I Resolve to Make More Projects

Happy Thursday! Ron here with another installment of Club Scrap inspiration.

I don't know about you, but I've never been one to make a bunch of New Year's Resolutions. Oh, I've made an attempt now and then, but I don't have a good track record with following through. But this year, I read a thread on the CS Forum about crafting resolutions and I thought I might just give this one a try. So I hereby resolve to make more projects this year. you see, I really love projects - books, boxes, home decor, I love them all and I've got a hoard really nice collection of unfinished CS Projects to prove it!

To start off on fulfilling my resolution, I made the project from December's Bright Lights, Big City  - the Expanding Calendar Project this week. If you haven't made it yet, take some time (an hour or so is really all it took) and make one. Better yet, make 2 - one of the really cool things about this kit is that you get enough supplies to make not just one, but two calendars - one for you and one for a friend!

I really can't believe how quickly this project came together. Sorry I don't have step outs, but If you have the project, the instructions show you everything you need to know! I read the part about sanding and thought, "Ugh, I hate sanding!" but it really only took a couple of minutes. The longest part of the whole project was wanting for the paint to dry! And while I was doing that, I was able to cut up the calendar pieces, glue them to the tags and add the fibers! Seriously, plan for 90 minutes, but don't be surprised if you're done early!

And here's how it came out:

Not bad, huh? It's gonna look great on my desk at work. And the second one? Not sure yet - maybe it will sit on my desk at home or maybe I'll gift it.

I'm seriously gonna try to make at least 1 project a month (and blog about it!). Let's see how I do! Now it's your turn - go and create something wonderful!

Who doesn't enjoy designer sheets?

Who doesn't enjoy designer sheets?  ...well, sheets of lovely cardstock designed just for you at Club Scrap that is! ...they are on sale right now!!!
One of my old favorite kit designs at Club Scrap is Extra, Extra. The other day, in the Club Scrap warehouse, I came accross this grey Extra, Extra Remix print that wasn't posted in GHM yet.


 I so enjoy this type of design and had to make a layout with it. Thinking the design in more masculine, so perfect to house my Dad, brother and nephew:)

Also, I'm still enjoying Navajo's 12x12 sheet of calendar pages. I used a craft knife and grid ruler for trimming and I'll leave the other months intact to use later.

Off to get more designer sheets into my scrapbook, enjoy the sale!!
Kay at Club Scrap

Christmas Gift Spoiler

***Mom...if you're reading this before December 25...STOP! 

It will spoil the surprise of one of your Christmas presents.***

Okay, now that I have that out of the way, I fessed up earlier this week that I'm a procrastinator. One of the hazards of working with such talented and creative people is that I always have a million ideas floating around in my head of stuff I wanna do. This is especially true when it comes to creating handmade/handcrafted Christmas gifts for the ones I love. *Sigh* It seems, however, time always gets away from me.

So what gift is economical in both time and money, but is still thoughtful and personal? Enter Club Scrap's 2013 Printable Digital Calendar! For under 9 bucks, you can create one, or two, or a dozen or more photo calendars for relatives and friends.

As you can see from the photo above, the download comes with all 12 months pre-designed for you...just add photos. They are set up much like our digital QDDL (quick-drop digital layouts). You literally drag and drop in a favorite photo for each month. Easy peasy! Perfect for a procrastinator like me.

Adding photos to all 12 months took me about an hour and a half (choosing which photos to use took longer than anything!) Since the pages are already sized for 8.5x11 printing, all I gotta do is print 'em out and bind the pages. Now I have the perfect useful and personalized gift for my parents and my sister. Woot!

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And now for the sad news...today is the last day of our "12 Days of Giveaways". We had a blast giving away some of our "extinct" kits from the past few years, and the feedback has been amazing...there are some very happy prize winners out there! So for our final kit giveaway, simply leave a comment below before midnight (CS/Central time) tonight for your chance to win a Tilescapes Club Stamp kit with Project. Best of luck to you!

Creatively yours,
Karen

I'm taking care of my procrastination issues...

...really, I am. But, it's a constant battle. 

Christmas always sneaks up on me. Ever since 1999, when the 10th of the month brought a bouncing baby girl into my life, I've struggled with time management in December. Growing up, I had a cousin and a couple of friends with December birthdays. I remember how they'd complain about being gypped having a birthday so close to Christmas. Therefore, when my little Emma Rose came along, I vowed I'd do everything I could to prevent her from feeling the same. So, my self-imposed rules are: no tree until after her birthday. No inside Christmas decorations until after her birthday. A special friends-only party that is separate from the "family" party. So far, I think we've succeeded (you'd have to ask her for sure), but the downside is that starting on December 11, every year, I start the mad scramble to get everything done in time.

One of the tasks that's traditionally left to the last minute is the family Christmas card. Every year, somewhere around Halloween, I have big dreams and grand ideas about what our card should look like. With family spread all over the U.S., I like the card to feature a photo of the 5 of us, or, more often than not, the 3 kids. As a papercrafter, I prefer handmade cards...not those Wal-mart photo cards (not that there's anything wrong with them, just a personal preference)...so the family photo is incorporated into a hand-made, hand-stamped card. Of course, when you wait until the last-minute, what's a girl to do?

Wyngaard Family Christmas Card 2011

Enter Club Scrap's Digital Holiday Cards! Just like our QDDL scrapbook pages, these cards have all the artwork done for you. So easy! All I have to do is choose a photo (or photos), drop 'em in, and print. For my card, I simply matte the print, add it to the front of a 5x7 pre-scored card, stamp a sentiment on the inside, and I'm golden! I like that most of the design work is done for me and that my friends and relatives will receive a card that's still got that little something extra. Whatdya think?

"Rough Draft" of Wyngaard Family Christmas Card 2012

So, now you know my secret. If you find yourself in a similar situation, I encourage you to give the digital photo cards a try (there are even Valentines!) And, if you need a last-minute holiday gift, I highly recommend the Club Scrap 2013 Printable Digital Calendar. Same process...just add photos and print...for a wonderful, personalized gift for that someone special. You don't even have to leave the house!

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And now, it's Day Five of Club Scrap Creates "12 Days of Giveaways"! Today's prize is a Just Dandy Club Stamp Kit with Project. To qualify, simply leave a comment below no later than midnight tonight (CS/Central time). In your comment, tell me if you're a "planner" or a "procrastinator" (You already know which one I am, lol.) I'll randomly draw one name from the list of those who commented, and that lucky person will receive this awesome kit for FREE! The winner will be announced in the comments section here some time on Sunday. Good luck!

Creatively (and procrastinating-ly) yours,

Karen