CHA 2014 favorite items

As befitting of this show there were lots of bright colors and familiar themes, babies, travel, Project Life.  My favorite overall line would have to be the Essentials line from #StudioCalico simply because of the versatility. Everything from Essentials is a must have.

My favorite alpha sets came from Amy Tangerine for American Crafts in her new Plus One collection. They are fun and different than the other regular fonts, think caligraphy! I also loved that Simple Stories has a new set of their Snap cards (Project Life style cards) with a cat theme that is different than other cat lines I've seen.

I picked more than 5 for my favorite products. For more details please refer to my pinterest page with links to the websites. All images borrowed from their blogs. In no particular order:

 CHA faves Pinterest board

1. Prima from the Bloom collection Chipboard pieces- I love the watercolor style to these stickers.

2 and 4. Websters Papers- Our Travels collection patterned paper and globe charms- This is a wonderful travel line that is soo different than any other travel line I've seen. It is colorful, with a touch of whimsy and yet so useful too. Definitely buying! Just love the adorable globe charms that are also available.

3. Project Life- Overlays- I love these cute overlays that you can just slip into the protector pockets just like a digital brush/stamp. Soo simple and clean.

5. Studio Calico- Essentials line chipboard hearts- From their blog "Stash staples in every color of the rainbow" which is why I will be stocking up on these, they even include woodgrain and gold. The chipboard hearts are my favorite but the other products are also must buy, alpha sticker sets, enamel  dots, chipbaord shapes, clips, sequins, wood veneer and of course cardstock.

6. Lawn Fawn- Let's Polka collection patterened paper-Much like the Studio Calico line this is a versatile line but my favorite part is the patterened paper that is filled with tiny polka dot hearts, SWOON!

7. Simple Stores and Project Life mini albums- Both companies will be introducing 6x8 leather albums in fantastic colors.

Another show come and gone and now we wait for them to hit stores! 

Just wanted to also mention that Heidi Swapp has a new exclusive line that is available now in Michaels everywhere. Hello Today is adorable but the absolute must buy is the planner. It is a great alternative to regular Project Life albums but also great as a companion to remember all those details throughout the year. It has monthly calendar pages and pocket pages throughout. I got one and absolutely love it! I went back 2 days later to snag another one and they were already gone from my store so run don't walk to get yours. She also has coordinating stickers, stamps, cards, mini masks and new mists and inkpads. If your store doesn't have it yet ask when they are. Check our her blog for more details and pics. Heidi's Blog

CHA 2014 favorites

So first off yes I'm still here but trying to reconnect with the scrapping world. CHA (craft and hobby association) is coming up and we will see all the upcoming scrapbook and craft collections. I've been checking some out and so far there is nothing that is blowing my mind but I'll keep this post updated with my favorite whole collections as I see them and check out my Pinterest board here: CHA faves Pinterest board
I'll let you know my top 5 products by the end of the weekend!

Karl L x Tokidoki Cute video

So I'm not a fashionista but I know who Karl is (super famous fashion designer) and it seems he's teamed up with one of my favorite companies, Tokidoki (Italian designer who makes handbags and accessories). They made an adorable video celebrating the launch of their collaboration and I just adore it. I love the design, the color scheme and it even has a cat so you know I'm all over that aspect. Check it out and Enjoy!

Circle Mania 2013

I came back this week from an awesome event put together by a member of the Cricut Circle community, Scrapalette. It was great, from the food to the venue but especially the people! They all made this California girl smile.

Altered Angels Scrapbook store (friendly and their adorable pugs roam the store helping you to shop)

 

The best Pecan Pie EVER!!!

It was a great weekend of crafting (well watching others craft) shopping (love me some Archivers, please come to California) and laughing. The Hilton Garden Inn in Alpharetta, Georgia was fantastic and helpful. It was fun listening to all the Southern accents and being treated to that famous Southern hospitality. 

Gossamer Blue Kit Club

If you're looking to join a kit club I have a good one to recommend. Gossamer Blue is a great because of a couple of reasons, great products and prices being the main one. It is no commitment so you can cancel anytime without fees. The monthly price of the kit is about $30 which is the base price of many other kit clubs. I've enjoyed their paper and embellishment selections, my December kit included a lot of SNAP products which were sold out everywhere else.

A unique thing about their club is that each month includes a digital element and if you upload 4 layouts using their kits for 5 straight months they will send you a free album to house the 20 layouts! Neat huh?

I started my kit in December and have been impressed with the speed of my kit shipment and customer service. Another neat feature is that they include a sticker label that features the name of the kit and the colors used for quick reference. Little touches like this impress me a lot.

Find more info at their site here:http://www.gossamerblue.com/
The current Lookbook (sneak peek of upcoming kits) is here: Lookbook

Etsy Finds

Haven't done one of these in a while and with Christmas coming up thought I'd start again.

In case you haven't noticed I love "cute". One of my favorite shops is Stephanie Fizer Coleman's TheFoxandTheTeacup
She has some adorable prints and other items and I've even requested custom items from her before. I adore her calendars which are only available this time of year.

December Daily 2012 Ideas and Thoughts

What is December Daily? It is a project started by Ali Edwards that is basically a way to document the Christmas/Holiday season.

Why do it? It's easy to forget the little details that from the holidays since they rush by so fast. Why not capture them and celebrate what makes them special to you?

What if I'm already doing Project Life? Isn't this the same thing?

Not a problem, Project Life is more of a simplified snapshot. December Daily is more of an in depth close up of your holidays.

How do I get started?

*Buy, find, or make an album (after deciding what size you want) then create base pages. 

This could be as simple as sticking cardstock on the page. 

*Buy/gather embellishments. You can go with a theme or coordinating color palette or have a different one everyday. 

*Create Date labels. This could be as elaborate or simple as you want. You need to decide what days you want to document, Ali does the 1st through the 25th. I think it's neat to do the whole month so you can include New Years Eve. Last year I used 2 different stamps. 

It's not necessary to do all this pre-planning but I promise you it is so much easier to keep up with when you do. I suggest to at least do the 1st week. I also suggest buying a notepad/notebook to write down details, ideas, photos you want to use to keep track of your days. Carry it around with you so when inspiration strikes you can jot it down. If you travel or get behind this is an excellent resource.

Find more info direct from Ali here: http://aliedwards.com/2009/12/december-daily-compilation.html

If you think your life is too boring it's NOT. I've been taking an online class all year that has really taught me that my life is filled with stories, even me a person with no children or spouse. Every life has value and interest. Find Ali's ideas here: http://aliedwards.com/2011/11/december-daily-2011-25-ideas-and-story-inspirations.html

Another spin on this daily December project is Shimelle Laine's (one of the garden girls at Two Peas in a bucket)  Journal Your Christmas project. It is similiar to DD because it helps you document the holidays day by day. However Shimelle's take is through an online class (including forums) that really guides you with daily prompts sent to your email. The prompts include journaling ideas, photo ideas/tips and even downloads. One of the neatest things is once you pay the first year ($35 last year) you are automatically enrolled each additional year for free. About $1 of each enrollment also goes to a charity fund she supports. Find more info here: http://www.shimelle.com/paper/1284/journal-your-christmas-2011-online-scrapbooking-class/ She should be updating it soon with the 2012 info. I highly recommend it because she's a fabulous teacher.

This year I'll be doing a combination of the 2. I love the guidance that Shimelle gives but this year I'd like to try to switch things up which is why I'm calling mine December Daily this time. I'll be doing my own ideas for much of the month but there will be certain days that I will refer to JYC emails. That's the lovely thing about this you can do whatever, however you want! Check  out a couple pages from mine last year!

My cover from last year

You don't need to have a photo on every page

An awesome printable from Shimelle
last year

Pictures don't have to be perfect

Don't be scared to document the "bad parts"

Final Tips

1. Don't be scared of this project, don't feel pressured to make it perfect or to "keep up"

2. Include memoribilia like your Christmas card, a napkin, a Starbucks cofee label or ripped out advertisement you like

3. Have other family members contribute

4. Don't forget to get in the pictures

5. Have fun