(inter) National Scrapbooking Day!

Yes, this Saturday is that day when all the scrapbooking fiends, paper and digital alike, shop till they drop and scrap till they ... catch up with all the pages they're still missing from their books. ;)

In this fine tradition, I'm happy to inform you that my newsletter (subscription link is on top on the right-hand side) has a freebie and an extra coupon in it, but I have 3 new products that are only $2.00 apiece, AND a 50% off sale!

Now is definitely the time to stock up on recent products you don't have yet--and to take the time and do a bit of scrapping! Plenty of iNSD challenges to play with at PickleBerryPop, for sure!

Newborn!

My new boss for PickleBerryPop just had a new grand-baby, and for some reason my creative urge decided to participate. So here you go! Newborn is a new kit with over 75 elements (masks, flair, word art, frames, etc.) and 21 papers.

(click on the images to see them larger)

Layout by Alanna

Layout by Dodie

Layout by Doralisa

Layout by me

Layout by Vera

And it's 20% off for a few days, of course. Hope you like it too!

New Element Pack: AlphaMasks 1

Check these out! These are some new AlphaMasks--12x12" reverse word art that you can use to slip pics under (like I did), or play with in different ways. Here are some suggestions:

1. Clip a paper to them, then slide some photos underneath, and add some elements on top. This is what I did for the "Party" layout. I actually clipped several papers to bring focus onto the word.
2. Set the layer mode to "overlay" (or color burn, or screen) over a paper, then add the word in a different font over top.
3. Clip a photograph to the mask, then slide something under to make the words pop out (or, duplicate the photo, slide it underneath, and put a color overlay or gradient on it, and let the color difference shine through).
4. Reduce the mask in size and cut most of the black out to make a sign or stencil word art--use it like any other embellishment.
5. Leave the mask black, and place it over-top of your layout so the only color is in the words (personally, I'd erase bits of the mask around the letters so some very 3D elements could show through, but you could still read the word). And there you go!

Just click on the layouts to see them full size...

Layout by Doralisa

Layout by Julie

Layout by Heather T. ;)

Also, I have a "Monthly Mojo" challenge up at PickleBerryPop, about some word that was important to your family. Here's Allen waving his big vocabulary around...

 And, I was feeling experimental, so I tried a tutorial by Jenny Le (2013) that was supposed to produce a watercolor effect. But I just played and played and produced a kinda dream-like effect, which I like just as much. Lots of layers, lots of masking, and lots of blending modes here!

Hopefully you're signed up for my newsletter--I just released two new freebies today! ♥

CU Patterns: Floral

Little post today--have to run to the Yachats Youth fundraiser dinner... but here are my newest commercial use patterns (on sale 20% for a limited time):

I also scrapped another couple of pages:

(With my Happy Pack and the CU Scribblies 4)

And this one:

(With Middle School Muddle -- this was one of Allen's art projects at school, to make fruit/veggie art. Of course he chose something computer-related... *laugh*)

And tomorrow is Allen's 13th birthday -- the beginning of the teens! I admit to a bit of nervousness... =)

Eek, I'm so excited!

I had a total scrapbooking attack the other day, and managed to complete three pages--one of which even got a Gallery Stand-Out! I'm really pleased, because I fiddled around with that page for the longest time, layering papers, masks, and blending modes like crazy. W00t!

April's Right Around the Corner...

... and ACK! That means my sweet little boy is turning 13! Not that "little" applies in any real sense. Heh.

Allen with the Soda Bread he made

Meanwhile, on the business front, lots is going on. For one thing, I've teamed up with Tiramisu Design to make the PickleBerryPop free-with-purchase kit this month--buy $10 worth of stuff, and get our kit for free!

Also, I have three new products of my one. Happy Pack 1 is a minikit with fun colors and a lively feel. I had a lot of fun making it, so I'm hoping to do a few more every once in a while. Julie made a wonderful layout with it, too!

Also, during Spring Break while the guys were gone, I had time to play around with smelly art stuff and made some super fun scribblies that are also popping with color! You can find these in my Commercial Use section at PickleBerryPop (but you can also use them in a Personal use manner as well):

 And finally, I mustn't forget to mention that PBP is having a "subscriber push" -- which in my case translates to "get Heather off her butt and make her have a newsletter, with freebies." SO! First step is... freebies! *laugh* I have to get subscribers in order to send out a newsletter, right? And if you sign up for my newsletter, here's what you'll get in your "you're subscribed" welcome letter:

And here's my newsletter link in case you missed all the hints above: http://eepurl.com/bUuxDX

Hope you're in a colorful mood too! ♥

Seasonal Post Number One for 2016

Well, in a quick and dirty update, we travelled across the country, and back, and it was glorious. But it took a whole month and then some (27 days), and consequently I only now feel like I'm somewhat catching up...

Arizona, near the Mexican border

Much of the country we drove through looked like that--huge skies bounded by low but highly photogenic mountains, with flatlands of drought in between (I was struck by how the plants positioned themselves for maximum water intake). Hugely gorgeous and mysterious to this wetlands Swiss/Western Coast girl...

Southern California, right over the Coast Range, with ocean--more familiar landscape!

Well, suffice it to say that lots has been going on--including in my business life. I started with PickleBerryPop, which is where all my commercial use products can be found as well. These are my newest products--and I have a totally new Collection coming out tomorrow, as well!

Oops!

Vintage 3 - Commercial Use Brushes

And, I'm starting a newsletter! Knowing me, it will be more of a random thing featuring coupons and freebies and updates on scrapbooking, art, photography, jewelry--you know, everything in one place. Anyway, to subscribe, just click the link in the right-hand column all the way at the top, or use this handy link: http://eepurl.com/bUuxDX . I still have to get a list going--right now I only have 2 subscribers... one of which is me. *giggles*

Hope you have a most wondrous weekend! We're having actual sun today, for the first time in a while...

Oscraps Blog Hop!

Well hello! Welcome to the Thanksgiving Oscraps Blog Hop...

I hope you have loved ones you can hug tight, and time to play.

♥

You should have hopped over from  Rita's place at Blue Flower Art. 

And after my part, you'll be heading over to Jenn's place at Joyful Heart Designs.

For a complete list of the hops, check Oscraps at this thread.

To get my part, just click on the image and it should download immediately.

Well. Some Updates.

This blog has gotten ridiculously lagged!!! Everything seems to happen on Facebook these days...

Anyway, MScraps is closing their doors on November 15th. I'm very sad--it's been a wonderful few years, and I have made some excellent friends there. But life rolls on, and I'm rolling over to... Oscraps! (Not sure what happened to Nscraps. [joke] ;) ) So...

And you'll notice... new logo! Made with my very own Sunshine Poppy font, and KG's Skinny Latte for the tag. Heh. =)

The next few days are going to be the best days ALL YEAR LONG to get my products. MScraps is having a huge iDSD sale, with $1 flash sales--this will include personal, and commercial use products. I will bring my retired products back at their hyper-reduced price for the length of the week, and at OScraps, the buy 1, get one free sale. So get your pennies ready!!!

Beeeeeeeeeeeeeg Summer Sale! 50% off + $1 Specials!

And that, my friends, about says it all. *grins* A good time to pick up my newest kits half off, and get some old stuff you've been wanting too! This is good for both my commercial, *and* personal use store.

Here's what's on sale for today, for example:

And last night, I made this little pair of jewelled earrings, too:

Emerald green aventurine stones; gold artistic wire; hypo-allergenic ear wires. Pattern by Nicole Hanna, by permission.

Wherein We Find That Productivity Overdrive Has Its Costs

So, I had a heart attack last week. No kidding. Apparently it's congenital--one of the vessels supplying the heart, the bottom part of it, is teensy weensy in one portion, and that go kind of blocked, or almost blocked, and a tiny portion of the heart muscle was affected. And on the way to the hospital in the ambulance we found out that morphine makes my throat swell up, too. Sure was an adventurous day!! =)

However, except for reaching my fatigue limit a heck of a lot faster, I seem to be doing just fine. So, one day at a time, shooting for many more of them! Happily, school is now out, so I can do art besides the graphic design, and I'm even hoping for more jewelry ventures soon, too!

This was my little art journal contribution for Week 15 that I just finished tonight (yes, I'm a wee bit behind):

And, I finally finished a new kit that I started *before* the heart attack: Chance of Thunder! It's a great kit for storms, either the kind in the sky, or the kind in the heart.

The CT made some super-fun pages, too!
By Caroline:

By Cecilia:

 By Jenny:

 By Julie:

 And by Marianne:

I'm looking forward to sharing more playtime with you soon--hope you all have a great weekend! ♥