Attention Feedblitz subscribers

For those of you who have been subscribing to this blog via Feedblitz, I just wanted to inform you that some Internet Subscribers have been cancelling your subscription without your knowledge. I'm not sure why this is happening, but if you discover that you haven't heard from me in a while, this may be the case. You are welcome to use some of the other subscription options which you can find under "Subscribe to" on the right side of my blog. If you choose one of these options you will be able to view the feeds in you web browser depending on which system you choose.

Sorry about any confusion that this may have caused. Unfortunately this subscription stuff is a little out of my control for now. For those of you who don't subscribe: in general, I update my blog on Wednesday and Sunday mornings.

Since I don't like posting without a little eye candy, here's a card that I made for the Mom for Mothers Day.

I used the Level 2 hostess set, Echoes of Kindness along with the Eyelet edge punch and on of my new Texturz plates. The colors used for this one include Ridinghood Red, Pink Pirouette, Chocolate Chip, and Kiwi Kiss. I added some white Organdy ribbon on the flower focal point. Since I didn't have a Mothers day stamped, I just hand-wrote "mother".

My Mom made me a beautiful card for mothers day too - check it out below!

Did you know?

In today's culture of eco-friendliness, it's nice to know that Stampin' Up! is doing their part. Though there are many things that Stampin' Up! is doing to be environmentally friendly, I thought I would share with you how their products like wood blocks, paper, and rubber have been actively used and created in responsible ways.

Rubber: Rather than dumping excess rubber in a landfill, Stampin' Up! donates it to Courage Reins, a nonprofit organization that provides horseback riding therapy for physically or mentally challenged children. They take SU!'s ground rubber and sell it to groups and individuals for use in playgrounds and horse stables. The money they receive from the sale of this rubber goes to fund their programs. You can find more information about Courage Reins at http://www.couragereins.org/.

Wood Blocks: SU!'s wood blocks are not only created from a renewable resource, SU! engages in a sustainable practice to get those wood blocks. They work with a tree farm in which the maple trees are grown specifically for the purpose of harvesting wood!

Cardstock and Paper: If you've had items shipped directly to you, you might be aware that the packing paper used for shipping is 100 percent recycled. But did you know that SU!'s card stock includes recycled material? It’s true! SU!'s card stock includes recycled paper that’s left over from other paper runs, which would otherwise end up in a landfill. The darker the color of card stock, the more recycled material is in the card stock. Basic Black is actually their "greenest" color! In addition, SU! works with a paper broker who ensures that the mills they use for their Designer Series paper and card stock engage in environmentally friendly practices. Their broker is certified through the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and the Program for the Endorsement of Forestry Certification (PEFC). These certifications help them know that their paper comes from sustainably managed forests and mills that are taking steps to lessen their carbon footprint. One of their mills even generates its own power.

Preparing for Crops

Here's a tip that I've discovered over the years that really helps me get the most work done at my crops and other scrapbooking gatherings with friends:

MAKE YOUR OWN KITS!

I used to bring my photos to crops and bring as much of my stuff with me as was physically possible because I never knew what I might need. Instead, before I go to a crop, I set aside some time to group photos with the papers and accessories that I will use to create each layout. I pack everything for that "kit" in a 12x12 Craft Keeper and then it's all together making assembly so much quicker and easier.

I hope you'll try this for your next crop, you'll be amazed at how much more you can get done!

Tips for beginning scrapbookers

A friend of mine on Facebook mentioned to me that she is starting an album for her son and is a bit overwhelmed. That got me thinking about how so many people never end up scrapbooking because they are overwhelmed by the prospect of it. Here's my advice for the beginner scrapbooker:

• Start simple, pick an event or finite time period to scrapbook. For example, your wedding, a vacation, your child's first few months or year of life.
• Remember that there are no real rules.
• Start with a kit. There are so many kits on the market now that make it easy for you to have virtually all the supplies you need to get started so that you can avoid the overwhelming scrapbooking aisles at the store.
• Get together with friends to scrapbook. This is a great way to share ideas, tools, and conversation. You'll get to try and see things that your friends have and decide if you need them for yourself.
• The 2 tools that you must have are adhesive, and a paper trimmer (one that can cut 12 inch paper is preferred since most papers come in 12x12 size)
• Don't feel pressured to scrapbook every photo that you have. If you have time to do that it's great, but you don't want to be overwhelmed by the burden of a huge stack of photos to scrapbook.
• Enjoy the pictures while you scrapbook. One of the reasons I love scrapbooking so much is that I get to relive the moments captured by the pictures while I'm assembling them into a page.
• Find inspiration. You can be inspired just by the pictures that you have, by ideas you get from your friends, ideas online or in magazine, anything around you. Opening yourself up to new ideas can often help you get motivated to sit down to scrapbook.