I Love My Sponsors Giveaway by rikrak studio

Tis the season to go shopping, and rikrak studios makes it oh so easy for you with her most recent giveaway.  Upon entering this contest, you have the opportunity to win a $25 gift card to any of her sponsored shops.  Make sure you check it out!  Just click here or on the rikrak button on the right.  

Happy Holidays from the Heinz Family

Gumball Greetings 2011 Christmas Card

Make a statement with custom Christmas cards at Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

The Key to Scrappiness

When people ask what the most important thing about being a scrapbooker is, I usually answer having good quality pictures.  Starting out in scrapbooking, I struggled with using beautiful pictures.  I typically used whatever came on the roll that I developed and filled the page with blurry, no good, low resolution prints.  I have turned my focus of scrapbooking from filling a page with lots of stickers and adding embellishments over the top to picking one fun, memorable, good quality photo and showcasing it with unique product.  Now, with all the photo editing software out there, I realize that creating beautiful scrapbook pages is becoming easier and easier.

I am not a great photographer.  I am on the lookout for a new camera to go along with our high tech editing software.  (If you have any suggestions, please let me know.)  Many of you may know that I am a teacher, and I do have a blog that showcases my students and their writing.  One of my students who is a phenomenal writer is also a brilliant photographer.  I urge you to check out her photostream on flickr.  These pictures make me go weak in the knees!

Paperdolls

I know I have expressed my love of paper dolls before.  Okay, before you make fun, I am almost 26 years old, and yes, I do love paper dolls.  I used to own all of the American Girl Paper dolls (we couldn't afford the actual doll) before American Girls became big...and did I mention big.  I can't believe the store here in KC.  A hair salon for dolls?  Anyway, I am totally off subject (but slightly perturbed at the things girls can do today that we did not have when we were younger...)  I am done with that tangent, I swear.  The ladies over at Red Velvet Art have their own coloring book and paper dolls.  Isn't that wonderful.  Now when you are stuffing stockings this year for Christmas, you can stick one in your daughter's, and then when she is not looking, you can borrow them for a little playdate.  They are so much fun and would even look great hung in a frame in a playroom or bedroom.  How perfect for yourse---I mean young ones!

I heart you.

Okay, so I am, and I am majorly crushing on this Etsy shop full of handmade paper goodies, home goods, and random accessories thrown in here and there.  I want to purcase just about everything, but especially this, this, and this.  Love!  Not only does Betsy have an Etsy shop, she also has a photography blog.  Make sure to stop by and say hello!

Blogs I Love

For Christmas decor ideas and DIY projects, be sure to check out these blogs for ideas: Freckled Laundry, Wren't Nest, Vintage Junky, and LuLu & Co.  Recently I fell in love with their homey feels, country inspiration (that reminds me of home) and unique contributions. I added their lovely links to my sidebar! Enjoy!

So I Pretty Much Stink

...at blogging lately.  Don't get me wrong, I have been on the lookout for great Christmas Project Ideas, Scrap love and the likes of DIY project love.  Let's just say that I have a little something called writer's block.  Or maybe I should refer to it as Scrapper's Block?  Anyway, to help get you through this downtime, be sure to check out Elsie Flanigan's 12 Days of Handmade at her site elsiecake.com from December 6th to December 17th.  If you loved her Halloween Tricks and Treats, you ought to love these 12 days of DIY gifts too!