Howdy Fellow Bloggers

Hope that everyone is having a fab day! Yesterday with my boy at Cypress Gardens was a blast. We got to see lots of wild life (caged & uncaged & i'm not talking about the kids). My lil' guy was just thrilled about this and took lots of pics on his camera. We got to see

• a snake in the grass (I saw that from afar while the boys chased it)
• a real alligator (thankfully a baby)
• a ton of bugs
• turtle families enjoying the gorgeous weather
• a 12 foot croc (the thing was ginormous and caged)
• huge fish, the kind I never catch
• butterflies in the butterfly garden
• lizards
• and the grossest frog I have ever seen in my life! It looked like a flounder. yuck

I actually took some pretty decent photos........

How did you do with the sketch yesterday? Here is what I made. I am happy that it looks totally different but am not entirely convinced that it is finished. Totally different look & feel from yesterday but using the same sketch in the same way. 2 down, 5 to go. Let's see what you can do with this sketch today!

A new kit

My absolute favorite page ever! I still seem to be playing with odd color combos. This layout is lavender, pink, green & white. Love it though.

Humpday Hat Trick is tonight at the boards. We also still have a few spots open for the end of the school themed 8X8 page swap. Stop on by and chat for a while. We will be on at 6 and again at 9 for the hat trick. Well back to work. Blog you tomorrow.

Cyprus Gardens

I get to spend the day with my lil' guy and and 20 of his friends at Cyprus Gardens. Yeah!!!! I love spending time with him and I love nature type stuff so this should be a terrific day.

What did you do with the pagemaps sketch yesterday? Here is what I did.......

What are you going to do today? Make sure it looks totally different from the page you did yesterday but follow the sketch! 1 down, 6 to go can we make it?Here is a peek at one of the kits for Jersey. So Bright & Colorful........

Don't forget to swing by the message boards tonight for scrappers SOS. If your having an issue with a tool or a technique, we can help 9pm est.

Just another layout that I worked on yesterday.........Some new stuff that will be coming to the store next week........

New Heidi Swapp mask, mirror elements and embellies

Lots of new stamps by Heidi Swapp, Autumn Leaves & more..... (aren't these cute! I ordered the girl (Olivia) & the boy (shown, Oliver)

Cosmo Crickets new blackboard album in 4 different styles

Coordinations Cardstock in several different colors

Several new 7gypsies albums

Thanks for swinging by the blog! Have a fantastic day!!!!!

7 Days, 7 Pages

Happy Monday Everyone! Yes, I know, M'day is usually the most rotten day of the week but not this week. M'day is fabulous, relaxing and very, very scrappy. Let's start off with a sketch to kick off doing a page a day everyday this week. I know that you're busy, but vow to take 30 minutes to scrap today. If you can make a meal in 30 minutes, you can make a gorgeous page in 30 minutes. So (I know that you could see where this is going) with that being said, our challenge for this week is to use the sketch listed below to make a page a day. Of course the sketch comes from pagemaps because I luv Miss Fleck. Make sure that your page looks different every day. That's is the only rule to using sketches, you cannot make the same page twice!

Guest Designer Contest - We have so many fabulous submissions and since this is the last week, we are having a seriously tough time deciding so please be patient and we will make the announcement this evening!

Message Boards - We have a page swap going on! This one is for a 8X8 school themed page. Sign up deadline is 5/12 and pages are due to be in the mail by 6/2. That way everyone receives their pages in time to put it together & give it as a teachers gift if they wish. Welcome to the newest members: Edgy, Scrappycatz & Marcie!

Thanks for stopping by the blog! I will post a couple of layouts, etc, later this evening but until then, have a fantabulous day!

Christmas in May

I'm sending out the cold winter weather (it's almost 80 degrees here & my son is asking to play in the sprinkler) with a Winter lo. Today was weird color combination day. All of the lo's that I made had an unusual/different color combo.

I am also thinking about my grandmother with a grandma layout (funky colors on this one too - red, blue, black & pale green - but I love how they came out)

This one is just about being happy......... I love the jotters from Luxe & used 1/2 a sheet of them on this lo. They are all matted on a different color but to keep them all related, I inked the edges with pink.

Will you remember your daily routine in 10 years? You will if you have this page! I used about 7 different companies on this page! Prima, MAMBI, Chatterbox, Bazzill, Basic Grey, MME, MM, & NRN.
Last but not least, my favorite for the day.......

If you haven't been on the boards at the store, stop on by! There is a page swap, a couple of tutorials, question threads and more.......

I received the reviews back from my classes and just wanted to thank everyone who took the time to fill out the survey. Good or bad comments were welcome (although the good are much better to eat)! I like the good comments because it is truly important to me that you have a good experience and hearing the how's & the why's of why you liked the class & what you liked the most about it keeps me doin the good. I like the bad comments because I can't fix it if I don't know it's broke so when you take the time to let me know what you didn't like or what you feel could be improved on, I can adjust, tinker & overhaul my classes to make them better. So thank you so much for your input. I have taken all that you have said to heart and will keep the things that you love and will improve the things that frustrated you (no giveaways one lady commented and I quote "ya know we just expect em", the class handouts and a better way to display samples so that everyone can see them). So, for those that are taking my class in NJ, can't wait to meet you and please feel free to let me know what you think after the class! All of the examples of my classes will be posted on the class blog by Monday so stop by and check them out. Happy Friday & have a great weekend.

Where did the week go?

This week has flown by! I absolutely cannot believe that it is almost the weekend. I am excited by it of course because I have big plans with my dad (fishing, walking the land, whateva. Any time spent with such an incredible father is special!) I also have class at The Pink House Saturday. An acrylic Mother's Day album. Looking forward to it. There are still seats so if you want a special gift for your mom, you can still sign up.

Jersey is 2 weeks away! Unbelievable! Before we know it the kids will be out of school and it will be sizzling hot!

On the message board:

• Scrappers SOS tonight at 9pm est. If you have a scrappin issue and want to talk it out with other scrappers, stop on by. This is also a great forum for tips and hints to so if you have a few that you want to share, we'll see you there.
• Book review for Pagemaps (fabulous book) stop by and tell us what you thought about it than share a couple of layouts in the gallery for us to gawk at.
• Page Swap. The end of the school year is coming up and I don't know about you but I am scrambling for a teachers gift. This page swap is perfect for that. We will be doing 8X8 pages with a school theme to swap. Stop by and sign up.
• What is the craziest, most unusual topic you have scrapped? Stop by and let us know. There has got to be at least one person out there with a stranger topic than mine!

The winner of last weeks Guest Designer spot is the fantabulous Veronica Melton! I am so honored that this talented lady applied to design for Gifted. Her kits are going to be such a treat. Check out her gallery here and make sure that you leave her a little blog love.

No layouts to share today so I guess I will share my latest find: The coolest flowers I have ever seen. Prima has done it again and I can't wait to get these for my booth. They are so popular that I might not be able to. waaaaah. This incredible picture is not mine (anyone that has seen my pics knows this already but hey I am still working on it) I saw them at Tim Holtz's fabulous blog. Thanks for stopping by the blog and blog you tomorrow!

He's Home

My husband travels a lot for his new job. A whole lot. But he managed to surprise me this weekend by coming home. So that is why have not posted. That and getting ready for the NJ Memories Scrapbook Expo. Something Old, Something New is now sold out on Friday & Saturday! I am so excited about this class. It was very fun & very challenging & very messy! If you have signed up for this class in NJ, make sure that you bring a cutter that has a flip out ruler & that you can read the numbers on your sliders. Trust me on that, it will save you some measuring time. Anyway, I have class at The Pink House today. Me and the fabulous Lorna will get to spend some time together. Love her, she is so sweet.

Lots of class news so I will keep it short. I am up to my neck in class kits! I found in OH that it is almost impossible for the scrappers in the back to see the sample projects so since I came back, I have been racking my brain trying to come up with a solution. Well, finally a thought of something that is so simple and so cool came to me. It will be debuted at the Jersey show and I know it will make things so much easier for you. I've also been collecting some "thangs" to offer up as class giveaways. Although I try to pack my class kits to the gill and I try to time my classes so that there is not a lot of down time (although the more advanced scrappers always seem to be one step ahead of me. I'm working on a class for that! lol) I am missing the mark in one area. Giveaways. Who doesn't like free stuff? Well apparently, yall like them a lot so, I will be offering giveaways & coupons for the booth in all of my classes from now on. We have made some changes with the class handouts so that you won't have to struggle to draw sketches or take notes & photos of the completed projects. You spend good money & time on my classes so I want to make sure that you get more than you paid for! Thanks for all the feedback, I really appreciate you sharing your thoughts with me, good-bad-& ugly, on my classes. If I haven't heard from you & you really would like to let me know what you think/thought, just send me an email at sjamison8@sc.rr.com.

The message boards, thanks to Lisa, have been being posted on regularly but those darn crickets are still there. So make sure that you stop by! There will be someone from Gifted Memories there daily at 8am (for you early birds) 6pm & 9pm all est. Right now we are trying to get to know each other so we have a thread going that asks you to introduce yourself, answer the question from the person that posted before you then ask a question for the person that post after you. We also have threads for your favorite tools & techniques and a tutorial. We would love to see you there too! Here is a recap of the schedule:

• Tuesdays 9-10pm est Scrappers SOS
• Wednesdays 9-10pm est Humpday Hat Trick
• Thursdays 9-10pm est 101 Uses
• Sundays 6-8pm est Wuz Up
• Daily 8am, 6pm & 9pm ChitChats

The one thing that has surprised me the most about doing the conventions is this: How many premade pages I have been selling! I have even been getting requests to sell the kit sample pages. Wow! I am so appreciative of how much yall like my work and am working to offer more premade pages specifically to sell. Up until now, they have just been used to show different ways to use some products but these pages are so popular, we have added them to the menu. Here are a couple for the next show. I don't know which one I like better of the 3, they all came out great.

Thanks for stopping by the blog and have a fantastic week!

Paper Piecing Tutorial Starting in 15 Minutes

This layout is an example of what to do with the bears once you are done. One of many I might add. You can add them to cards, home decor, make gift tags, mini-album covers, journal pages, etc.

Just wanted to make a quick post. On my way to the message boards for the tutorial. See you there!

I Added a New Show

I added a new show for the year! Am I crazy! I don't think so but wow am I excited. Donna Downey is going to be teaching there. Woohoo! She is also coming to The Pink House to teach and I will be taking all 3 of her classes. I hope she doesn't think i'm a stalker, following her around the country or something. She sees me in SC than in Maine. Hmmmmm. Anyway, the show is called Scrapfun 08 and it is in Lewiston Maine from July 18th thru July 20th. I added a link to the side if you want to check it out.

Here is a pic of the paper piecings that we will be doing tomorrow for Hump Day Hat Trick (email me or post a comment if you have any questions about the mini-session). I will post a pic of the layout tomorrow:
oops, I forgot to put his wings on! I won't forget tomorrow.

In addition to the supplies I posted yesterday, you will need

• a craft glue dot
• dark brown ink pad
• brown ink pad
• yellow ink pad
• 1 prima
• a swirl stamp
  

I also updated the class blog with a pic of 1 of the 4 pages that we will be doing and will post a pic of the new Pushing Limits tomorrow (or late tonight).

I have some cute new kits in the works for Memories NJ and can't wait to get to the show to get them out there. We will have:

• Mothers & Fathers Day kits
• Grandparents kits
• Sports kits
• Pet kits
• Everyday life kits
• Raggedy Ann & Andy Kits

If your in the area make sure to stop by the booth and check us out.

Thanks to everyone who has applied or will apply for the guest kit designer position. I am totally loving getting permission to be nosey. So I just wanted to say we really appreciate you sharing your art with us!


And I have a secret, me, the biggest mouth in the south, who can't hold water, I have a friend, who designs jewelry, who is in line to receive an incredible opportunity. I can't wait to spill the beans on this one. And she is so interested in traveling to the shows and teaching with me. I am too excited about her, she has incredible talent and is a RIOT!


The newsletter will go out on Friday. Don't forget to sign up for it, I always include a blog challenge and give away something fabulous to the winner. One letter gave away one of each Cat's Eye chalk in the store, another it was glimmer mist, one time we gave away crackle paint, we have also "donated" a crop-a-dile, ancestry.com album kit and a couple of paper packs. Gotta love that kind of free stuff.


Well, gotta go. See you on the boards for the hat trick tomorrow night at 9pm est. Have a great night.

Hump Day Hat Trick

What is a "hump day hat trick" you ask? That is a term that I made up to describe what we will be doing on the message boards on Wednesdays (9pm, sharp! lol). I love hump day and I love hat tricks (something fabulous that you learn to do and that you will tend to use over & over again). The message board is up and running and I have been thinking of ways to make the chirping crickets go away and really get the board hopping. Well, hump day hat trick is just one of the things that we will be doing. It is sorta like an online class, sorta like a chat....... oh heck who am I kidding. It is a get together for ladies who scrap that we can do in the middle of the week to get our juices flowing for the weekend. I put it at 9pm est because I don't know about you but between 8am and 8pm it is all about everyone but me. The kids, the dog, the hubby, the boss, the bills whateva. 9 is usually when I can have a wee bit of quiet time, so I want to invite you ladies to come and play with me for about 30 minutes or so. We will be doing a paper piecing project titled "a mother's love is as sweet as hunny". Please don't forget to register for the boards & gallery prior to 9 so that you will be able to jump right in. Here is the pattern for the bear and you will also need the following:

*right click and print picture. The full size bear is 6 1/4 X 6 1/4 and the 2nd bear (the topper) is 5 1/2 X 4. The size does not have to be the same as mine. Just reduce or enlarge to make whatever size bear you would like. You can also right click and save if you would like to use the pattern again for a later project*

• 7 Medium sized flowers (I used primas)
• Pencil
• sharp detail scissors
• brown bazzill cardstock (or whatever color you want your bear to be)
• lighter brown cardstock for muzzel & center of ears (scrap)
• tan cardstock for bee hive (scrap)
• vellum for angel wings (scrap)
• white gel pen (for centers of eyes)
• green cardstock for leaves & flower stems (scrap)
• yellow bazzill cardstock for bee body (scrap)
• black bazzill cardstock for bee body, eyes, nose, hole in bee hive & tips of antenna
• chalk set for shading
• fine tip black marker
• paper trimmer

Congratulations to Marcie Morgan! She is the winner of the guest kit designer contest for this week. Her work is fabulous and we are so excited to be working with her. Check her out here. I would also like to thank all of the fabulous artist who posted layouts. It was a very tough decision and I truly appreciate your interest in designing for Gifted Memories.

Marcie, your kit is in the mail and your email will be in your inbox shortly!

We have a few ideas in the works for the message boards and would love to have your input on what you would like to see there. Just leave a comment here on the blog, contact us via the store or you can email me at sjamison8@sc.rr.com. A couple of the things that we will be implementing starting next week are:

• Scrappers SOS - if you have a design dilemma, a question or tricky piece of equipment join us on the message boards on Tuesday to chat about it. One of our designers will be standing by and I am sure that there will be a good samaritan there willing to offer help in case the designer is at a loss. Time 9-10pm est
• 101 Uses - let's talk about how you use .......... Every week, we will pick a popular tool, paper, adhesive, embelli, colorant, whateva and talk about the many different ways it can be used (we are a resourceful bunch we scrapbookers). It won't be just limited to traditional products either! Join us on Thursdays at 9-10 pm est to share your fabulous ideas!
• Wuz Up - What are you up too? Get together with fellow crafters (not just the scrappy type) to talk about what your working on and why. Ask questions, give suggestions, share ideas and stories. For you charity scrappers, you may even be able to scare up a few donations to your cause. Join us on Sunday's at 6-8pm est.

What's new at the store :
Making Memories Ella Tag Journaling Book

Making Memories Jack Tag Journaling Book Petaloo Dahlia Box Blend, Large *I also have pink&black, blue&brown and light blue&dark blue on back order!*

Patterned Paper from Bo-Bunny, Basic Grey, Reminisce, Creative Imaginations and Fancy Pants

Creative Imaginations Rhonna Farrer Overlay Thanks for stopping by the blog and see you on the boards!

Can we start the day with a challenge?

Let's get the day off to a good start with a simple, simple challenge.

1. Title Layout "Anything Goes"
2. Use 15 Red Brads
3. Use one tag
4. Must have a pocket

Show your lo off in the Gallery or on your blog (leave a link so the nosey folks -like me- can see).

Over 50 New Items In the Store!

Boy am I tired! I just finished posting over 50 new items to the store. So many scrap goodies, so little time! The new glimmer mist colors are just fabulous, oy, I can't wait till you see them. You have to post a line to tell me what you think. Good enough to eat. And the Fancy Pants rub-ons. What about the journal ATC's? Oh, oh, I cant forget about the HS alpha mask and bling cherries. Too, too cute. You are just going to have to stop by the store and check it all out for yourselves!


I am so happy to announce that finally, finally, the message board and gallery are up and running. I am very much looking forward to chatting with you guys and seeing what you've been up too. If you are planning on entering the guest kit designer contest, you can upload a photo into the gallery. It was so much simpler than I thought it would be (I am super computer challenged and since my kids weren't home kinda lost lol).


Marcie, you are officially the first entrant in the kit designer contest! I just wanted to say that I love love love your work and am wishing you the best of luck. We will be choosing the first designer on Sunday and sending the first kit out on Monday so make sure that you get your entries in!


We received a ton of request for the paperbag albums at the last 2 shows that we were at. In fact we sold out of them! So per your request, the blank albums are now in the store in 2 sizes, 5X5 & 6X6 ($2 & $3 respectively). Also loaded today are the 2008 blank calendars ($2). The calendars are a fabulous way to record your families year. Just decorate and fill with photos as the months go by. Before you know it, you will have scrapped a whole year. At the end of the year, take the calendar apart and slip it right into an album. Easy peasy. Here are some example pics of what you can do (these completed calendars will be on sale at the May shows):


January - I used papers that aren't too themey (so not a word but it fit what I was talking about) throughout the entire calendar. Anyone at any stage/place/circumstance could use it. Very versatile.

March

April

June - I liked how all the little bits & pieces came together. Sorry about the horrible pic!
May
Here are just some random lo's that I have done:


Did this one last year and still love it because of the paper and the bronze stamping and embossing that I did to make it more formal.

I wanted to try something different. You don't get much more different than this and because I just randomly rounded, it was simple and quick.

One of my all time favorite layouts. How can you go wrong with Dream Street & Basic Grey papers?
This is for a class at the fabulous Pink House. It's called "A Way With Words" and is all about finding simple ways to get more bang out of your titles and about inspired journaling. I struggle with what to write all the time so I am happy to share some of the ways that I have found to make it easier on me to tell the whole story on my pages (starting with a fab, simple title). Sometimes I forget that 25-30 years from now, noone will know who the heck the people in the photos are.
Thanks for dropping by the blog and hope you have a fabulous hump day!!!!!!