Spotted in the Gallery!

It's Christmas card time!!! The gallery has been so full of Holiday goodness this week! I'd like to share a card made by Gail (missgailly). She made the postage stamp herself out of a photo of her Hawaiin nutcracker! Awesome work Gail!

Fabulous Friday - Anything But Challenge

Today we have a wonderful Fabulous Friday Anything But challenge from Carolyn. I know I'll be making several of these! Here is Carolyn...

With Christmas fast approaching now seems a good time to get a start on those gifts. Here is a little gift card holder that comes to you in the shape of an ornament. I made mine from the beautiful Midnight Frost line by Bo Bunny.

Step 1

Cut 2 circles from cardstock or pattern paper the size you want your gift card holder to be. Mine are 4.5 in so they will fit in a square envelope.

Step 2

Cut one more circle of the pattern paper and cut in half as this will form the pocket to hold the gift card.

Step 3

Cut a rectangle from cardstock or pattern paper. This will form the topper on your ornament. You can size it as desired. I cut mine 1.75in x 2.5in. Score the rectangle in the middle to fold over the circles. Trim the ends with a border punch or pattern scissors as desired.

Step 4

Attach the ornament topper (rectangle) to the top of both circles as shown. Punch a hole in the top of the topper for a hanging ribbon.

Step 5

Adhere your half circle to the inside back circle to form a pocket. Embellish as desired.

Step 6

Embellish the front of your gift card holder as desired. Thread a length of ribbon through the hole you punched in the topper leaving a loop. Voila! A cute little gift card holder you can hang on your Christmas tree.

Thank you Carolyn for this awesome tutorial!

Fabulous Fundamental - Distressing Part 1

There are so many wonderful techniques in scrapbooking and cardmaking. One of the techniques that I wish I could successfully master is Distressing! Fortunately, Design Team member Laura Gilhuly is an expert at it and has graciously prepared a 3-part series to share her secrets! Thank you Laura!

I love to distress my projects.....things never seem done to me until I have inked them....so I thought that would be were I would start....INKING!

Grab a piece of paper, your favorite ink pad and a make up sponge or ink applicator.

There are different ways to ink...you can use the ink pad.

And your edge will look like this

If you would like to accent your edges, run your ink pad at a 90 degree angle to darken all the edges.

My favourite way is to use a make up sponge...

Press your sponge onto your ink pad and get it quite inky (is that a word? lol)
Apply the sponge directly onto the paper pulling away

It will look like this...

For a darker and more dramatic look, lay your paper on a hard surface with a scrap paper showing over the edge. saturate your make up sponge and while pressing down pull back on the sponge.

You can control your width of distressing....

in the end your inking could look like this

Thank you Laura! Absolutely stunning!  I am going to give this a whirl!

Spotted in the Gallery!

Well I must say... it's been a slow week in the gallery! Luckily tho... we're still busy with the Project 12 challenges. Ruby uploaded this fun Birthday layout for her October spread...



Are you playing along with SCT's Project 12? We'd love to see your projects!

Fabulous Friday - Inspired By Challenge

We are in for an *inspirational* treat from Laura's Inspired By Fabulous Friday Challenge.

I am not a big pop music fan but I love the lyrics to the song 'Man in the Mirror' by Michael Jackson. I want you to use these lyrics for inspiration for a project...you do not have to use the lyrics just be inspired by them.

"Man In The Mirror"

I'm Gonna Make A Change,
For Once In My Life
It's Gonna Feel Real Good,
Gonna Make A Difference
Gonna Make It Right . . .
As I, Turn Up The Collar On My
Favourite Winter Coat
This Wind Is Blowin' My Mind
I See The Kids In The Street,
With Not Enough To Eat
Who Am I, To Be Blind?
Pretending Not To See
Their Needs
A Summer's Disregard,
A Broken Bottle Top
And A One Man's Soul
They Follow Each Other On
The Wind Ya' Know
'Cause They Got Nowhere
To Go
That's Why I Want You To
Know

I'm Starting With The Man In
The Mirror
I'm Asking Him To Change
His Ways
And No Message Could Have
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
(If You Wanna Make The
World A Better Place)
Take A Look At Yourself, And
Then Make A Change
(Take A Look At Yourself, And
Then Make A Change)
(Na Na Na, Na Na Na, Na Na,
Na Nah)

I've Been A Victim Of A Selfish
Kind Of Love
It's Time That I Realize
That There Are Some With No
Home, Not A Nickel To Loan
Could It Be Really Me,
Pretending That They're Not
Alone?

A Willow Deeply Scarred,
Somebody's Broken Heart
And A Washed-Out Dream
(Washed-Out Dream)
They Follow The Pattern Of
The Wind, Ya' See
Cause They Got No Place
To Be
That's Why I'm Starting With
Me
(Starting With Me!)

I'm Starting With The Man In
The Mirror
(Ooh!)
I'm Asking Him To Change
His Ways
(Ooh!)
And No Message Could Have
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
(If You Wanna Make The
World A Better Place)
Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make A Change
(Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make A Change)

I'm Starting With The Man In
The Mirror
(Ooh!)
I'm Asking Him To Change His
Ways
(Change His Ways-Ooh!)
And No Message Could've
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
(If You Wanna Make The
World A Better Place)
Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make That . . .
(Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make That . . .)
Change!
I'm Starting With The Man In
The Mirror,
(Man In The Mirror-Oh
Yeah!)
I'm Asking Him To Change
His Ways
(Better Change!)
No Message Could Have
Been Any Clearer
(If You Wanna Make The
World A Better Place)
(Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make The Change)
(You Gotta Get It Right, While
You Got The Time)
('Cause When You Close Your
Heart)
You Can't Close Your . . .Your
Mind!
(Then You Close Your . . .
Mind!)
That Man, That Man, That
Man, That Man
With That Man In The Mirror
(Man In The Mirror, Oh Yeah!)
That Man, That Man, That Man
I'm Asking Him To Change
His Ways
(Better Change!)
You Know . . .That Man
No Message Could Have
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
(If You Wanna Make The
World A Better Place)
Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make A Change
(Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make A Change)
Hoo! Hoo! Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!
Na Na Na, Na Na Na, Na Na,
Na Nah
(Oh Yeah!)
Gonna Feel Real Good Now!
Yeah Yeah! Yeah Yeah!
Yeah Yeah!
Na Na Na, Na Na Na, Na Na,
Na Nah
(Ooooh . . .)
Oh No, No No . . .
I'm Gonna Make A Change
It's Gonna Feel Real Good!
Come On!
(Change . . .)
Just Lift Yourself
You Know
You've Got To Stop It.
Yourself!
(Yeah!-Make That Change!)
I've Got To Make That Change,
Today!
Hoo!
(Man In The Mirror)
You Got To
You Got To Not Let Yourself . . .
Brother . . .
Hoo!
(Yeah!-Make That Change!)
You Know-I've Got To Get
That Man, That Man . . .
(Man In The Mirror)
You've Got To
You've Got To Move! Come
On! Come On!
You Got To . . .
Stand Up! Stand Up!
Stand Up!
(Yeah-Make That Change)
Stand Up And Lift
Yourself, Now!
(Man In The Mirror)
Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!
Aaow!
(Yeah-Make That Change)
Gonna Make That Change . . .
Come On!
(Man In The Mirror)
You Know It!
You Know It!
You Know It!
You Know . . .
(Change . . .)
Make That Change.

Here is Laura's layout-

Thank you Laura for this fabulous challenge!

Fabulous Find - Scor-Buddy

Want to see my Fabulous Find this week? :-)

It's the Scor-Buddy!!! The Scor-Buddy is the little sister of the Scor-Pal.

Yes, this little gem of a tool is absolutely amazing! You are probably wondering what a Self-confessed Scrapper and Angst-Filled-Cardmaker would be doing with a Scor-Pal and truthfully, I wondered myself. LOL This tool is fantastic for scrappers. You know the adorable rosettes, flowers and paper envelopes that are all the rage - well you too can make them in minutes with the Scor-Pal.

I especially like that it comes in a convenient size that works for me. If I need to score a 12x12 piece of paper, I just flip the paper over and score the other side. The score lines are clear, precise and accurate. The measurements on the ruler are easy to decipher and the sweet handy clip prevents me from losing the scoring tool.

Look at the cute box I made below with the dividers. Without the Scor-Pal, this would not be a project that I would be jumping to try! With the Scor-Pal, I attacked the project and finished in under 30 minutes.

Supplies:  Making Memories (pattern paper, ribbon, flowers) These supplies are from a Scrap Shotz Kit Take 2.

I can see many more of these boxes in my future...especially with the holiday season fast approaching!

What do you think of the Scor-Buddy?

Spotted in the Gallery!

I couldn't resist showing you this layout posted by Ruby! Jamie's challenge this month was to create a layout without using any patterned paper and as you can see, Ruby was up for the challenge!



Check out all of this month's challenges HERE and join in the fun!

It's a Fabulous Friday Find!

Yes today is a glorious Friday and it is also Fabulous! We are changing things a bit this Friday due some technical difficulties! It's hard to believe how much we rely on technology but we do, I DO! So in lieu of our Fabulous Friday post, we have my Fabulous Find!

My Fabulous Find is the Becky Fleck PageMaps 2 book. Oh oh oh oh my goodness! I absolutely adore this sketch book. It is one of a kind. It has 12x12 sketches for single and double pages, 8.5 x 11 sketches for single and double pages.....and...it has sketches for cards and digi/hybrid scrapping! This book is a Must-Have for every scrapper and cardie! I know I'll picking up an extra book for that special crafter in my life for Christmas!

Here is the book. You can find it here in the store!

And I hope you will indulge me in letting me share my 30 minute layout using a sketch from the book!

Supplies: The Girls Paperie (papers); Basic Grey (chipboard alphas and shapes); Elles Studio (journal spot); Tattered Angels (glimmer mist); Cosmo Cricket (mini alphas); EK Success border punch

If you have the book, tell me what you think, ok?

Meet Our Newest Design Team Member - Laura Gilhuly

It is my pleasure to introduce Scrap Shotz's newest Design Team Member - Laura Gilhuly. She is super sweet, super talented and super creative! Here are some fun facts about Laura!

What name do you usually go by? Do you have a nickname that you could share?

You will most commonly hear me called 'mom' Sometimes I forget I have naotehr name! lol! As for nicknames....my hubby tells me I am his angel, whenever he needs me I am there. He drives long haul truck, before we had kids I would often go with him. He gave me the handle 'angelbear' He said I had the face of an angel and the temperment of a bear if you made me mad....it stuck and now I use it on any of the scrapbooking forums I belong to.

Describe yourself in 5 words or less.

family oriented, devoted, loyal, creative, non morning person!

Where do you currently live? Where would you like to live?

I live in a small city, Wallaceburg, in southwestern Ontario. It has a population of 20,000 and is home. I would love o have a winter home in BC!

Is your scrap area usually neat or creatively messy?

My hubby set up the basement for my scrappy room, but I hate to leave my boys upstairs by themselves so I usually just fill up my wicker basket and bring it upstairs with all my stuff for teh layout I am working on and go from there. I will scrap at my coffee table or dining room table then pack up my stuff and put it away. That way I can scrap and be iwth my boys or watch tv.

What colour is your scrap room?

ummmmmm, its whatever color the room is that I am in! lol!

You might be surprised to know(finish the rest of the sentence)...

that I want to get a tattoo for my 40th birthday. I want to get a cowboy boot (for hubby) with a halo laying over it (for me) and then three stars (one for each boy and one for the baby we lost)

What is your favourite scrapbooking/cardmaking colour?

I love to work with browns and earth tones! I am a grungey scrapper and those colours really scream tobe inked and distressed to me!

What tool do you use the most? Why?

I think it would be Tum Holtz edge distresser!

Do you have a scrapbooking and/or cardmaking tip that you could share?

check out the blog! I am sharing how to make barn stars! Also when using perfect pearls and you don't want the little tip on the end....squeeze a few then tap the bottom of the page lightly and they will round out!

What is your guilty pleasure?

my hubby!

What time of day do you do the majority of your scrapping?

usually at night after the kids go to bed!

Do you snack when you scrap?

no.......I try not to eat after 8pm

What food would you like to eat every single day if you could?

if I could eat chocolate everyday and it not add to my hips I owuld love to eat it!

My favourite chore is (finish the sentence)...

steaming my floors...I love how they look after I am done and with teh steamer it's a quick job!

Do you share every scrappy purchase with your DH?

yup! he doesn't care!

I wish I had (finish the sentence)...

more scrappy stuff....there are so many awesome lines out there right now I want!

Please share your favourite project to date.

I had a hard time choosing this one! but I think it is 'I will love you forever' I hardly have any photos of my hubby & I so i really love it when have a good one. My best friend is a budding photographer, and has taken our family shots for the last couple of years and I love her eye for photography. This photo is fab and I worked hard to do it justice.

Thank you Laura - I enjoyed getting to know you better! Please give Laura a warm welcome!

Spotted in the Gallery!

Well our gallery is just BURSTING with goodness after our crop this weekend! It's nearly impossible to choose a favorite!

I'd like to share this project with you... Ruby (inspiredscrapper) created this for Laurel's Santa Claus challenge... gorgeous work Ruby!

Scrap Shotz Heros & Villians Online Crop: Charity Chaser

Welcome Everyone to Scrap Shotz's Heros and Villians Online Crop!

Are you ready for a joyous weekend of scrapping? The Design Team has been working hard, creating inspiring challenges and stunning projects for you.

To get you started, here is our Early Bird Charity Chaser Challenge. The charity being sponsored is the Terry Fox Foundation. Jen has prepared a wonderful summary of Terry's legacy below. Further details appear after the summary.

Terry Fox was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and raised in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, a community near Vancouver on Canada's west coast. An active teenager involved in many sports, Terry was only 18 years old when he was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma (bone cancer) and forced to have his right leg amputated 15 centimetres (six inches) above the knee in 1977.

While in hospital, Terry was so overcome by the suffering of other cancer patients, many of them young children, that he decided to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research.

He would call his journey the Marathon of Hope.

It was a journey that Canadians never forgot.

After 18 months and running over 5,000 kilometres (3,107 miles) to prepare, Terry started his run in St. John’s, Newfoundland on April 12, 1980 with little fanfare. Although it was difficult to garner attention in the beginning, enthusiasm soon grew, and the money collected along his route began to mount. He ran 42 kilometres (26 miles) a day through Canada's Atlantic provinces, Quebec and Ontario. However, on September 1st, after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres (3,339 miles), Terry was forced to stop running outside of Thunder Bay, Ontario because cancer had appeared in his lungs. An entire nation was stunned and saddened. Terry passed away on June 28, 1981 at the age 22.

The heroic Canadian was gone, but his legacy was just beginning.

To date, close to $500 million has been raised worldwide for cancer research in Terry's name through the annual Terry Fox Run, held across Canada and in over 60 countries. -Terry Fox Foundation

Jess said I wasn't allowed to make you all cry, so I chose a video clip that I hope is more uplifting than sad.

It's several minutes long but definitely worth the watch. Prepare to be inspired:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaO7DYiELh4&feature=related

For this crop, SSZ is proud to be supporting the Terry Fox Foundation. (https://www.terryfox.org/). The Terry Fox Foundation is responsible for supporting close to $20 million in discovery based research each year in Canada - all monies raised outside Canada must be distributed to (a) an institute approved by the Foundation and its advisors or (b) remitted to Canada. The Terry Fox Research Institute (TFRI) is a recipient of TFF funding for translational research. TFRI is an exciting new initiative whose goal is to translate rapidly today's best science into better cancer treatment and diagnosis for all Canadians. The Institute will bring scientists and clinicians together across the country into a functionally integrated, geographically dispersed Institute with nodes in several provinces.

The Foundation recognizes the duality of its mandate. Not only does it raise money for research, but it also continues to share the story of Terry Fox. The Terry Fox Foundation strives to maintain the heroic effort and integrity that Terry embodied.

Sandy and Scrapshotz will be donating $5 to this charity for every card or layout done (one per person)... thanks Scrapshotz!!!

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!!!
To participate in this "chaser" you must lift the CARD of the person in front of you if you are participating in the Card Charity Chaser or you must lift the LAYOUT of the person in front of you if you are participating in the Layout Charity Chaser.

The KEY is that you only have ONE HOUR to post your completed project.

You must dibs your turn by posting "DIBS" after the preceding project.

If someone else has called DIBSyou must wait until they have uploaded their project to DIBS that one.

Ready? Set? GO!

Here is the starting card project-

Here is the starting layout project-

Let's get this crop started!!!

Psst! Want in on a Secret???

This weekend is our Heros & Villains Crop! I am SO SO SO excited; are you??? I just have to share a few sneaks with you...but don't tell anyone it was me, ok?

Excited yet?

November 2010 Kit Reveal

Be still my beating heart! The November 2010 kit reveal was amazing - the projects were outstanding! Here are a few to inspire you!

From Jennifer Watson

From Laurel Seabrook

From Stephanie Schan

From Laura Gilhuly

From our guest Carolyn Waldschmidt

From our guest Jamie Vanderheyden

I think you will agree...stunning, yes? To see more, head over to the Scrap Shotz gallery!

Spotted in the Gallery

Just LOVE this team layout Rosie ut up this week! Great job showcasing all those fabulous championship photos!