Organize.Plan.Create.

January. The time of organization and goals. Crafting and scrapbooking supplies can always use some good organization (at least my supplies could!) and even an occasional sprinkle of inspiration. Let me introduce you to Marlene and Missy of Organize.Plan.Create. (OPC for short.) These two very talented women have collaborated to bring you a website dedicated to helping the world organize their scrapbooking supplies and photos (both digital and hard copies), getting a plan in place and putting those memories on paper and into albums. Each week they have weekly challenges to help you with what kinds of layouts to do, journaling and ideas for new themes to try. They also use their site to showcase some of their work. The main objective of OPC however, is to help free us all from that being overwhelmed when it comes to documenting our family and personal stories. It's a great site with lots of promise and an e-book soon to come! Marlene and Missy also sponsor Get Down With Scrapbooking an annual scrapbooking event to support the Utah Down Syndrome Foundation. We've just come back from a lovely weekend of scrapbooking, great food and AMAZING prizes and free stuff. More to come on this tomorrow!

Open Discussion

So, a cousin of Angie's is holding an awesome charity crop this weekend (and of course, I'm telling you too late, so sorry) and I've spent the week getting geared up for the event. (We'll post some of our favorite pages and cards on Tuesday)

I don't know how many of you are scrapbookers, but you can relate to preparing for a crop if you imagine taking all the supplies you need for any other craft to somewhere other than your DCA (designated crafting area). It's madness! What do you take? What do you leave and not regret it later?

So, if you scrapbook (or don't), how do you prepare for a crop or similar event?

Me?

I figure out what pictures I'm going to use then print them.

Then I go through scrapbook magazines for inspiration. I find layouts that match the number of photos I have for each subject.

Then I shop.

Lately, to try and save myself money by avoid impulse purchases, I take my photos to the scrapbook store with me. I did this today and though I could post a craft, I thought it would be more fun to discuss.

If you scrapbook, but don't scrapbook anywhere but your own home, what's holding you back? May be you've never considered going to a crop? May be you think it's too much work?

Angie and Anisa and I went to Scrapbook USA last fall and had such a great time. Nothing like being surrounded by hundreds of people enjoying the same hobby as you.

Huh...I guess that explains Star Trek conventions. Beam me up, Scotty!

"Be Mine" Valentine Blocks

Traditionally Wednesdays here at Twiddle Thumbs are reserved for a seasonal and/or holiday craft. Well folks, it's January. Not much going on. I'm not big into snowflakes and snowmen (unless I'm using the former to make the latter). What else do you make? The big holiday of the month happens on the first. I opted to start our Valentine projects a little bit early with my "Be Mine" blocks, and I'm very happy with the final results. Here are the supplies:

1. Wooden blocks (mine were 2 x 3)

2. Scrapbook paper

3. Paper trimmer

4. Corner rounder-optional

5. Paint

6. Sand paper

7. Modge podge

8. Letter stickers or stamps

9. Embellishments

Here's the how-to (but don't worry they are super easy):

1. Paint your blocks on all sides.

2. Trim your paper, 1/4 inch smaller (all the way around) then your block

3. Round your corners if you want

4. **Modge Podge one side of your block.

5. Lay a paper on and modge podge again over top the paper. Push bubbles out starting from the center working your way out.

6. **If you are using stamps, stamp your letters on the paper before modge podge-ing. Otherwise continue: Put your sticker or vinyl letters on the block.

7. For an antiqued look go ahead and sand the block edges now.

8. Modge Podge over letters.

9. Add embellishments if you want them.

10. Display on a shelf! You're done!!

Here's my final result:

Dabbling in Digital

I am a scrapbooker:) I am a traditional scrapbooker and I will never concert to digital. I love the hands-on approach and I love texture.  I love ribbons and buttons and things with dimension.  However, I thought it would be fun to dabble in a little digital scrapbooking with my December Daily album.  I downloaded some free kits from Shabby Princess.  Then I bought some more kits from Shabby Princess.  I love their stuff and I love that they have a lot of great freebies.  Here is one of my finished pages. I just ordered the prints today and I may have a heart attack when it comes back with all of these fake buttons on it. But it was nice to be able to scrapbook in my car or sitting in my bed late at night.

Here are a few more sites that I like for digital scrapbooking.

Scrapbooks etc. freebies

Scrapgirls

Designer Digitals

Bird-days

Anisa mentioned the other day that she wanted to do some cards. That got me thinking. I have lots of stamps which I mainly bought to do cards. Then I got the itch to do some stamping. So, thanks Anisa for helping to inspire me to make what is one of my favorite cards!

I made the scalloped circles with my Cricuit, but I'm sure you could find a stencil/template to do the same thing. Better yet, you may even be able to find them precut somewhere. The pink scallop is attached to the green one with a brad. Swivel open to write a "bird" day greeting!

Supplies: Card stock: Provo Craft; Patterned Paper: from my stash; Stamps: Happy Spring (Stampin Up); Ink: Pink Passion (Stampin Up!); Marker: Pink Passion (Stampin Up!) Idea: paper trends magazine march/april 2008

I also have spent a little time beading. My friend and I actually made the colored beads on this necklace with sculpy clay and polished it with sparkly nail polish. It was a very simple necklace to make even with having to make our own beads.

Valentine Wood Craft Classes

As promised, here are the craft classes that my friend Shannon is offering this month for Valentine Crafts.

"Bee" Mine $15

Wreath $20

Heart Bear $12 (doesn't include green shelf it's sitting on)

The dates are:

Thursday, Jan 15th 6-9 pm

Saturday, Jan 17th 9am-noon

Tuesday, Jan 20th 6-9 pm

Saturday, Jan 24th 9am-noon

Wednesday, Jan 28th 6-9 pm

Here is Shannon's contact info...

897-7828

jsnmea.lewis@gmail.com

-Anisa

Winter Wood Crafts

I love wood crafts and tole painting. I just wanted to show you some of the winter wood crafts that I have hanging around my house. These cute little guys are hanging out on my front porch. I have a rod iron in my family room with these fun little guys hanging from it. These little guys are on my buffet table.

Some are old and some are new, but they are all hand crafted by me!

-Anisa

Monday Discovery: Frosty Day

It is an awesome thing to support hand-crafters that sell their stuff on http://www.etsy.com/ and other such sites (usually their own), so today I wanted to post pictures to some great hand-crafted items I 'discovered' today (with links to the seller and using 'frost' as a tag search).

Hopefully, the creators of these products won't begrudge my using their photos and will view this as free advertising!

--C