Thursday, September 29, 2011

Two Thumbs DOWN for The Scrapbook Showgram

Hi everyone.  Sorry it's been so long since I last blogged.  I've been busy working at the Fab Ink Pad in the West Village.  You really should stop by if you love paper crafting.  And that's all of you, right?

Now on to something that isn't so fabulous.  It seems like The Scrapbook Showgram with Sandi Genovese is going the way of so many other "free" shows on the Internet.  Now they are forcing anyone who wants access to past "free" shows to pay a Gold Membership fee.  Of course, this special membership includes access to exclusive forums and a gallery where you can share your projects (be still my heart!).

When I expressed my feelings to Sandi and Jim (the producer), Jim replied that they are doing this because they can't get sponsors for the show.  What a lame excuse for charging a fee for access to "free" shows!  Yes, they will still continue to air a free show every week; but if you want to watch past episodes, you have to be a Gold Member (Oh, behave!). 

Oh, well.  There are still plenty of free shows and videos on the 'net.  And I'm off to watch some now!  Thanks for stopping by, and remember to always be your crafty self.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Echo Park's Summer Days Collection

Echo Park's Summer Days Collection





Price: The whole collection is $13.99, but individual double-sided patterned papers are available for $.89 each. You can also purchase double-sided solid cardstock for $.79 a sheet. Other add-ons include: cardstock stickers (including alphabets) for $2.99 a sheet, rub-ons for $2.99 a sheet and decorative brads for $4.99 a package.

Product Description:

The Echo Park Summer Days Collection has just about everything you will need to showcase all of your summer vacation, beach, and outdoor photos. The collection includes a dozen 12" x 12" double-sided patterned sheets of cardstock, one 12" x 12" sheet of alphabet stickers, and one 12" x 12" sheet of element stickers. All of the classic summer images are included: ice cream cones, ice pops, flip-flops, flowers, birds, trees, grass, roller coasters, ferris wheels, suns, pennants, and bicycles. There are stripes, checks, polka dots, scallops, clouds, balloons, and circles. The colors are bright, festive, and fun and just looking at them will bring a smile to your face.

In Use:

It's very rare that I love all of the elements of any scrapbooking collection, but Echo Park's collections are the exception, especially the Summer Days Collection. There isn't a single thing that I don't love about the papers, stickers, and embellishments. The best thing about Echo Park's collections is that the papers are so versatile. You can use them as the base paper for your layouts, or you can cut them apart into large pieces or strips. Some of the design elements are large enough to cut out and use as additional embellishments. One of the cardstock sheets has journaling spots on one side and a bright, summery print on the back. The journaling spots help you to incorporate your journaling into your layout seamlessly and easily. I've also been known to cut apart the display sheet that comes with the collection and use the pieces on my layouts and cards. Even the small sample on the bottom of the cardstock sheets, showing the pattern on the reverse side, can be used. You really get your money's worth with Echo Park!

Tips and Techniques:

Use the papers and stickers in this collection to make bright, fun scrapbook pages for all your summer photos and cards.

Use edge punches to create your own border strips and decorative edges.

Die-cut or punch shapes to use as embellishments for your pages and cards.

Make party decorations and invitations with the colorful, fun summer designs.

Use the papers and embellishments for birthday pages and cards too.