made by my fabulous CT & Guests!

Happy Scrapping!

Manic Monday

2011-07-18T07:52:00.001-05:00

It's summer time and the weather is getting hot where I live. It's so nice to get to the pool and eat cool treats to escape the heat. Today Wendy has a treat for each of us!! Her fun kit Beach Bum is on sale TODAY ONLY!! So run on over to her shop (HERE)at ScrapMatters and snatch it before the sale is over!

Photoshop Tip: Assigning Key Shortcuts in Photoshop

2011-07-16T07:38:00.000-05:00

Hi, it’s Liz with a quick little tip for Photoshop users (not sure if this works in PSE). It’s assigning keyboard shortcuts for often used commands. You know how CTRL + Z is Undo and so on. Well, you can assign other common commands to specific keys to make your scrapping easier. I use it for things like rasterizing type and adding a stroke to items.

To access this, just go to EDIT> KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS. A window will pop up and you can scroll down through all the menu options and change the keyboard shortcuts to have things the way you like them. You can also do the same thing for the Tools on the Side. Should something already be assigned to a particular keystroke, it will let you know what you are potentially changing and give you the option of changing it.

So just a little tip to make you scrapping a bit easier. Enjoy!

The Great Outdoors!

2011-07-15T04:00:00.001-05:00

Hello and welcome to the middle of July! Already!!! That seems outrageous to me! Pretty soon i'll be back in school! :D But before I get carried away, I have some amazing goodies for you this week! Not only do I have a great new kit, but I have some amazing add-ons that go along with it!

Also - ONE WEEK ONLY - until 7-21 - You can pick up ALL of my Winter, Christmas & New Year's goods for 30% off!!! Happy Christmas in July!! <3

Have a great weekend!!

The Great Outdoors

Papers:

Elements:

Grab the Kit: HERE

The Great Outdoors - WA Bits:

Grab the WA Bits: HERE

The Great Outdoors - Signs

Grab the Signs: HERE

The Great Outdoors - Alpha
Comes with the kit - but is also available separately!

Grab the Alpha: HERE

The Great Outdoors - Bonus Alpha

Grab the Bonus Alpha: HERE

The Great Outdoors - Bundle

Grab the Bundle: HERE

Be Inspired - Bundle 5

Grab the Bundle: HERE

Here are some amazing LO's from my CT & guests!

Happy Scrapping!

Sneak Peek for 7/15/2011 Release !!!!

2011-07-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hoot! Hoot!! Hey there everyone, I'm here to give you a sneaky peek at the adventurous release that Wendy has for you tomorrow. Wait till you see it! It is filled with great stuff!

Ready to head off on your next trek? Make sure to check out all the wonderful new releases tomorrow at her shop at ScrapMatters!

Sweet Love Freebie

2011-07-09T10:29:00.000-05:00

It's Saturday and time for a freebie :-) I have created a simple but I hope useful frame for you using Sweet Love. I hope you'll like it!

The image is linked.

More Patriotic Goodies & Templates Galore!

2011-07-08T04:00:00.001-05:00

I hope you all had a fun & safe 4th of July here in the states. My hubby and I had a fun BBQ with my parents, but unlike most 4th of July celebrations, this year, it's been *SO* dry here in South Texas, all firework shows were banned. :( Kind of a bummer, but we are still thankful for all the troops that have sacrificed to protect our freedom!

This week I have a few patriotic goodies up for grabs, so hopefully you haven't scrapped all your 4th memories yet!! These would be great for your NYC or DC pics too! I also have a set of templates, and a bundle of templates up for grabs too!

I hope you have a great weekend!

The 4th - Stamps

Grab the Stamps: HERE!

Be Inspired - Czianya - Templates

Inspiration:

Grab the Templates: HERE

Liberty - Alpha

Grab the Alpha: HERE!

Be Inspired - Bundle 4

Grab the Bundle: HERE!

Here are some gorgeous LO's made by my fabulous CT & Guests!

Happy Scrapping!

7/8 Sneek Peek

2011-07-07T18:32:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone out there! For the American readers, hope you had a fabulous 4th of July weekend. And talking about 4th of July, check out this little sneek peek of the wonderful products Wendy is coming out with tomorrow

Excited? Don't forget to check them out tomorrow at ScrapMatters.com

July Blog Challenge!

2011-07-06T15:10:00.003-05:00

Hi! Fran here with July's blog challenge! I think one of my major weaknesses in my scrapping is using a lot of photos. I don't know what to do with them half of the time, plus with so many photos, I'm sometimes at a loss with how to embellish them. And I like embellishing! Otherwise it's just a collage of photos! :) So my challenge to you this month is to use a bunch of photos on a layout. You can cheat like me and use Wendy's template set, Be Inspired - Heather v2 templates by WM[squared] Designs! You certainly don't need that many photos, but lets see at least 4 on your page! Here are the rules:

Create a page with 4 or more photos on it.
Use products by WM[squared] Designs on your page
Post your page in Wendy's ScrapMatters gallery
Post your page before July 26th in THIS THREAD at SM. If you do not post in the thread, we will not know you've participated!
One winner will win a gift certificate to Wendy's shop.

And here's my page with lots and lots of photos!

Saturday Tip: Telling Your Story in Your Scrapbook Pages

2011-07-04T00:29:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! It's Amy here and I want to talk about story! For me, the primary reason that I create scrapbook pages is to tell the story of our family. To document the day to day of our lives and illustrate what is important to us. I try to be very intentional in my scrapbooking and make sure that each page illustrates the stories that are important to us. It isn't always easy to do this and I think a lot of people struggle with how to tell their stories when creating pages! Here are a few tips that have worked for me as I've tried to be more intentional about telling stories with my scrapbook pages ...

Tip #1 - The most important tip that I have is to always remember the reasons for telling these stories - whether its to document/preserve the memories or if it's to remember the people, places and things that made you who you are. Knowing this and keeping it top of mind is critical to keeping you focused on the story. It will help guide you and every choice you make on your pages!

Tip #2 - I keep an ongoing list of the overarching types of stories that I want to tell and when I'm stuck on what to tell about a given situation or experience, I can go to that list to help me hone in on what story opportunity might be waiting for me to tell. Here are just a few of the story types that I have on my personal list -

Accomplishments
Work
School
Friends
The Stuff of Daily Life
Interests/Hobbies/Passions
Daily/Weekly/Monthly Routines
Culture

Tip #3 - Think about what you wish you'd known about those who came before you ... what are the stories that you wish someone had documented about your ancestors? Unearthing those stories may help to remind you of the things you might want to consider documenting in your own scrapbook pages!

Tip #4 - Let go of the idea that you need to be fancy when writing the stories of your life. This isn't a novel. It's not necessary for it to be a masterpiece. Just get the words on the page and don't worry so much about how 'well written' it might be! It is important to keep it clean and simple to make sure that the story gets told. If you get fancy, you can make it difficult for people to really see and feel what you're trying to tell!

Tip #5 - Be descriptive and use those details to make your reader hear, feel, see, taste and smell what you are writing about. Those details are what will bring your stories alive for future readers!

I hope that these tips might help you as you tell more stories in your scrapbook pages! I've pulled together a number of layouts from the WM [Squared] Designs gallery over at ScrapMatters that I think are excellent examples of telling your story in your scrapbook pages! I hope that these pages inspire you to begin telling YOUR stories!

Sweet Love & Templates!

2011-07-01T04:00:00.003-05:00

It's July!! And since it's July 1st, you know what time it is....Mix A Kit time!! As you may or may not know, MaK is on sale for 1 week - 20% off! So, you can mix and match all the goodies in the category for less!! I also have some super new inspiring templates for you! So, lets get to it!

Sweet Love - The Extras

Grab the Extras: HERE!

Sweet Love - The Patterns

Grab the Patterns: HERE!

Sweet Love - The Solids

Grab the Solids: HERE!

Sweet Love - The Alphas

Grab the Alpha: HERE!

Be Inspired - Heather - V.2 - Templates

Inspiration:

Grab the Templates: HERE

Here are a few gorgeous LO's made by my fabulous CT & Guests!

Happy Scrapping!

Sneak Peek 6/30

2011-06-30T08:00:00.003-05:00

Boy do I have "sweet treat" for you today! Wendy has some "yummy" products coming out tomorrow! How about a little peek at the "goodies"?!

Be sure and check back tomorrow for the full reveal!

The New WM[squared] Creative Team - Summer 2011

2011-06-28T13:30:00.000-05:00

....help me congratulate all the gals who made my Summer CT Hybrid / Guest call, and to all the girls who stayed on from my previous call! I had an amazing response!! Thanks to all who took time to apply! :wub:

Are you a fan?

2011-06-28T02:15:00.000-05:00

Are you a facebook fan of WM[squared] Designs? If not, then now's the time to start!! :D

Not only will you get an exclusive 30% off coupon, but you can also get an exclusive freebie to download too!! So head on over to my Facebook page and click "like"!

xoxo

A little (late) tip for you

2011-06-27T13:13:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone this is Czianya with my first blog post. So excited to have joined WM[squared] perm CT, don't you just love Wendy's stuff? So anyways, this post was supposed to go up on saturday and I completely forgot, although I have a pretty good reason why. My little family of 4, for the last week, has had the stomach flu. Yup, lots of puking EVERYWHERE, wanna know the details?...
No?...
You just want to see the tip I have for you?...
Yes?...
OK, well here is your tip of the day.

So we all have seen different ways and programs to organize our digi-stash, and maybe you've even seen this tip before, but for you newbies out there I'll post it again. All you need is the window explorer that came with your computer.

So I initially have my folders grouped by letter and then My main folders numbered like this

Then I make sure that the designer's name/initials are first, then the kit. Like so

If they have multiple folders for a kit I consolidate them to one folder. So all the ellies, papers, wordart are together, except alphas, I am weird and like to have them in their own folder. So here is a sample of how I have a kit set up

and if you notice I also have them named a certain way

For all of the elements I add "ES", element name, and color and anything else that can help me find it. The same goes for the papers, if they are solid, I add solid, patterned, I add pattern and so on. This can be a very long process if you already have a nice digi-stash going on, but I promise once you do this to every kit it'll get easier. So after doing this to all of my kits (ok most, but I am still working on it)(This is where it comes in handy!) (can you have 2 (or 3, well 4 now) pairs of parenthesis next to eachother?), here's how I put it to work.

In the search box type what you want to find, for example I need something red for my layout and it needs to be from Wendy's designs, so this is what I type

and this is what shows up (there's a lot more red elements from WM2, just saying! lol)

Easy right? Then, all you need to do is drag it to your photo editing program of choice and beautify your layout. Another quick example:

Like I said there's many different ways and programs to help you organize your stash, this one happens to work for me, maybe it will work for you too! Hope you have a nice rest of the week and have a happy & safe 4th of July weekend!

It’s Just Another Manic Monday! Vintage Summer 50% Today Only!

2011-06-27T05:35:00.000-05:00

It’s another Manic Monday around here and Wendy’s got a great summer kit on sale for 50% off today! Vintage Summer is a cool retro kit perfect for scrapping those summer memories.

So snag it fast, before this deal washes away with the tide!

Yankee Doode & Inspiring Templates!

2011-06-24T04:00:00.003-05:00

Another week is in the books for 2011. Is it just me, or is anyone else freaking out about how time is flying?! This week I have an AMAZINGLY unique (PINK! HELLO!) 4th of July kit with Liz of Band Geek Designs! I just LOVED the color palette the minute I saw it! We've whipped up a kit, bonus alpha & WA bits, and bundled it all together to save you $! In addition to the new 4th goodies, I also have a new fab set of Inspiring templates, and even a bundle of them too! next week....

Yankee Doodle - Collab Kit

Grab the Kit: HERE!

Yankee Doodle - Word Art Bits

Grab the Word Art Bits: HERE!

Yankee Doodle - Bundle

Grab the Bundle: HERE!

Yankee Doodle - Alpha
Included in the Kit - but also available separately
.
Grab the Alpha: HERE!

Be Inspired - Jenn V. - V.2 - Templates

Inspiration:

Grab the Templates: HERE

Be Inspired - Value Pack 3

Grab the Be Inspired VP: HERE

Here are a few gorgeous LO's made by my fabulous CT!

Happy Scrapping!
xoxo

6/23 Sneak Peek!

2011-06-23T02:00:00.001-05:00

It's that time again.....

Lots of new stuffs are headed your way! Be sure to check back tomorrow :o)

It's Manic Monday!!

2011-06-20T06:00:00.001-05:00

It's that wonderful day of the week at ScrapMatters, where you get a super fun kit for 50% off. Check out Tropical Paradise by WM squared Designs:

Be sure to show off what your creations by uploading them to the wm [squared] gallery at ScrapMatters.

Chooo Choooooo!!!

2011-06-17T08:00:00.005-05:00

Hello gals & Welcome to the WM[squared] Designs Birthday Blog Train! All the pieces are made with my new kit "Make A Wish" - now 20% off, through Sunday only!

This freebie was made by my fab CT Member Kim!
You can download the freebie: HERE!

Your next stop is the fabulous: LIZ!

Be sure to say hi and thank you to my CT gals, they've worked hard to give you some fabulous freebies!

If you get lost, here is the master list:
1. You Are HERE
2. Liz
3. Ophelia
4. Tiff
5. Fran
6. Heather
7. Ami
8. Cami
9. Czianya
10. Jewelle
11. Heather S.
12. Heidi
13. Melanie
14. Cathy
15. Whit
16. Erica
17. Tasha
18. Melissa
19. Vicki

xoxo

Oh Happy DAY!!!

2011-06-17T04:00:00.001-05:00

WOW!! This week has been amazing! Full of birthday celebrations, I hope you had as much fun as I did! Lot's of WM[squared] Goodies were given away, and tons of fun was had! Now the kit that you've been seeing in all the birthday ad's is finally here! It's fun and funky, and even includes TWO mustaches! I know it seems odd, but 'staches have been popping up all over the place, and it only seemed fitting to include some in my birthday kit! I also have some fabulous templates, and even a freebie to share with you. But that's not it!! Check out my blog @ 8am CST for a blog train. My gals and I have whipped up some AMAZING freebies! Now, onto the goodies!

Make A Wish

Grab the Kit: HERE!

Make A Wish - Zodiac Add On

Grab the Add-On: HERE!

Make A Wish - Bonus Alpha

Grab the Alpha: HERE!

Make A Wish - Bundle

Grab the Bundle: HERE!

Simply Dated - V.18

Grab the Date Stamps: HERE

Be Inspired - Jenn V. - V.2 - Templates

Inspiration:

Grab the Templates: HERE

Here are some gorgeous LO's made by my fabulous CT Gals!

Happy Scrapping!
xoxo

2011-06-16T08:18:00.001-05:00

Doesn't get any better than this......sneak peek for Friday, June 17th. All hail to the 'stache!!

Hybrid & Guest CT Call!!!

2011-06-15T17:50:00.001-05:00

Can You?
* Create at least 1 layout or hybrid project per kit?
* Enable my designs at least 3 times a month, and sport my blinkie with pride?
* Actively participate in my CT forum & post to my blog? (Guest aren't required to post to the blog)
* Post your LO’s in 3 galleries. 2 of my choice, 1 of yours?

If Yes:
* Email me at wm.squared.ctcall@gmail.com
* Put “Guest CT Call” or “CT Call-Hybrid” in the subject
* Tell me a little bit about yourself, including any other CT or design obligations.
* Give me a link to your most complete gallery, with a link to your favorite LO or project.

Everyone will get a response no later than 6.28.11, regardless of the outcome. Deadline to Apply is 6.24.11. Full time Hybrid Gals will get full access to my shop. LO Guests will get access to everything released the month they guest.

Birthday Game Schedule

2011-06-13T16:24:00.001-05:00

I hope you'll join in on the fun!!

Happy Birthday Sale!!

2011-06-13T01:30:00.000-05:00

Hello! As promised, here I am, on a Monday to tell you all about my big birthday sale!! Everything (except Sweet Deals & Collabs) is on sale for 35% off. But hurry and buy up your wish list now, because it all goes away on 6-17! Be sure to check the ScrapMatters forum, and my blog for fun games, and chances to win GC's to my shop! You'll also get a chance to win my new birthday kit, coming out on June 17th! Woot! And if that wasn't enough action, you'll also get a chance to collect clusters made with my kit by my wonderful CT gals on 6-17!! So check back, and check back often! PS - Discount is taken at checkout!

xoxo

A LITTLE TIP FOR YOU!!

2011-06-11T09:32:00.003-05:00

Good Saturday Morning to all you in Digi-land!
Today I have a quick tip to help you in your scrapping - I think this will help you scrap faster and even better - I know it has transformed my scrapping!
When I was a paper scrapper, I would pick out all the elements and papers and pictures that matched my theme or color and I would begin to place them on my layout to see what I wanted an where I wanted it, I would get it all laid out and when I was happy then I would begin to attach the items to the layout. When I began digi scrapping I was often discouraged by having to click open file to find an element that I wanted to go on the layout - I would often lose my flow of creativity while searching for that perfect element.
Last year sometime ScrapMatters had a Saturday Special that featured "loading files into a stack". I don't know if you saw that - but I have to tell you that transformed my scrapping! I couldn't believe that this whole time I had been digiscrapping the HARD way!
So today I'm going to tell you how to load your files into a stack and get all the elements that you want to work with - or even the ones that you think you MIGHT want to work with - onto your layout at the same time and then you can begin arranging, duplicating and deleting to get to that perfect layout!
I use Adobe PhotoShop CS3 - so I hope that you can follow along - if that isn't the program you use, I encourage you to find how you can do this in your program as well!
1. Click "FILE"
2. From the drop-down menu - near the bottom click "SCRIPTS"
3. From the drop-down menu under scripts click "LOAD FILES INTO A STACK"
4. Now a pop-up box will appear - click the word "BROWSE"
5. Now you will recognize that you are at the same place you are when you click "File Open"
6. Go to the kit you want to select ellies from and begin to choose what ellies you want - you can click one by one (the long way) or you can hold down shift - which will select ALL the ellies from the first one you click to the last one and all those inbetween OR you can hold down the CTRL key and select one by one the ones you want
7. After selecting the ellies/papers/letters you want click OK
8. On the pop-up box you will see the files you have selected showing up in the bottom portion of the box - but you don't have to be done - you can click BROWSE again and go back to the same kit you were in - or to a new kit and continue to select ellies that you want - over and over again you can do this until you are ready to go back to your layout
9. After selecting ALL that you want you can click OK on the pop-up box
10. Now your computer will do all the work of loading ALL the papers/elements/letters into ONE file for you - this can sometimes take a while for those of us that like to load an entire kit . . . :) heehee
11. Now you have all the files loaded into one file in your program - you can drag one ellie at a time to your layout - or if your like me - you want to drag them all over - so hold down SHIFT and select them all on your layers palette - drag em over!
12. Now you can arrange, shadow, delete, duplicate and play around with your layout getting it just right!
Hope you enjoyed this little tip - it has transformed my scrapping - it is so helpful when clustering as well~

Happy Scrapping to you~ - Susan aka Froggie!

Loads of New Goods!

2011-06-10T04:00:00.001-05:00

Hello! Another Friday is upon us, and this week I have some amazing goodies for you! I have more templates and a stash building alpha. I just love this acrylic alpha, and i'm sure you will too!

Next week is my birthday, and boy do I have some FUN in store for you! There will be loads of games, RAK's, a huge sale, and a new kit commemorating my big day! I hope you'll join in on the fun with me and my CT! There are loads of GC's to my shop up for grabs, so mark your calendars! The fun & sale, start Monday.

Be Inspired - Mel - Templates

Inspiration:

Grab the Templates: HERE

Just the Basics - Acrylic Alpha

Grab the Alpha: HERE!

Ornamental Overlays - V.11

Grab the Overlays: HERE!

Just Ornamental Overlays - Bundle III

Grab the Bundle: HERE!

Here are a few gorgeous LO's made by my fabulous CT & Guests!

Happy Scrapping!
xoxo

Sneak Peek!

2011-06-09T09:35:00.001-05:00

Wendy has some fun stuff for you tomorrow! Looksie!

June Blog Challenge

2011-06-08T08:38:00.000-05:00

It's already June and anyone who knows Wendy knows what that means - it's her birthday very soon! So for this month's challenge we're going to help her celebrate by creating a LO using a recipe challenge. A Birthday Cake recipe that is! So help me celebrate Wendy's birthday and play along with this challenge. And don't forget - you're entered to win a gift certificate to Wendy's Store just for completing a LO!

Birthday Recipe:
1. I like to have a starting point with my cakes and typically start with a mix. So for your starting point PICK A TEMPLATE
2. Now for our cake mix we usually need some eggs. So go ahead and ADD SOMETHING ROUND TO YOUR LO
3. The mix usually needs some oil and water and to be honest I can't seem to ever add either of those without making a mess. Let's ADD A SPLATTER SOMEWHERE ON YOUR PAGE and make a little mess.
4. Once our cake is all done baking and cooling we need to decorate it and make it pretty. ADD WHATEVER ELEMENTS YOU WANT TO PRETTY UP YOUR PAGE
5. Now a birthday cake isn't a birthday cake without some sprinkles. ADD A SCATTER OF SOME SORT TO YOUR PAGE
6. Now to finish it off we need to add a big Happy Birthday! to the top. ADD A LARGE TITLE TO YOUR LO
7. Then it's time for the big presentation! FINISH OFF WITH SHADOWING AND ANY FINISHING DETAILS AND UPLOAD TO WENDY'S GALLERY AT SCRAPMATTERS!

And here's a LO from the fabulous Ophelia using our recipe! She used Wendy's bundle School Days

The fine print:
- make a LO following the recipe above using mostly products from WM[squared] Designs.
- Upload your LO to Wendy's GALLERY at ScrapMatters.
- Link up you LO in THIS thread at ScrapMatters so we know you played along!

That's it! You have until June 28th to complete your LO and get it uploaded to be entered in the drawing for the gift certificate. So get going and get scrapping - and be sure to come back on the 29th to find out who the winner is!

Manic Monday!

2011-06-06T08:27:00.002-05:00

It's another Manic Monday at ScrapMatters! Today only, you can save 50% on Cupcake Love!

Saturday Freebie!

2011-06-04T06:52:00.003-05:00

Hello!!! Cathy here to share a new freebie with you. This cluster was made using the brand new, just released kit For Dad! Remember that as a new release at ScrapMatters, the kit is on sale this weekend! You can grab the kit HERE.

The preview above is linked so just click on it to download your freebie! Enjoy!

Loads of New Goodies!

2011-06-03T01:34:00.001-05:00

I've been working working working and boy do I have some goodies for y'all!! If you have some amazing men in your life like I do, you'll wanna grab this kit! It's dedicated to all the amazing dad's out there! I have some WA Bits, a Bonus Alpha and if that isn't enough, I also have some Be Inspired Templates for you! So lets get right to it, shall we?

OHH! Before I forget! Have you seen in the ScrapMatters forum that we're planning a Texas get together! It's gonna be the weekend of June 24th in Dallas! If you're interested in joining Heather of Haynay Designs & myself, we'd love to have you come out! We're going to have lots of gift cards to pass out too! If you want more information and cannot locate it in the forum, please feel free to email me!

For Dad

Papers:

Elements:

Grab the Kit: HERE!

For Dad - Word Art Bits

Grab the WA: HERE!

For Dad - Bonus Alpha

Grab the BA: HERE!

For Dad - Bundle

Grab the Bundle: HERE!

Be Inspired - Tasha - Templates

Inspiration:

Grab the Templates: HERE

Decorative Overlays - Value Pack II

Grab the VP: HERE!

Here are a some gorgeous LO's made by my fabulous CT Gals!

Happy Scrapping!

Sneak Peek

2011-06-02T06:57:00.002-05:00

I can't believe that it is now June, the year is basically half way over. And on top of that, it's nearing the weekend! Which means, that Wendy has more goodies in store for all of us!! Here's a little sneak peek for you!! Lots of goodies are coming your way so come back tomorrow to see the big reveal!

June Mix A Kit!

2011-06-01T04:00:00.002-05:00

Hello!! Surprised to see me so early in the week? :D Well, as you may or may not know - ScrapMatters has a fairly new (this is the third month) monthly sort of collab. It's called Mix A Kit, and it releases every 1st of the month. Each designer uses the same swatch and creates bits and pieces so they can be purchased together. This month I have some summary pieces for you. I hope you love it as much as I do! Grab 'em in the first week, and they're 20% off!

Summer Sunshine - Extras

Grab the Extras: HERE!

Summer Sunshine - Papers

Grab the Papers: HERE!

Summer Sunshine - Alphas

Grab the Alphas: HERE!

Here are some gorgeous LO's made by my fabulous CT & Guests!

Happy Scrapping!

Manic Monday: School Days 5/30

2011-05-30T10:47:00.001-05:00

It's another Manic Monday at ScrapMatters! Today you can grab School Days for 50% off! If you have some school pics still waiting to be scrapped, this is the perfect kit for you!

Hurry! It's only 50% TODAY only!

Keyboard Shortcut Keys Tip

2011-05-28T08:00:00.001-05:00

I don't know how many of you are like me- but when I scrapbook, I like to be able to do things quickly. I mean most people do right?? So I have to come to love the quick keys in elements. I have found that things can be done much more efficiently if I don't have to use the mouse to make every step. So today I have a small list of shortcut keys I use all the time.

First learn and get familiar with each of the tools and the shortcut keys assigned to each- here a a small few that I use all the time:
Crop Tool: C
Eraser Tool: E
Hand Tool: H
Eyedropper Tool: I
Quick Mask- or Cookie Cutter Tool: Q
Type Tool: T
Shape Tool: U
Move Tool: V
Zoom Tool: Z
Now here are a few others that are very useful-
New Layer: shift + ctrl + N
Copy Layer: ctrl + J
Group Layer: ctrl + G
Ungroup Layer: shirt + ctrl + G
Merge Layer: ctrl +E
At any time if you need see the keyboard commands: ctrl + alt + shift + K
None of the alpha keys have to be capitalized when using- I just capitalized so that you could see the letter well. Now if you are interested in a full list, I found an amazing website that has a file you can download or print with any possible quick key you could ever want. A very useful list!!
Photoshop Keyboard Shortcuts
Hopefully you found something useful, and maybe learned a thing or two. Have a wonderful day!!