Just thought I’d pop in with some tips and ideas for all the new hybrid projects. I’m so thrilled that everyone is enjoying them. I hope to see some creations in the gallery after Valentine’s Day. Remember to photograph your creations before you give them away!! I wish I would have taken a picture of the Christmas gifts I wrapped this year. I went all out and they looked pretty rockin’…if I do say so myself! Anywho…
Some of you were a little bummed about not having a good enough printer to take on these projects. But don’t forget that you can always assemble your designed projects on an 8.5×11″paper and have them printed at Kinkos, Costco or any local print shop. All of these projects are printable on a standard size page. The coupon book pages fit 2 or was it 3 to a page so you can create a full coupon book for a few bucks.
PILLOW BOX TEMPLATES:
The Pillow Box Templates are incredibly versatile. You can decorate the template with your favorite digital papers but you can also use your traditional paper scrapbooking supplies and I KNOW that most of you have at least one box full collecting dust in the corner. Just print out the template on draft mode (why waste ink) and cut it out. Trace it onto your favorite scrapbook paper, or hold the template to the paper while you cut. Lay it over your paper to mark the folds correctly (as outlined in the illustrated user’s guide included) and assemble your box. To add stability to the pillow box, glue to pieces of scrapbook paper back to back before you begin. Choose a coodinated solid to give your box a really professional look. That way when you open the box, the inside will be a pattern or a color instead of white. Of course, there is nothing wrong with a white inside, and a regular sheet of printer paper works well too. Embellish with ribbons, stickers, tags etc.
CUSTOM CANDY TEMPLATES:
The Custom Candy Templates are FLATTENED templates. They are pre-sized and marked by color to guide you where to put your designs. This was done to make them as versatile as possible for you. This way you are not restricted by pre-defined areas but don’t have to guess where your text and design should go. You can use your guides and rulers in Photoshop to help you keep your place as you layer. Or you can always make your background layer invisible while you add text. Don’t forget that the Altoid tin cover ALSO fits in the inside lid. And if you shrink the template by a few points, it will fit inside the bottom of the tin as well. The hershey kisses can be printed on photo paper along with everything else. You can cut them out by hand and stick them on with Glue Dots or if you are making a large number of them you might want to consider a 3/4″ Circle Punch. It’s a tad smaller than the template so keep any essential info away from the edges.
COUPON BOOK TEMPLATE:
I thought I would get you going with an idea list for coupons you can create using the Coupon Book Templates. PLEASE feel free to add your ideas in the comments section and I will update this list. We can all refer to it to create a great gift.
For Mom or Dad: (redeem this coupon for:)
A 10 minute ego boost
An afternoon (night out) with the guys
Full service breakfast in bed with meal of your choice
Sleep in an extra hour
4 hours of uninterrupted (guilt-free) sports watching
Unlimited XOX’s
Luxurious massage treatment from yours truly
One afternoon of kid free quiet time
One hour of un interrupted bliss
One romantic dinner alone
One hour control of the remote
One hour free of sibling fighting
Assistance on that one task that you keep nagging about
One family photo where we promise to stand still and smile
Use of the computer for one hour without interruptions
Clean up a room of your choice – to your standards
Do the dishes for one meal of your choice
One custom car wash by hand
Complete homework without whining
For Kids:
Double your allowance for one week
Stay up for 1 extra hour past bedtime
Extend curfew by one hour
One hour of Mom & Me (Dad & Me) time
The royal treatment for one day
Skip one chore of your choice today
Assign one chore to another family member
Choose the toppings next time we order pizza
Shopping spree with Mom
You choose any movie for the family to watch
10 minute ego boost
Choose tonight’s dinner menu
Breakfast in bed
That’s right. It’s time to take your digital skills to the next level. It’s time to take those projects off the computer and get them into your hands. It’s time to impress the hell out of your friends with all the super cool projects you’re about to make. It’s time to make some STUFF people!
We’re going HYBRID baby!
You look worried.
Don’t be scared! It’s easy and I’ll help you. ;) Pinky SWEAR! So sit back and relax ’cause Oh BOY! I’ve got SO much to show you I don’t know where to begin!
First things first. The ever popular BOARD BOOKS are now available for Valentine’s Day Pre-Ordering. If you’re thinking of creating a lovey dovey keepsake, order soon to allow plenty of time for delivery. Plus save 15% until Jan. 26th .
If you missed the original Scrap in a Snap Template introductory sale you’re in luck! See what all the fuss is about and save 20% off until Jan. 26. You can also pick up ALL FOUR SETS for an even lower price if love them all. Instructions and a link to a tutorial on using them is included.
I’m super excited to debut the new Photographer’s Tool Box collection which kicks off with 4 sets of large format storyboards in sizes 8×10″, 11×14″, 12×12″ and 16×20″. Now you can quickly and easily display your favorite family photos or offer your clients a beautiful way to diplay their photos if you are a professional photographer. The 12×12″ storyboards are PERFECT for scappers looking for ways to display their layouts around the home. These templates come as both layered .psd AND as flattened .png files. Save 20% on all storyboard sets until Jan. 26th or pick up ALL FOUR SETS for an even lower price. Please NOTE: A commercial license must be purchased to use this product for your business.
I’m MOST excited about this set of products. These were honestly one of the most FUN things I’ve every created AND they’re ALL designed to printed right at home on a standard 8.5×11″ sheet of paper. Could it be ANY easier I ask? Well if that’s not enough to tempt you, they’re all 20% off until Jan. 26th
See below for more DETAILS:
The first project is the Pillow Boxes. So CUTE and SO much fun! The set includes 3 different sizes. They are all the same width but each is taller than the next to accomodate different sized gifts. Just pick your favorite digital paper or create your own design, lay it over the template and add text or photos if you like and print! A full color assembly guide is included to show you how you put them together and get a proper rounded crease.
I can tell you from personal experience that the Coupon Book Template is a hubby favorite. I made one for the mister for his birthday last month and he loved it. I had to design another one for the purposes of this preview because the original was a tad inappropriate (read: incredibly, horribly inappropriate). Needless to say, he requested another coupon book for Christmas…and Valentine’s Day….and I said no. LOL. But you can create a coupon book for just about ANYTHING! Create a rewards coupon book for the kids – every week they redeem a coupon (movie time with mom and dad, ice cream outings etc.) Great for your friends and co-workers too!
Last, but certainly not least the Custom Candy Templates. Big thanks to Shanta for her creative inspiration and hard work helping me put this product together. I have to say – these are the BEST things ever! The set includes flattened color coded templates for 12 different candies/chocolate bars plus a treat topper for a standard ziplock sandwich bag. The set also includes 3 barcodes and several ‘fake’ nutritional information grids (plus one blank) that you can add to your creations. And as you can see from the preview image you can use them to create custom wrappers for any occasion you can dream of!
Check the hybrid gallery to see more ways to use these items.
You know you spend WAY too much time fiddling in Photoshop when you’re watching TV with your boyfriend and a commercial for a new show comes on. He looks at you and says “that looks like it might be a good show, we should watch it.” And you reply with excitement, ” I have that font.” And then you actually name it.
True story.
And sadly, it’s happened more times than I care to mention. It’s really starting to freak me out to tell you the truth! LOL. Perhaps I’m spending a little too much time on the computer – ya think??
Changing topics…I don’t know how many emails and comments I’ve gotten about whether or not you can see me in the photos of the board book I posted below. C’mon now people cut me some slack! LOL! After all this time do you really think I’d let it slip in a board book? No way Jose!!! To tell you the truth, I’m not even IN the book – I was taking all the pictures! LOL. I usually like to take a week off designing at the beginning of the month but this month it’s guns blazing all the way! I’m bouncing up and down over all the the new things I have for you! So many ideas – so little time. Luckily I have a few of them almost finished and you can expect to see them sometime soon.
The 5×5″Board Books are back. I am finally restocked after you guys cleaned me out over Boxing Day!! LOL. So of course I HAD to make another mini album:
If you missed my first post filled with tips and materials for creating one, you can view it here. I usually print my board book pages 4.75×4.75″ for a 5×5″ album but this time I decided to be a rebel and try 4.85×4.85″ and as you can see, that worked fine but I found that you don’t get an equal amount of a white border from the book all the way around. The layouts go almost to the edge but leave more space on the top and bottom. I didn’t mind though. I used papers and elements from the Jingle Bell Rock kit and the Xmas Scrap in a Snap Templates Set to design all my pages and altered one by removing all the photo spots to make my title page. I always love using some sort of embellishment on the cover to really give the album some sparkle and dimension so I glued some sequins and seed beads to the cover. I was quite surprised that those little beads stayed put!
I thought I’d try covering the spine on this one. It was pretty easy and I like how it turned out. I thought it made the book look a little more complete. You can either print one large print that is long enough to cover the front, the back and the spine, or you can do it separately which is what I did. When I was finished my cover design, I added about 2 inches on the left side of my layout (in Photoshop, IMAGE>CANVAS SIZE). This leaves enough paper to go over the spine and leaves you a good amount of extra to go on the back so that it will stick. Try cutting that extra edge with fancy scissors to really give you a finished look! It REALLY helps if you can figure out where the folds go and crease them first. I also found that it if you are using a wet glue, it helps to glue to adhere the cover first and leave the spine unattached until it’s dry. Do the spine last. Sorry I really should have made an example. Next time I promise!!
One of my New Year’s Resolutions is to be a more consistent blogger and it’s already been almost a week since my last post – how did that happen? I promise to do better. Well, maybe not promise, more like hope? Alright. I resolve to blog at least 3 times a week. There. I said it.
Oddly enough, they say that New Years is the worst time to make resolutions because we tend to get a little over zealous and resolve to do all sorts of silly things. Case in point, I signed myself up for a beginner Ladies Golf Clinic and not wanting to leave Mr. Mint out of the fun, I signed us both up for …. Are you ready for it? Rock Climbing for Couples.
Seriously. There is such a thing.
Now before you go thinking that I’m some sort of crazy person, it’s rock climbing on an indoor rock wall, not the Rockie Mountains. LOL. It should be fun. Or dangerous. I’ll keep you posted – it starts in February. Anyone remember YouTube Tuesdays? LOL. That was fun, but after a while I ran out of worthy videos. So I will continue to post them as I find them. I know I saw this one early in the year but must have forgotten to post it (or maybe I did ????) Anywho, it’s one of my favorites so I thought I’d share. Enjoy!
A Father asks his little girl ‘What does Mama say?’
Holy heck it’s a freaking miracle! Do not adjust your screen. Do not pass GO and collect $200. It’s true! It’s Jan. 1st and the new products are up, the freebie is posted, I posted 4 layouts in the gallery and it’s only just past noon. Looks like I’m well on my way to accomplishing one of my forty thousand new year’s resolutions for 2008. Yipee! I hope everyone had a rockin’ New Year’s Eve. We stayed home and watched the big ball drop on TV. Not very exciting I have to say.
Anywho. Back to business…
‘HERE SHE IS….THE NEW FREEBIE KIT..” (to be sung like ‘Here She is, Miss America’).
I’ve included an EXCLUSIVE Scrap in a Snap Template so that you can give ‘em a whirl before picking up a full set. There are 12 photo spots so you can make the perfect ‘Year in Review’ page, but of course you can use it for anything you’d like. Note that the bent drop shadows are normally left on their own layer so that you can alter or delete them but I combined the mattes and bent shadows on this template to keep it as simple as possible for those of you who have never used them before.
The Scrap in a Snap Templates are here! You saw the first two sets the other day. And here are the other two sets. One set is a more simple storyboad style – perfect for highlighting a collection of special photos and the other set is Christmas themed, though you can really use them for anything if you remove the tree. LOL!
NOTE: All templates are 20% off until Jan. 5 and FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY buy all FOUR sets for even less!
I can’t WAIT to see what you guys create with them. It’s amazing to see HOW MANY different pages can be made with a single design. Kirstie started FLIPPING her templates. GENIUS! I never would have thought of that. What a great way to add a creative touch, do something different and keep those pages fresh! ;)
