We're very excited to offer a giveaway from our friends at Studio Calico today. The Lilypad's very own Lili Niclass designed Studio Calico’s July Valley High stamp add-on! It’s a 4x6 stamp set that celebrates the everyday, with both simple sayings and days of the week stamps. This is a wonderful set that you will reach for again and again. Yes, they come in a digital version too!Take a look at the beautiful projects the Studio Calico team made with Lili's stamp set. It makes you want them, doesn't it?! The stamp is available here along with Project Life kits and more. Now for the giveaway - enter for a chance to win this stamp set! To be eligible to win, follow Studio Calico on Instagram, Facebook, and sign up for their newsletter service. Be sure to leave a comment for each completed action. Good luck! … [Read more...]
July Challenges
Happy July everyone! It's Polly Karen here bringing you a glimpse at the seven new challenges just posted to the forum yesterday for the month of July. As always there are great coupon rewards to be earned towards your next shopping spree in The Lilypad Store (2 challenges = 10%, 4 challenges = 20% and 6 challenges = 30%) and if you complete all 7 challenges within the month of July, you will be entered in a drawing to win one of two guest spots on the creative team! Those are prizes worth playing for! So, here is a peek at each of this month's challenges. 1. Product Challenge - Amanda (gracielou) is hosting this month's Product Challenge and she has chosen Journal Cards as the product to play with this month. Her sample page proves that journal cards are not just for project life type pages: 2. Template Challenge - Amy Martin has generously supplied … [Read more...]
Hardy Har Har
Hi Happy Scrappers!PolLiana here to share some humor with you on this fine day. The other day, my three year old daughter and I were getting out of the car and she said, "Mommy, can I look in your trunk for a moment?"Puzzled, I asked her, "What are you looking for?"She gave me a quizzical look and said, "A moment." Whoever said laughter is the best medicine was absolutely right. In my darkest hours, humor was the thing that pulled me out. I was lucky enough to be raised on a steady diet of laughter and humor and my husband and I are raising our girls the same way. As an added benefit, I'm a kindergarten teacher so I am constantly hearing some absolutely hysterical things come out of my students' mouths on a daily basis. Here are some examples:Justin: "Ms. C, would you open this package of fig newtons for me?Me: "What do you say?"Justin: "I'm really … [Read more...]
From Trash to Treasure — Hybrid Inspiration Project
Hey all, Polly Jewelle here! As a hybrid scrapper I find myself collecting things while thinking in my mind, "Hey, I could use that for a project!" Today I'm going to give you a very quick walk through of how you can take something other people would see as trash and turn it into a wonderful treasure. This trash to treasure story starts with my little five year old who went into the dentist the other day and she came out telling me that she had several loose teeth. She instantly demanded that she needed a tooth box. In our family when a loose tooth falls out we put it in our tooth box and put it next to the bed. That way the tooth fairy has easy access to it and doesn't have to wake us when lifting the lid open to leave our surprise. With my daughters declaration of needing a tooth box, I set to work.1. Take an Altoids tin and spray paint it. I chose white because that would … [Read more...]
June Challenge Spotlight
It's Polly Karen here again with this month's installment of the Challenge Spotlight. This is where I pick out just a few of my favorite layouts created for the monthly challenges here at the pad. We have 7 new challenges each month and for those that play along, you can earn a nice coupon for your next shopping spree (2 challenges = 10%, 4 challenges = 20% and 6 challenges = 30%). On top of the lovely coupon this month, if you complete all 7 challenges, not one but 2 lucky scrappers will win a one month guest spot on the Creative Team (to be a Polly). So many great reasons to play along and you'll also have some great new layouts to be proud of too! So, let's take a look a small sample of the amazing pages flooding the challenge galleries this month: 1. BYOC Challenge - use 90% products from this month's BYOC collection and from at least 3 designers: by … [Read more...]
Summer Art Journaling-The Skinny
Three weeks ago, I very nervously posted a chat for art journalers to begin that Friday! I was so blown away at those that came to chat and then more at the wonders of the skinnys the ladies created for the challenge that coincided with the chat. Now, I know it is hard for some to get to the chats, and that is why this challenge is so comfortable. Like your favorite pair of jeans! SKINNY ones! lol, because we are building a page one skinny (3x12) panel a week. You don't have to be in the chat, because I post all the info every week after the chat! It has been such a blast, and seeing this Friday coming up so quickly makes me sad to see this particular challenge come to an end, but I am way excited about how the pages will finish! The GRAND finale!Everyone who completes the 4 in one challenge will receive a gift from dear Michelle Godin this month! All entries are to be … [Read more...]
None Destructive Modifications
Hi everyone, Dalis here with another short tutorial (big on photos, but short in time... I pinky promise). We often have to modify either a picture or an element to suit our needs or to fix lighting or distracting shadows or objects. I usually play a lot with the dodge/burn tools in Photoshop. I like how easily you can create some dimension with just those 2 tools. Of course if you have ever tried to burn or dodge, you may have done it directly on top of your picture or element. Doing this will change your element or picture. I once was watching videos and saw this guy did this and I thought it was brilliant. He was doing it for other tools but I thought that it would work for my favorite dodge/burn combo.Let me show you how to use the dodge/burn tool without modifying your original element or picture. (At the end of this tutorial, I am sure you can find many reasons and uses … [Read more...]
What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Digital Addiction?
Disclaimer:This post is by no means demeaning or belittling anyone with a substance addiction, it is done tongue and cheek, and as a means to laugh at our addiction called Digital Scrapbooking. What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Digital Addiction?A symptom is something the patient senses and describes, while a sign is something other people, such as our family may notice. For example, sleepiness may be a symptom while only seeing the back of mom's head may be a sign to our families. Digital dependence can cause powerful cravings. The Digital Addict may think about walking away and turning off the computer, but finds it extremely difficult. away and turning off the computer, but finds it extremely difficult. The Digital Addict may find themselves taking photos of strangers just to have a supply of scrapable photos. Just in case a new kit comes out that … [Read more...]
Tips for Newborn Photos
Hi Happy Scrappers,Polly Liana here, back from the land of Labor and Delivery with my new daughter Phoebe, who is almost two-and-a-half months now. Since my last post was filled with tips for maternity photos, I thought it only natural to follow it up with tips for newborn baby photos. I've been photographing newborns and babies for almost four years now and I've learned a few things along the way. For instance, don't throw a baby in a bowl with a blanket and expect her to be happy and peaceful. (This is my first daughter, when I clearly had no idea what I was doing.) Instead, follow these tips and you'll be on your way to those great peaceful, snuggly newborn shots you see everywhere.1. Use natural light and an ottoman or beanbagI've said it before and I'll say it again. There is nothing like beautiful filtered soft light from a window. Flashes make babies squint and … [Read more...]
To remember them…
This week it's been a roller coaster of emotions in our family. One of our dogs (Lulu) has been suddenly diagnose with acute kidney failure. Even though she has a slow growing cancer tumor, we were not expecting to see her so bad so soon. It took us all by surprise. I scrapped about my feelings the day we had to leave her at the hospital to help me cope with that. Then I realize many of us use our scrapping to remember those we loose, those that are taken too early from our lives. Have you done a page to remember a loss one? Or a page to help you heal a bit about a loss or a traumatic event? We all know that life is not all pink and rainbows, but we don't see many pages about loss. I found a few in our gallery. I want to thank to all of you that share such a personal and hard moment and feelings with us... to you I send a virtual hug. Jenny is a master at putting these type … [Read more...]