Mosh Posh

A Change of Pace...

2010-10-25T22:03:00.000-04:00

Do you sometimes need a change of pace when scrapbooking and/or papercrafting? For myself I've found that sometimes I just need to change things up a bit sometimes and that may mean that I look at my crafty supplies in a bit of a different way. Today that meant that I met up with a few of my good girlfriends and whipped up some nifty headbands using floral embellishments, ribbon, some dollar store headbands and my handy dandy hot glue gun! I love the end result!

How have you used your scrappy supplies lately that wasn't "so" scrappy?

Jen

Oh, how I love fall!!

2010-10-21T17:38:00.000-04:00

I love photography, but I am definitely a beginner. I will take all the help I can get, and Photojojo is a great site with everything you could ever want or need relating to photography. Whenever I need some how-to for photography, it's one of the first places I go. You should check out the site and see everything they have to offer.

Since Fall is my favorite season, I loved this article here which had some great tips on taking awesome fall pictures.

(photo from photojojo)

I also found an article on tips for taking great Halloween pictures here.

(photo from photojojo)

These are some of my favorite Fall shots from last year:

Now go out and capture some special Fall memories!

Cold Weather Chow

2010-10-20T15:38:00.000-04:00

Hey there! Happy Wednesday. Here in Philadelphia, Fall is in full swing. Leaves are changing colors and dropping, and I'm in a sweater. Love it all!

With the colder weather, I start to think about cozier foods. I love a good salad, but most salad veggies are just not as great as they were a few weeks ago. But still, I like to serve some greens at dinner. My kids are less picky than some of their friends. But that's not to say they don't balk at the idea of steamed broccoli. They will eat one teeny piece, just to please me, but not much more.

Enter the quiche. I know, I know, it's not exactly health food. But I can put any kind of veggie in a quiche, and my kids will eat it. I think it's the combination of eggs, cheese, and pastry crust. I mean, really, who doesn't love that?

Yes, I made that.

Broccoli, Peas, and Pesto Quiche

Ingredients
9" pie shell (store-bought, or homemade)
2 cups fresh broccoli, florets only
1.5 cups of baby peas (defrosted)
1.5 cups cheddar cheese, grated
5 eggs, room temperature
1.5 cups skim milk
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
2 Tbsp pesto

Preparation
1. Set oven to 425ºF. Set pie crust into a deep 9" pie plate. Poke holes in it with a fork. Line the crust with a piece of foil folded about the size of the plate. Set the foil on top of the crust, and weigh the foil down (I use black beans, and save them to use it on my next pie crust.) This is called pre-baking. It keeps the crust crispier with custard-type fillings. There is a really good post explaining the process here. Bake the crust, for about 8 minutes. Remove the foil (and beans/weight), and bake it for 4 minutes more, poking any puffy areas gently with a fork. Remove the crust and set it aside.

2. Zap the broccoli in the microwave for one minute. Make sure both the broccoli and the peas are well drained. Lightly beat the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper.

3. Sprinkle half the cheese on the bottom of the crust. Add the broccoli (I used to make a pattern, but uh, it doesn't stay that way. As it bakes, the veggies will come up to the surface, and the pattern is lost. Just distribute it as evenly as possible.) Then add the peas. Drop little dabs of the pesto all over. Then the last of the cheese. Slowly pour in the milk/egg mixture. (Depending on how deep your dish is, you might have leftover milk/egg mixture.)

4. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean; let stand 10 minutes. Slice and enjoy!

-Linda

October Sketch

2010-10-13T12:07:00.000-04:00

Hello there! Happy Wednesday! I'm here to share this month's sketch. It was inspired by this layout by my friend Barb Wong:

Typical me, I stole it right off her blog, created the sketch, and shared it with the team before I asked her permission. Thank goodness she's really nice!

Here is the resulting sketch:

And the layouts inspired by it:

Lisa Dickinson

Jenn Olson

Jen Davis


Amy Coose

Linda Barber

If you do create something with this sketch, will you please share it with us by posting in our Flickr group? Have a great day!

-Linda

Guest Designer: Lisa Dickinson, part deux

2010-10-11T10:11:00.000-04:00

Hello there! Hope you had a good weekend. Have you visited our DT gallery? It's up and filled with lots of inspiration.

Last Friday, I promised a peek into Lisa's workspace, and here it is. It's pretty awesome.

Since I work from home and occasionally have to meet with graphic design clients here, I have commandeered the office space in our house. It's about a 12' x 12' room in which I have a big wooden desk, a glass-doored bookcase, a red leather chair, an antique filing cabinet and several smaller storage cabinets and bins to hold all my stuff. Almost all of the pieces are hand-me-downs or were found at antique stores, flea markets & garage sales. I have a thing for furniture with a history. And if it has peeling paint, even better.

My desk was an anniversary gift from my husband and found at an antique mall in Jenks, Oklahoma. We refinished it and added new handles to the drawers. I love that it provides an expansive workspace and most days, it is usually covered in various scrap projects. On the left side of the desk there are faux drawers, which are actually a door that houses a typewriter lift. I love this feature because it lets me hide the more modern technology my job requires - it's where I've stashed my photo printer and Silhouette.

I keep the supplies I use regularly (adhesives, pens, scissors, punches) in a painted wood cubby on my desk - a flea market find.

Directly behind my desk is a glass-doored bookshelf, which holds the bulk of my scrapping supplies. I have them sorted into a variety of bins, buckets and baskets and I'm always on the lookout at flea markets for vintage-y type storage. Currently this space is packed full, which means a cleaning purge is imminent. :)

To the left of my desk, I have an old cabinet found at a flea market. To lift it off the floor, my husband added turned legs to the bottom I distressed the whole thing with cream and sage-colored paint.

I searched forever for a safe, sturdy storage option for my beloved cardstock and I was never able to find anything that was just right. So my handy husband made me two wooden bins that fit my specifications perfectly.

My patterned paper doesn't get such pretty storage - it's stacked in paper racks and housed in the coat closet adjacent to my office. This is another area in desperate need of a purging. Luckily, it's also behind closed doors so it makes it easy to ignore. ;) We also put shelves in this closet to house all my albums (and getting all my layouts into these albums is currently a work in progress!)

And that's where I create! I should add a disclaimer that I did clean up before snapping these photos. Most days, there are scrap supplies covering the desk (and sometimes the floor too!) Also usually present is a large dog on the floor behind the desk (carefully napping amongst the scrap disaster!) If you were to stop by my house unannounced, this is likely the scene you'd see:

Thanks Lisa!

Guest Designer: Lisa Dickinson

2010-10-08T16:01:00.001-04:00

Happy Friday everyone! And happy DT gallery reveal day. If you haven't checked out our gallery, do drop by.

Meanwhile, can I say how happy I am that we have Lisa as our guest this month? She's not only a good friend, but she's also an amazing scrapbooker (and dedicated runner who's training for a marathon.) We asked Lisa a few questions, because we are nosy. But I think you are going to like her sense of humor as much as we do.

Mosh Posh: What is one scrapping item you MUST HAVE?
Lisa: My clear ruler + xacto knife. I can't do a thing without either of them.

MP: What's your fave TV show?
L: Currently, Glee. Though I am still mourning the loss of LOST.

MP: Who are your scrapping idols?
L: I am inspired by so many people but I truly admire the women that have been able to turn their scrapbopoking talent into a successful career - Ali Edwards, Jenni Bowlin, April Foster, and Cathy Zielske, to name a few.

MP: When do you usually scrap?
L: Morning or evenings, weekdays or weekends? Since my kiddos have gone back to school, my most productive scrap time is weekdays when I'm not interrupted to fetch snacks, wipe bottoms, or referee arguments.

MP: Is there anything "signature" about your style?
L: I think most of my pages are pretty simple with a few ecclectic touches thrown in. I use white -bordered photos and stitching a lot.

MP: What's your thought process when scrapping? (how do you get started, the steps you usually take to create a page)
L: My process usually begins with either certain papers or certain photos. These two elements have to work together before I can move onto the design, journaling, and embellishing. Once my photos and papers are nailed down, I just start playing around. I lay things down in different arrangements until I find something that works. Occasionally, I'll use my computer to sketch out a page or get an idea of where elements should be placed and how big they should be. But most of the time it's just me, pushing everything around until I like it. ;)

MP: How did you get started running?
L: I wanted to lose weight before our wedding so I started running with a marathoning friend who had just had a baby. She was just getting back into running so we started building miles together (it was a slow, painful process!) I lost the weight (and later found it again) but the running thing stuck. Now, it's less about losing any weight and more about gaining some time alone with my thoughts (or lack of!) It helps me refocus and thus, keeps me sane. And that sanity thing is what gets me lacing up the shoes and heading out the door each day.

MP: What's your favorite beer?

L: Right now it's New Belgium Brewing's 1554. It's a dark Belgian ale with a slightly chocolatey after taste. It's perfect for fall. (And chocoholics.)

Come back Monday for a peek inside Lisa's workspace. It's pretty fab (and we learn that her husband is handy!)

Linda

Sneak Peeks. More.

2010-10-06T09:57:00.000-04:00

Hey there! I've got three little peeks for you. I'm putting the final touches on one more layout. The full reveal will be later this week. Stay tuned!

On Friday, we'll chat with our guest designer Lisa Dickinson. Lisa is one funny and talented girl. You'll like her as much as we do!

-Linda

ps: I'm doing a giveaway on my blog right now. Come on by!

Some More October Sneaks...

2010-10-04T18:07:00.001-04:00

I've been having a blast creating with this month's kit and can't wait to share the full layouts with you on gallery reveal day (just a little later this week!). Until then, keep on enjoying the sneaks!

Jen

October Sneaks...

2010-09-30T06:00:00.001-04:00

I got my kit, and oh MY it is fabulous! I wanted to share some sneaks with ya.

I'm telling you, this kit is full of some fun stuff, and the add-ons are just perfect! Get ready, because you are defintely going to need this kit!

Don't forget to check out Kristen's interview on Cartwheels in My Mind. You could win a free kit!

Featured!

2010-09-29T09:07:00.001-04:00

Hey there! Happy Wednesday!

Mosh Posh's owner, Kristen Young was featured in the very cool daily craft inspiration site Cartwheels In My Mind. Swing by Cartwheels, meet Kristen, and leave a comment for a chance to win a Mosh Posh kit.

screen capture from Cartwheels In My Mind

Caramel Apple Cake

2010-09-28T07:08:00.000-04:00

Tis the season for baking and baking with apples nonetheless! I tried out this recipe yesterday and just had to share it with you all as it's the perfect warm treat to serve up on a cool fall day. Let me know if you try it and what you think of it. We love it here! (Recipe is from my Taste of Home Baking Book). Enjoy!

Ingredients

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups chopped peeled apples
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (Topping: 1/2 cup butter, 1/4 cup milk, 1 cup packed brown sugar and a pinch of salt)

Directions

In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy; gradually add sugar. Blend in oil and vanilla. Combine flour, salt and baking soda; add to egg mixture. Stir in apples and pecans. Pour into a greased 10-in. tube pan; bake at 350° for 1-1/4 hours or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.
In a small saucepan, combine topping ingredients. Bring to a boil; boil 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly pour over warm cake (some topping will run down onto the serving plate.)

Fall Inspiration:Lovely Leaves

2010-09-27T13:01:00.003-04:00

I'm so ready for some crisper weather here...(we're still stuck in the 80's!) I keep looking for fallen leaves on the ground or some sign that we're going to see fall soon. Sadly, I'm stuck to looking at photos and thinking up ways to create my own 'fallen' leaves. Some of my favorites for you--

1. When Autumn Leaves Start to Fall, 2. Fall(en) Leaf, 3. Fall Leaf

I think I'm also going to try making some crayon wax leaves today...have you ever done this? I'd be happy to know any tips or tricks you might have! I'm going to use this tutorial: V & Co.

Do you have any fall leaves on the ground yet? Love them or hate them? Do anything special with them? I'd love to hear!

Oh, October...

2010-09-16T16:17:00.000-04:00

can't get here fast enough! I can tell you that there are some amazing changes heading your way, and the October kit is FABULOUS!!! I'll give you some hints...

Good luck, and you'll be thrilled with this kit, I promise!

Don't forget, there are a few September kits and add-ons still available, which you can get here.

September Sketch

2010-09-13T23:56:00.003-04:00

I am sneaking in late...probably not making it for a Monday post...yikes! I spent the majority of the day without internet, except for the wee bits that I can see on my phone, and it's sad that it can just derail my entire day's plan! Am I alone in that?
Anyhow, popping in to give you the sketch we played with in the September gallery--I hope you can use it as a jumping off point for your own creations! I can see turning it on it's side or even completely upside down. I'd love to see what you make--link me up here or post it to the flickr gallery!

Favorites From the September Gallery

2010-09-13T14:49:00.000-04:00

It's another beautiful gallery full of creative goodness! I spent some time over the weekend and selected my favorites, what are yours?

Such a fun kit to play around with this month and I love how everyone was able to come up with pages and projects that were so different from one another!

Happy Scrapping!

Jen

September Gallery is Up!

2010-09-11T18:32:00.002-04:00

Here.

Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Another Little Sneak Before the Gallery Reveal...

2010-09-10T13:59:00.000-04:00

Having some serious fun with this month's kit! Be sure to order yours today...I think there are still some left!

Jen

Color inspiration

2010-09-08T12:51:00.000-04:00

This September is my favoritest kit so far. The colors are just so happy. For a little extra inspiration, I went to Flickr, and searched the main colors in the kit: teal, red, and yellow. And here are a few photos that I'm really into.

1. Untitled, 2. Colorgram, 3. Boards, 4. Chairs on Deck, 5. Babushkas with Heather Bailies new fabrics!, 6. home is where you are - yarn wreath in teal, red, yellow, and white, 7. yellow, 8. Sliding Down The Yellow Brick Road, 9. Red, Yellow, Blue, Green

I think you are going to like this kit a lot too. Can't wait to see what you create with it. Please share with us!

Linda

Some Sneaks of What's to Come...

2010-09-07T22:13:00.003-04:00

Over the nice long holiday weekend I had some time to create a bit with my September kit and I loved every minute of it! This month's kit is right up my alley with the new papers from Cosmo Cricket included (love the colors and patterns so much!), loved the embellishments this month too...can't wait to share all of my projects with you and to see what YOU create with this month's kit as well!

Jen

Back 2 School Photos

2010-09-01T13:17:00.000-04:00

This morning, Jenn's last post (and your comments) about what to do with birthday photos was front and center in my mind. That's because I was taking photos of my two oldest holding signs for first day of school. I've been doing this since my oldest went to preschool at age 3. Today, he was taking off to 6th grade. Not sure how much longer I'm going to be able to do this. Especially now that he's heading into the teen years, and gets embarrassed easily. But I did warn him that I'd be trying to do this until 12th grade.

As the bus drove off, and I came in with the camera, I started thinking about all these photos I've taken of the kids posing with a piece of paper (it says the school year each kid is in, the school name, the teacher's name, and the date), and what am I going to do with those.

So far, I've done one layout with some of the photos I've taken over the years.

I'm thinking I'll do three more to cover the years between this layout and high school graduation. Piggy-backing on Jenn's ideas, I was thinking that a mini-book with a page for each year, and info such as teacher's name, best friend, favorite subject would be a fun keepsake too.

Any other suggestions? Do you take photos of your kids' first day of school? Do you scrapbook them? Please share!

Linda

Birthday Layouts: What's Your Process?

2010-08-30T16:29:00.005-04:00

Every year about this time, everything hits our house at once! Birthdays, end of summer, back to school, sports, fall....you get what I'm saying!

Today just happens to be my daughter's birthday and I know when things settle down I'm going to want to make her a special page...and have a gazillion approaches running through my mind:

A List of her top ten at ten
A retrospective of photos from past birthdays to current
Blowing out candles & opening presents
A time line of things we did on her special day

How do you approach birthday layouts? Do you plan ahead and take photos with that plan in mind? Do you just scrap from whatever you captured? Are you caught up to current birthdays?

Good-bye Splendid Sunshine

2010-08-29T22:13:00.002-04:00

Is anyone else feeling a wee bit sad about the summer days that are quickly coming to an end? Tomorrow marks the start of the school year for me where I live and I decided to commemorate it with a layout featuring photos from this summer...and scraps that I had laying about my art desk. How about creating a layout yourself featuring the change of seasons? I'm sure you've got some special photos from summer about and certainly have some scraps to use up! :)

Jen

Back to School

2010-08-26T09:22:00.002-04:00

I am a big fan of showing teachers how much they are appreciated, maybe because I am a teacher, LOL?! Here a re a few ideas that you could do to let your child's teacher know how much you appreciate them.

I love this idea of a box o' goodies. How easy and cute is this?

I got this idea here, although I saw it first on Nora's blog.

I love the idea of a bag...teacher's always need an extra bag or two. I found this summer bag here, but you could easily change it up for a 'back to school' theme:

I have been away from my crafty supplies, but am returning soon and can't wait to get started on some back to school items for my kiddos teachers. Hope you have a great Thursday!!!

Edited to add: There was a request for some ideas for teachers who are men. How about something like this?

*Cool coffee travel mug and a starbucks GC

*Personalized notepad

*candy jars you could personlize with a monogram

*or this:

Hope these ideas help!

Monday: How About a Sketch?

2010-08-23T21:33:00.006-04:00

I just thought today felt like a good day for a sketch--Mondays always find me in need of a little extra inspiration, how about you? I made this one with August's kit in mind...enjoy!

12x12

8.5x11

Inspiration: Just Look Up!

2010-08-16T16:40:00.004-04:00

So excited to be posting my first post here...and thought maybe I'd share something that has just really been inspiring me lately: clouds! Here in eastern Washington we have lovely blue skies and big puffy clouds a lot, in fact it's always something that makes my summer seem so...perfect? childlike? happy? All of those things, really. I'd love to see some layouts inspired by these images or clouds in general--should we make it a challenge? If you decide to take me up on the challenge link up in the comment section so I can see & appreciate your cloud inspired art!

1. Lost in the clouds, 2. i have always wanted to taste a cloud, 3. When child walks ahead of clouds, 4. Eastern Washington, 5. What are you looking at, Spot?, 6. Heart From Cloud, 7. clouds and hearts - wip., 8. spring cloud mobile, 9. Over the rainy clouds print.

Sharing a Bit Later Than Usual...

2010-08-15T21:56:00.002-04:00

Life this month has been a bit busier than usual and I wasn't able to get all my layouts uploaded into the Mosh Posh gallery on time so I thought I'd take the time to share my layouts using this month's kit with you here now. I had some fun pulling out some older photos of my daughter with this month's kit...here is one using photos from a couple of years ago.

Here's another older photo of her painting her hand intently... :)

And these are both more recent photos...this one from this past Fourth of July...

and this one from one day that we were playing chin faces!

A bit late but here nonetheless!

Wishing you a creative day!

Jen

Embroidered Camera Tutorial

2010-08-13T09:35:00.000-04:00

Hey there! TGIF! This was a long week for me. So I'm glad it's the weekend.

Here is the promised tutorial for the embroidered camera I used on my layout. If you sew already, then this will be a piece of cake!

Here we go.

What you'll need: a Maya Road Kraft Journaling envelope that is in the Whip Cream & Nuts add-on, a pencil, a needle, and embroidery flosses (in two contrasting colors). I did a quick sketch of a camera with the pencil. Whatever you draw, do it lightly and make sure the pencil is sharp to create a thin line (easier to hide with the floss).

Next, I carefully opened up the envelope so the front flap was loose.

I put the envelope on top of my mouse pad, and poked holes through the envelope a few millimeters apart. This will set your stitch size.

Thread your needle with the floss. (I used four strands, most embroidery flosses come in a six-strand thread.) And start backstitching. Here is a pretty good tutorial on backstitching. Instead of knotting the ends, just leave some floss dangling. We'll tape those up later.

Once I was done, I covered the back with clear tape to avoid getting any of the floss snagged, or stitches becoming lose. I glued the envelope back together, and yeah, I was done!

If you'd like to stitch your own camera, come by my blog for a free download. Please share any of your creations with us in our Flickr group! Hope you have a great weekend!

-Linda

I Challenge You...

2010-08-11T09:59:00.003-04:00

to pick ONE photo from this summer and scrap it! You're bound to have a favorite from some event or special day from this summer...why not scrap a page around it?

Here is the photo that I'm going to scrap using this month's kit...it was taken while we were enjoying some family time in Door County. Zoey was sitting on the shore of a beach along Lake Michigan. I'm so happy that I got this shot.

I'll be sure to share my finished layout when I'm done! Can't wait to see what photos you choose!

Jen

Shopping Cart Technical Difficulties

2010-08-06T11:31:00.001-04:00

We are currently experiencing technical difficulties with our shopping cart. We are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. We apologize for the inconvenience.

If you wish to order any of the add-ons for this month simply email me kristenATmosh-posh.com I would be happy to order these for you.

Also, this has delayed shipping kits. We are expecting to be able to ship these in the next day or two. We thank you for your patience! I am also grateful this is the first time we've experienced something like this in 5 years!

Thanks again!

August gallery is up!

2010-08-04T22:34:00.000-04:00

Hey there! Our August gallery is up, and it looks awesome (if I may say so myself.) Partly because we've added a new designer to the team: Jenn Olson. Jenn's work is fresh, fun, and full of little surprises. I think you are really going to like her stuff.

Here are some of my faves from this month's gallery:

Jen Davis' page is clean and simple, but so pretty and fun. Especially those chin face photos!

I love kraft, and Amy Coose is the queen of kraft! She added pattern to the cardstock by spritzing mist over a hole-y mask. So very clever!

This layout by Jenn Olson is whimsical and so sweet. Plus she cleverly painted the chipboard alphas. And her handwriting? It's so good, it's a font!

And yes, I've picked a favorite from my layouts (is that lame?) I must say that I'm pretty darn proud of this layout. The idea came to me late one night, when I decided to embroidered something to match the stitched edges already printed on the Sassafras patterned paper. I did take photos of the process, so I'll have a step-by-step tutorial next week.

Enjoy the gallery, and please share your creations with us in our Flickr group.

Oooh..La..La!

2010-08-03T07:00:00.000-04:00

Prior to getting this month's kit to play with I did some investigating around the web on some of the Indie Girl Collection by Sassafras Lass (which is featured in this month's kit) and was very pleased with what I found.

Check out this beautiful layout by one of the Sassafras Lass designers.

I can't even tell you how much fun I'm having playing with these either...

This month's kit is a bit vintage, classy and very soft and subtle at the same time. You're going to love it!

Jen

Tell a Friend....

2010-08-02T20:37:00.001-04:00

Some August peeks for you...

2010-07-29T18:07:00.000-04:00

This kit is amazing! It's so colorful, but subtly so. I have had so much fun creating with it so far, so I wanted to share some sneaks with you:

Believe me, you will LOVE this kit, just like every Mosh Posh kit, LOL!!

Hope everyone is ready for the CHA goodies...they will be hitting our kits in no time, I'm sure. Have a great Thursday!

August Sneak Peek

2010-07-28T16:09:00.002-04:00

Hi everyone, Kristen is at CHA right now, so I thought I'd jump in and share a peek of our August kit. It's pretty fab! Enjoy!

-Linda

Scrappy Inspiration

2010-07-20T09:52:00.003-04:00

Have you checked out the Mosh Posh Flickr Gallery lately? If not, be sure to check it out as there is some lovely inspiration that's being submitted by several of the Mosh Posh subscribers. This beautiful set pictured above is a project from user Patchi. I love checking out what others create using the Mosh Posh kits! Why not join in yourself and share the inspiration! We would love to see what you are creating.

Jen

Stamping

2010-07-15T12:57:00.000-04:00

I love stamping. I think it adds something special to a project. I have tons of stamps, but do I use them often? No. It scares me to think that I might mess up my project by stamping incorrectly, which has happened before. I know, you're not surprised at this fact. I am hoping that these new lovlies will get me over my stamping fear. First up? A little something from Cosmo and Unity:

Aren't they the cutest? Check out Cosmo Cricket's blog for more info.

I have to say, I am in LOOOOOOOOVE with this next set:

I have been a huge fan of Papertry Ink for quite some time. I think they rock their stamps like nobody's business. You can check out Nicole's blog for some amazing inspiration.

I could not be more excited about this:

Seriously, Jenni Bowlin ink and mist? Nothing makes me happier. The full release can be found on the Ranger site. I can't wait to see these in person.

Any stamping tips you could share? I could obviously use them, LOL!

July Sketch

2010-07-14T10:00:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone! Hope you are having a great summer so far. It's hot as heck around here, so I've been staying inside as much as possible. But that's all good, since I'm organizing my scrap area. After I'm done scrapping each kit, my work area is ridiculously messy. I can't find my phone. How's that for messy? I'll share photos of my scrap area after it's been cleaned.

Meanwhile, a quick look at July's sketch. I created this one based on a layout I did a while back. And as usual, our takes on it are totally different! Love that. Only goes to show that a sketch is only a starting point, and you can make any sketch your own. If you create a project using this month's layout, please post in our Flickr group, or link us here.

The sketch:

My take:

Amy's take:

Jen's take:

As you probably noticed, we are missing one designer. We said our sad goodbyes to Laina last month. We'll miss her and her beautiful work. But we'll definitely be stalking her blog!

Linda

The best time of the year.......

2010-07-09T09:21:00.000-04:00

CHA is just around the corner which means SNEAKS and gorgeous new products! I wanted to share a few of my faves with you...first up? My personal fave:

Lily Bee

These are my favorite fall colors this year, and Lily Bee NAILED it!

I also like the palatte that Kaisercraft used for their fall line:

And of course, there's Prima. Always good things.

I am very intrigued by the new October Afternoon line, too.

Any favorites you have? Link us up!

Don't forget to check out the July kit, and get yours while you can. Have a great Friday!!!

The Gallery for July is Up!

2010-07-07T19:57:00.003-04:00

Here is one from me featuring several photos of my daughter playing at the park...love how the colors from my photos really ended up standing out with the little pops of yellow and red that I incorporated.

Check out this lovely layout from Amy...that photo is just adorable! Love, love, love how she stitched on this layout, added some inks and used some punches. What a fun layout to create!

And I love the simplicity of Linda's layout here and how she clustered those four photos together in the center of her page. Perfection!

Check out the entire gallery here when you have the time...it was another fun kit to create with, that's for certain!

Jen

Sneak of July Projects!

2010-07-01T21:56:00.004-04:00

From me anyways! I've got family coming this way to visit over the Fourth of July weekend so wanted to be sure to give myself ample crafty time with this bright and vibrant kit for July...just so happened that I was able to get my layouts done in time and wanted to be sure to pass along a little sneaky peeky for you all to enjoy! Really great colors in this kit which makes it extremely versatile for scrapping...can't wait for the full reveal, your gonna love it!

Jen

July Sneak Peek

2010-06-29T11:51:00.002-04:00

Kristen just posted a peek on Facebook.

And since I have the kit in my hands, and I'm currently working with it, I can confirm that it is indeed awesome and cute! Mark your calendars for the full reveal next Wednesday!

-Linda

It's Sum..Sum..Sum..Sum..SUMMERTIME!

2010-06-25T07:00:00.001-04:00

And boy can I tell! My schedule is all out of whack and that means a bit of computer time is thrown out the door as well! We just got done celebrating my daughter's 6th birthday and went out of town to enjoy some time away as a family...enjoying the outdoors and the beautiful weather as much as possible. Now I'm home again with a ton of fun photos that make me smile just thinking about them and now to the fun part...getting to scrap them!

Here are some fun summertime themed layouts that I've seen as of late around the web and in one of my favorite publications, Creating Keepsakes. Hopefully they will inspire you to create some fun summer themed layouts (that is of course when you are not out enjoying those summer memories in the making!).

Above layout by Cindy Tobey.

Above layout by Mou Saha.

Layout above by Jennifer Barksdale.

Birthdays!!

2010-06-24T10:15:00.000-04:00

So June is all about birthdays at our house. My sweet girl's birthday is the day after mine, so we do a lot of celebrating this month. I went to my fave souce of inspiration, Etsy, to see what cool birthday things I could find. A lot of this stuff you can make yourself, or if you're like me and just too lazy, check out what you can buy:

You can find whole party sets like this:

Talk about EASY and FABULOUS! This frog prince set can be found here.

Pompoms are all the rage right now, and these pompoms, which I love the colors of, came from here.

How wonderful is this? I wish I had done this for Georgia this year. I love this personalized cupcake you can get from here.

I want to do this next year for Georgia's birthday. Over at Lindsey Cheney's blog, The Pleated Poppy she tells you how to have a tiny party, and more info here. I just LOVE this idea. Hop on over to see all the details.

Hope your Thursday is fabulous!!

Summer is almost here...

2010-06-17T09:06:00.000-04:00

and with summer comes bored kiddos at my house. My kids love the last day of school and can't wait to have extra time doing NOTHIN', but after one day of that, they are bored, and I hear about it. There are some great summer ideas to be found out there, and I am going to do my best to keep the whining at bay during our lazy summer days.

I did some blog surfing, and found some great summer ideas. First up, love this list from the talented Meg Duerksen. Check out her blog for lots of fun summer craft ideas.

I found this cool art website through Meg's blog called Deep Space Sparkle, and it has daily art lessons. I am going to do one a week with my kiddos this summer.

The oh so talented Emily Anderson is doing a theme a week with her fabu family. Check out her blog for ideas as well.

I am also planning to do summer jounals with the kiddos. Be on the lookout for my journals using the July kit from Mosh Posh. There are tons of journaling tips and ideas out there on the web.

Do you have any summer tips for keeping kids happy? Please share...pretty please. :)

Essential Scrapping Tool

2010-06-16T10:07:00.007-04:00

I have lots of tools I must have to create a page: x-acto knife, straight edge, various adhesives, punches (I love punches). But the one I consider my most essential is my computer.

Yes, that is it. (The desk is only that clean about once a year.)

I use it in almost every stage of creating layouts. In the very beginning, I use it to edit photos. Then I use those photos in a quick mock layout in Photoshop. I pop photos, colored shapes standing in for patterned paper, journaling, title into a PS document to figure out the overall design.

After that's done, I print the journaling out on cardstock, and the photos in the appropriate sizes. While referencing the screen layout, I build the rest of the page, using real patterned paper and embellishments. Half of the time, the finished product looks just like the mock layout. And there are those times when I change everything. But either way, it's nice to have worked out some design issues before I stick things down permanently.

Sometimes, I print journaling and photos together (I use photo paper when I do that). I finish the layout by adding little details using paper/embellishments. Super time saver!

In this layout, I added the title, the teeny strip of paper at the bottom, and the heart epoxy detail on top.

In this one, I added strips of blue and orange paper, the fork, the heart, and then rubbed on the title (on photo, to the left).

And for this layout, I printed the photos together on one sheet, leaving space for patterned paper. Saved me from having to print individual photos, cut them out, and glue them back together on a grid (which would require this annal retentive scrapbooker to break out a T-square to make sure the photos are straight).

What is your favorite scrapbooking tool? How do you use it? Please share with us. Also, join us on Flickr and share your layouts.

Linda

Lace

2010-06-11T12:34:00.008-04:00

In one of the add-ons this month, there is a lovely sheet of Basic Grey Doily Paper. I must confess I was a little nervous about that. I'm not a lacy person in general. I don't do lace on clothing or on paper! But that sheet was beautiful and speaking to me. So I plunged in, and played around with it, and ended up with this layout:

I punched little circles of patterned paper and layered them behind the doily paper. Then I added the journaling strips on pop-up dots, and tucked the wishes inside some of the lacey openings. The whole page is backed by kraft paper. It's not a page one would usually expect from me. But I love it anyway. It pushed me outside my comfort zone, which is why I love working with a kit.

More ideas? Here is how Jen used her doily paper:

Note that it looks like a letter size sheet! She only needed that much to highlight the lovely block of photo/ribbon/paper/flowers. So Jen cut the paper up, and joined them carefully. You can't really tell where it's split. So clever!

And she used the cut off chunk as a nice textural layer in this layout:

Laina also had lace details in her layouts:

First with a punched lacey edge, and then with layers of cream colored paper punched, stacked, and stitched on to create a very delicate detail to be discovered. So pretty!

Amy also used that same edge punch (which now I must have!):

Just a teeny bit of laceyness. Which is the perfect amount for this adorable layout about those ever-present Silly Bandz! (Also note she also used garlands! She posted about that yesterday. And I'm going to use them soon.)

So there you have it. A few different ways to use lacey details in layouts. And note, they are not just for girl-themed pages! You can use a lot of it, or very little. But either way, it adds a nice punch.

Share your layouts with us at our Flickr group! Hope you have a great weekend!

Linda

Garlands, garlands EVERYWHERE!!

2010-06-10T10:31:00.000-04:00

Yep, they are all the rage right now. I check in our DT's scrapping galleries and found some great garland pages like this one from Jen:

Here is a page I love from our past DT coordinator Brook:

Here's a garland page of Laina's that I just love:

Here is one of my fave banner pages:

This garland is from Belladrummer's Etsy Shop. I am a huge fan of Debee's paper art, and you can visit her blog for more inspiration.

This garland was found in Milissa's Etsy Shop.

And last but not least, you MUST check out Mara May's Etsy Shop for some pretty darn amazing banners! It was hard to pick my fave because I really loved them all, but you can snag gorgeous banners like this:

Sigh, what's not to love? Have a great Thursday!!

June Monthly Sketch!

2010-06-07T17:29:00.002-04:00

We found one this month from Pagemaps that we liked...check out our interpretations of the sketch.

Amy's layout:

Linda's layout:

Laina's layout:

and mine:

If you decide to play along this month be sure to share it with us in the Flickr gallery or on our Facebook Fan page!

Jen

June Gallery Is Up!

2010-06-05T13:17:00.003-04:00

Happy Weekend! Our June Gallery is up. To view it, you can click here, or on the design team gallery button by the blog header! Have you noticed the new blog design? We are sprucing things up to make it easier to navigate the blog. Enjoy!

Linda

Some More Sneaks!

2010-06-03T18:21:00.001-04:00

Here are a few more project sneaks from me...the full gallery reveal will be tomorrow evening!

Jen

Fun photo schtuff

2010-06-02T13:38:00.010-04:00

I got an iPhone a little over a year ago, and I'm still totally happy with it. I try my best not to be annoying and check my email/twitter/facebook/text non-stop. I definitely don't do those things while driving. Really.

My favorite apps for it are photo-related: ShakeItPhoto and Hipstamatic. ShakeItPhoto creates a Polaroid-like photo. And Hipstamatic has many many options for cool borders and older-film-like shots.

Here are some shots I took with ShakeItPhoto (you'll see some in my layouts this month):

And these were taken with Hipstamatic:

Another super fun thing to have is an instant photo camera. As we all know, Polaroid stopped making, well, polaroids. (Some investors bought an old Polaroid factory and started making polaroid-esque film again!) But Fuji continues to make instant photo stuff. Last year, my parents kindly gifted me a Fuji Instax Mini 7.

What I love about an instant photo is that it captures a single moment never to be reproduced in that format. I do scan them. And share them with friends and family. But it is very unlike a digital photo. To me, there is less control of what will appear once the photo develops. And that mix of nervousness, awe and expectation is a very cool feeling.

Oh, yes, I've got my eye on a number of other alternative cameras and printers. But uh, I need to get a higher paying job first.

Do you have any cool camera/printer toys you love?

Vintage Couture

2010-06-02T09:24:00.002-04:00

Here is the full kit for June! Remember too that all these papers are double-sided so you have numerous options for designs and color combination's...this has been one of my all time favorite's from Mosh Posh, I love how it's classic, simple and pretty. :) The gallery reveal will be this Friday so be sure to check back to see what the design team did with this beauty of a kit!

Jen

A Little Something for the Long Weekend...

2010-05-30T21:51:00.005-04:00

* Please note that the chipboard alphas are NOT included in kit.

I've had a bit of time to play a bit with my beautiful June kit and just had to share a peek with you of one of my projects! I am in love, love, love, LOVE with this coming month's kit! It's bright and cheery, a bit romantic and a little bit vintage and makes you think of the days of childhood all in one! Can't wait to share more with you!

Wishing everyone a beautiful Memorial Day weekend!

Jen

What kind of scrapper are you???

2010-05-27T08:29:00.000-04:00

I am a pretty clean and simple type scrapper. I have tried to venture out to other styles, and sometimes I have success, and sometimes not so much. I've been perusing the web, and found some of my favorite examples of different styles that I'd love to master...

Grungy: Michelle Clement

You have to go to her blog, and see her gorgeous, gorgeous stuff. It amazes me how she can just put stuff on the page, but yet it looks like it is right where it's supposed to be.

Glam: Leslie Ashe

She can bling up a project like nobody's business. Love how gorgeous and sparkly her LO's are.

Vintage: Lexi Bridges

I entered the word 'vintage' into the search engine at 2peas, and this gal come up...oh my WORD she can do vintage. This is the style I struggle the most with. I am totally bookmarking her for future inspiration.

What's your style? Whatever it is, you can be sure that Mosh Posh kits can work with any style at all.

Road Test

2010-05-26T13:49:00.010-04:00

I must confess that I have a thing for tools. I actually tend to choose hobbies and sports that require gear. Knitting, photography, cooking. I have tons of camping stuff (never mind I don't camp). Heck, I have even acquired quite a bit of gear for running. And of course, there is scrapbooking. Another thing I like to do is to push the limits of my tools. See how far I can take them. See what interesting things I can do with them.

So I broke out my Cuttlebug today and was determined to see what I could run through it. We all know we can run fabric, foam, felt, paper, etc. But what if I use something else other than cutting dies? Let's find out.

Here is what I used:
Cuttlebug
Cutting pad A
Cutting pad B (2)
Rubber pad (from Spellbinders)
A piece of craft foam (to add some more thickness)
some thick cardstock (I used watercolor paper)

Test #1 involved a paper clip.

The recipe:
cutting pad A + cutting pad B + paper clip + watercolor paper + rubber pad + craft foam + cutting pad B.

Here's a look at the die cut sandwich.

Rolled it through, while holding my breath. And this is what I got. Pretty dang cool.

I ran a few more things through. A giant paper clip, it broke my cutting pad B into chunks. A giant needle, ripped the paper. A button, it cracked. A piece of Lego, it was completed flattened (don't tell my children). And then I thought to run some chipboards, and hey, they work great.

The end result:

Not too bad for a day of road testing. I think I might try it with a zipper next. (And if you are wondering where I found that tiny clothes hanger, you'll need to look into June's add-ons... Just sayin'...)

ps: We've added a link to our Flickr group to the left. Come share your layouts and a little about yourself over there!

Using Repetitive Shapes for Your Design

2010-05-24T10:23:00.002-04:00

Want a unique yet easy design for your next layout? Why not try using your punches and dies for creating a fun repetitive look by choosing a shape (here I chose two different sizes of hearts using my Cuttlebug dies and machine) and simply just cut different patterned papers using the same shape and then added them to my page in strips, stitching over all of them. Pretty simple technique but it adds a lot of punch!

Make It Work!

2010-05-21T10:49:00.001-04:00

I'm no Tim Gunn, but hey, I can sometimes make it work. "It" being scrapbooking. Case in point: the white buttons from this month's kit. They are so pretty with all those details. Love them. I used them tied with some blue string, and with the chipboard flowers on a layout. With the leftovers, I decided to make a card using the buttons as cherries. But the buttons are white, and cherries are (usually) red... So I painted them! With a fabric pen. I sprinkled them with some clear embossing powder to set the paint, carefully heated them up, and voilá, red buttons.

Another thing I did this month was to upcycle what would have been trash. I love the Lily Bee Blueberry Pie grid patterned paper, but I did use my entire sheet on one layout. So I looked around and saw the cardboard sheet that holds the rub-ons. A lightbulb went on, and I used it on my "Fun Is" layout as well as the cherry card. No waste!

So there you have it. I made it work. I bet you have some awesome ideas on how to make supplies work for you. Please share with us here, and in our Flickr group.

Hope you have a great weekend with lots of time to scrap!

Flikr group...COME JOIN US!

2010-05-20T07:53:00.000-04:00

Did you know we have set up a Flikr group for y'all to share your gorgeous Mosh Posh creations? No? Well, hurry up and come check it out here. We'd love to see what you create with your amazing MP kit each month.

Speaking of amazing, did you see the sneak?? Oh my WORD, this promises to be another amazing kit! Thanks, Kristen!

Have an awesome Thursday!!!

Paper Flowers

2010-05-17T08:03:00.000-04:00

I saw this paper flower bouquet on the American Crafts blog today. Beautiful. Wouldn't these flowers be beautiful for a graduation centerpiece or a baby shower? You can download the tutorial here.

Fonts!

2010-05-11T23:02:00.018-04:00

Hey there! Linda here. I'm the new old DT member. Old because, 1) well, I am old, and 2) I'm a returning DTer.

Enough about me. Let's talk fonts, shall we? We, scrapbookers, love fonts. I will bet that most of us have hundreds of them saved in our computers. They are so much more accessible now. Way back when I first started working as a graphic designer (see #1 above), fonts were very expensive and hard to acquire. Now, there are hundreds of sites offering thousands of them little suckers at affordable pricing, or even free!

Alas, it's easy to overdo it. Yes, you can OD in typefaces. More is not better (unlike, more cake and crème brûlée, which is always better). Too much of a good thing, and the layout is suffering from type sneeze. And while some fonts might seem like the right choice for a project (beachy font for beach themed page!), do remember that journaling is there to be read. So make sure it's legible.

When dealing with fonts, less is more! Stick to two per layout. One for the title, and one for the journaling. Yes, just two. You can do it!

Here are some of my favorites (the ones I totally overuse, and I'm not sorry):And hey, Quicksand is free!

Do you have favorite fonts you like to use again and again?

May Sketch w/ Design Team Projects

2010-05-11T18:24:00.002-04:00

Here is the fun sketch that we had this month from Amy...thanks Amy!

And here are the interpretations of the sketch from the design team. Everyone amazed me with their creations as usual!

For a fun twist I created a card using the sketch this month:

Laina's layout is such a classic...love her style so much and how she used those scalloped circles to create a border along her photos.

Love how Amy split up and took advantage of that circle Lily Bee die-cut for her layout based on the sketch. Perfection!

Linda had the same idea using one of the other die-cuts...I love how clean looking this page is with all the little bitty details thrown in like those buttons with the blue embroidery floss bows. Love it!

May Gallery

2010-05-10T08:01:00.000-04:00

The May Gallery is up and WOW is it a good one! I am so impressed with the entire team and the diversity of pages this month.

Linda Barber our newest (but Mosh Posh alumni!) member created simple, stylish pages. How great is this page and photos? I agonize for hours over my pages. She makes it look so cool and easy.

Amy's pages this month each had a different background that made her photos and paper really pop. I love how she stitched through the title on "Love Notes".

Jen created an adorable mini that makes me ache for summer to be here. Her album is so sunny and cheerful!

I got hung up on white this month and had a blast playing with the bright papers against the stark white background.

We hope you are inspired by the pages we made and shared with you this month!

A Little Sneak of Projects to Come...

2010-05-06T09:49:00.003-04:00

from me anyways! Be sure to check out the gallery later this week for the entire team upload! You're sure to be blown away as usual with the teams creations. We are also very excited to be adding on to the Mosh Posh Design Team with the addition of designer Linda Barber. Her work is so beautiful, funky and fresh...you're going to be so inspired! Welcome to the team Linda!

Happy Thursday to you all!

Jen

Check it Out!

2010-05-04T11:02:00.001-04:00

The May kit is certainly making ALL of my day's happy here lately! Thinking that you will be feeling the same!

Recovering from the Weekend...

2010-05-03T11:18:00.000-04:00

I'm still playing catch up from the weekend. Whew!

Here is what is inspiring me today...
Paper Medallions - Check out the How About Orange blog. One of my all time favorites.

I don't buy a lot of Cricut Cartridges but LOVE the Create a Critter one. Bards and baby gifts for sure.

Paper Doilies - Mist them with glimmer mist. Ahh.....

Speaking of mist...How about trying it on rolled fabric flowers like Katy did?

Shopping for fabric at the Fat Quarter Shop...

Hope all you had a great National Scrapbooking Day on Saturday! I was busy working on my Mosh Posh May Kit pages! I can't wait to share with all of you.

Teacher Gifts

2010-04-29T17:46:00.001-04:00

OK, next week is Teacher Appreciation week, and I have been searching high and low for some cool gifts. Here are a couple that I'd love to get:

I just love this necklace. You can find it here.

Skip to my Lou had some wonderful ideas. I loved this:

One word for these...YUM!!

You can find them here on etsy.

You can always use notecards.

These can be found here. Tinyprints is a great site with lots of cool things, so look around.

We'd love for you to share your teacher appreciation gift ideas.

Some Hints for May...

2010-04-27T09:36:00.002-04:00

colors - red, blue, yellow with a bit of green thrown in for good measure
butterflies
a bit of vintage perhaps?
buzzing like the bees of summertime
sunshine

Can you make any guesses?

Craft Reading

2010-04-26T08:01:00.001-04:00

I love to read and look at books for inspiration. I am at my local library at least once a week with my kiddos. Our library has an online request department so I am constantly ordering new books to read. Here are a few of my favorites for 2010...

re-bound by Jeannine Stein

Papercraft by R. Klanten

Martha's Encyclopedia. It's really good.

Kick it Up by Greta and Angelia. Does a great job of showing how to take a page to the next level. Very good read.

Handwriting Workshop by Crystal Jeffery Rieger. Great practice for anyone.

What are some your latest reads and finds? Any magazines that inspire you?

Banners, Banners, Banners!

2010-04-24T21:56:00.003-04:00

They are all the rage it seems lately when it comes to scrapbooking and cardmaking! I've seen them as stamp-sets, patterned papers, canvas and chipboard embellishments and yes, fun cardstock stickers! Such as those adorable ones by Sassafrass Lass that just so happen to be in this months kit!

Check out all the fun ways that the Mosh Posh design team used different banner stickers from this month's kit below:

Are you inspired to jump in on the banner trend with your crafting? Be sure to share any creations with us that you come up with using banners! We would love to see them!

Jen

Today i am loving...

2010-04-19T08:01:00.001-04:00

Cindy Tobey - she is my favorite scrapbooker right now. I look forward to seeing her layouts and techniques in CK each month.

Free actions for Photoshop at Deviant Art.

Custom printed Binders from Zazzle. How great would these be for a vacation or memory album?

Lego Art from the Muji Store. How much is shipping from Japan? I need to figure out how to make these little kits on my own. See it here too.

Jones Soda. Always a treat for the mouth and eyes.

April Mosh Posh Sketch and Layouts

2010-04-18T11:42:00.004-04:00

Here is the sketch that Laina shared with us this month for one of our design team uploads...

Laina's layout based on the April sketch:

Sometimes starting off with a sketch is just what I need to get my creative juices flowing. If you decide to whip up a layout using this month's Mosh Posh sketch be sure to share a link to it here in the comments as we would love to check it out!

Amy's layout based on the April sketch:

And my layout based on this month's sketch:

Hope you are finding some creative time this weekend!

Jen

Lets talk photography!

2010-04-15T08:14:00.000-04:00

I, like several other scrapbookers, love photography! Since I was not blessed with amazing photography skills, I have found a few short cuts to help me out a bit. It is a passion that I'd love to learn more about, but until then, these links help get me by:

The Pioneer Woman amazes me with her skills. She has so many tips, free actions, and other things at her site, you should definitely check her out!

Photojojo is another fave of mine. They have great ideas, and the site is just so FUN!!!

Maggie Holmes, Karen Russell, and Tina Cockburn are a few of my very favorite photographers. They take the most amazing pictures ever, and I am inspired every time I look at their work. Karen and Maggie both offer photography classes, so check them out on their blogs.

Do you have any photo tips to share? We'd love to hear them!

Bazzill Matchmaker

2010-04-12T08:01:00.002-04:00

I was scrapbooking with a friend this past weekend who told me that she has a hard time finding cardstock to match her patterened paper. I was surprised that she had never heard of the Bazzill Matchmaker site. It's such a great tool when you are stumped to find the right color. I stopped by the site this month to check out color selections to match my Basic Grey Koshi add-on kit.

Basic Grey kioshi Anason

Basic Grey kioshi Ayaka

Basic Grey kioshi Azami

Basic Grey kioshi Camelia

Basic Grey kioshi Ran

Basic Grey kioshi Lilo

Basic Grey kioshi Rebun

Basic Grey kioshi Fuji

Basic Grey kioshi Mokuren

Basic Grey kioshi Ume

Basic Grey kioshi Plum Blossom

Basic Grey kioshi Water Lily

Basic Grey kioshi Kiku

Basic Grey kioshi Sayuri

Basic Grey kioshi Yuriko

Basic Grey kioshi Motochi

Basic Grey kioshi Jasmine and Olive

Basic Grey kioshi Lily Child

1-126
Tutu Pink

6-620
Wisteria

8-808
Vanilla

10-1001
Bazzill White

1-167
Stella

7-706
Starmist

5-5139
Celtic Green

1-155
Romantic Mauve

6-642
Heidi

9-990
Java

5-510
Parakeet

4-406
Chiffon

Do you see #5-510 Parakeet? My favorite Bazzill color of all time.

Don't forget...Kristen offers a cardstock add-on here at Mosh Posh every month (which I always order!). She picks fabulous cardstock colors that I cannot find at my LSS. I hope you find this tool handy too.

April Gallery is Up!

2010-04-10T22:15:00.002-04:00

Check out the gallery for April here. This month we were so happy to have Guest Designer Jing Jing Nickel join us...I've always admired her work and am so in awe of what she came up with using this month's kit. Here is one favorite of mine, be sure to check them all out in the gallery!

I always enjoy what Laina comes up with...and this month was of course no different. Check out all that's going on here on her layout titled "First Lost Tooth." There are so many techniques and lots of product on the page but it totally works and I love it! Thanks Laina for sharing all your beautiful work with us each and every month.

Amy's pages are just a delight this month (and every month!). I love how she scrapped so many of her Disney photos using this month's kit. The bright colors and fun patterns were a perfect fit for them. I love how she adds inks and sprays to her work too...I see a request for a tutorial on how she uses them!

I, of course enjoyed playing with this month's kit as well and have nothing but scraps left to show for it! =) That's always a good sign!

I just had to share this!!!

2010-04-08T08:05:00.000-04:00

So I was spending way too much time in my google reader, and came accross this project over at the Tatertots and Jello (which is one of my favorite crafty blogs). I really want to try this project out. How cute is this? It just screams spring to me.

Take a look here for the details. Have a great Thursday!!

Some More April Sneaks!

2010-04-06T10:09:00.005-04:00

Seriously cannot wait to share the full gallery reveal (which will be this Friday) with you all! This kit (and the delicious add-on) is just too much fun to play with...be sure to sign up soon to get yours as I have a feeling they'll be going fast!

Happy Scrapping!

Jen

Favorite Fonts

2010-04-05T14:24:00.000-04:00

Want to add some fun new fonts to your titles and journaling? Here FIVE of my new, favorite FREE fonts to use in documents and for my digital die cutter.

Download Vintage Here

Download Speedball Here

Download Coventry Garden Here

Download Feena Here

Download A La Nage Here

Hope you find these useful too!

April's kit is AWESOME!!!

2010-04-01T16:40:00.000-04:00

I am pretty sure this is my FAVE kit so far. There are so many different companies represented this month. Kristen totally outdid herself!

Here are a couple sneaks from me so far...I have a few more in the works. Definitely so much good stuff packed into this kit.

Seriously, if you haven't gotten your kit yet, RUN to the store and get it ordered. I promise you, you will not be sorry!

What inspires you today?

2010-03-29T08:01:00.000-04:00

Today I am inspired by...

True Up a blog about fabric!

Print and Pattern because it has eye candy every single day.

Elsie because she is one amazing young lady.

Danielle Thompson because she is my graphic design hero.

Have anything that has inspired you lately? Link us up ladies!

Monthly Sketch for March

2010-03-25T20:06:00.004-04:00

Thought I'd share the monthly sketch that I came up with for the month of March and what the design team came up with using it. I totally loved how everyone came up with something unique and all their own using the sketch. Sometimes sketches provide the perfect jumping off point for inspiration when it comes to creating!

Here's the sketch:

Brook's interpretation:

My take on it:

Amy's fun spin:

And Laina's adorable page:

Be sure to let us know if you create a layout based on this sketch! We'd love to see what you come up with!

Another Card Using the March Kit!

2010-03-23T22:15:00.003-04:00

Just thought I'd share a little something, something that I eeked out using my remaining scraps from my March kit...gotta love those fun clothesline and banner images from the Dear, Lizzy paper! They make me so happy!

I didn't get this one up in the monthly gallery but wanted to share it all the same. This kit was a definite favorite of mine!

Jen

Sketches

2010-03-22T08:01:00.001-04:00

Are you a fan of Sketches? I seriously do not use these handy little blueprints near enough! There are times that I stare and stare at a blank piece of cardstock and waste way too much precious scrapbooking time. I am about to hit my "busy" season. Spring and Summer mean lots of fun activities, tons of photos and very little time to scrapbook. As I approach this season, I plan on using sketches to get me through it.

There are many great sites out there that post new sketches each week. PencilLines by Ana Bowkis is one I love. Here are a few others to visit:
Page Maps
Sketch Thursdays
Scrapburbia
Got Sketch?
ScrapSketch
Sassy Little Sketches

4 x 6 photo sketches

52 Sketches-52 Weeks

63 2-Page Sketches

Jane Eubank's Sketches
Scrap Maps
Sketches by Suzy

But my favorite one of them all...Allison Davis' blog and Sketch Books. She is the master of two-pagers. If you have tons of photos and love two pagers, her blog is the place for you.

To get you started for Spring, here is a sketch and layout for you using 4x6 photos!

Hope this helps you get started today! If I missed any other great sites, please list them in the comments!

One more with the March kit...

2010-03-18T08:35:00.000-04:00

I didn't have enough time to really use up my March kit in time for our reveal, so I wanted to share one more layout that I got completed. There might be a few kits left, so if you haven't already pick one up NOW!!

Kristen has some amazing things planned for April, and I'm sure you'll be as happy as I am to see that April kit. Hope everyone is having a GREAT Thursday!!!

Using Those Adorable Lily Bee Flowers

2010-03-17T23:34:00.005-04:00

I've had the pleasure of getting to play with the fun tulle flowers by Lily Bee on my scrapbook layouts so for the flowers in this months kit I decided to change up how I used them by creating a sweet (and stylish!) headband for my little girl! I simply adhered the tulle flowers to a plain headband covered with white grosgrain ribbon with a hot glue gun and was done! My little girl loves the result and so do I!

I'd love to see how it is that you've used the fun tulle flowers by Lily Bee too! Be sure to link us up to your creations in the comments here or by posting your photos on our Facebook page!

Happy Crafting!

Jen

don't forget about you

2010-03-15T08:01:00.001-04:00

Since I started scrapboking in 2006, I have completed over 10 albums. In those ten albums, I am probably in less than 10 layouts. I take all the photos and scrapbook all the stories. My husband, kids and even the DOG have their images and stories recorded. My challenge this year is to put more of "me" in my books. I want my children and grandchildren to know who I was.

Sometimes it can be harder to scrapbook yourself than it is someone else. This month I took some self portraits with the timer on my camera. For a quick journaling and page idea I answered one of those survey emails friends forward to each other.

Three names I have been called other than my first name:

1. Mom

2. Lambchop

3. Bogie

Three jobs I have had

1. Cashier at Camelot Music

2. Halloween Store Clerk

3. Taco Bell Drive thru Girl

Three places I have lived

1. Newport Beach, California

2. Chicago

3. Cincinnati

Three TV Shows I watch

1. Real Housewives of Atlanta

2. American Idol

3. Glee

Three places I have been

1. Hawaii

2. Europe

3. Puerto Rico

Three people who e-mail me regularly

1. Becci

2. Bogie

3. Laurie

Favorite foods

1. Sushi

2. Quedoba Queso Burrito

3. Pad Thai

Three least favorite foods

1. Pork Roast

2. Beef Roast

3. Sausage

Three things I am looking forward to

1. No Snow

2. Scrapping with my friends this weekend

3. Hawaii I think.

Three least favorite things to do

1. Make dinner

2. Clean the House

3. Go outside when its frickin cold

Next time someone sends you one of those list emails, go ahead and answer it. It's a great way to share a little of yourself.

The March Gallery is UP!

2010-03-08T21:59:00.004-05:00

Take a look: March 2010 Design Team Gallery

Here's a sample below of the Spring-y Sweetness... all created with the beautiful and inspiring March Kit!

So, how excited are you to get this in the mail? :)

Banners

2010-03-08T08:01:00.002-05:00

It seems that everywhere I look these days, I see beautiful banners. Banners can be decorations for rooms, seasons, parties and even pages!
This month's kit here at Mosh Posh is full of banner goodness...We have some really cute papers from American Crafts with banners all over them.

There are also some great banner stickers from Jenni Bowlin in the kit. I can't wait to see this month's gallery and the different ways our team incorporated banners in their pages.

If you have a digital die cutter (like Silhouette/Wishblade/Cricut) stop by my blog for a free download today! I made the exact triangle shape to frame or mat the Jenni Bowlin Stickers to help them pop off your page or card.

I recently made a page about my youngest son and his Grandma with a custom cut banner as the title.

Banners can even be used on cards! I love this card with cute little grass on it!

My friend Trish has an online class that teaches you how to make 12 different garlands and banners.How about this Owl banner she made? Too cute.

If you use an electronic die cutter you can cut your own banner shapes with custom die cuts. Check out the adorable banner Joscie made with my digital banner download!

I found some really cute fabric banners too. Check out this easy tutorial!

Hope these banner projects inspire you to get out your kit and add some banners to your projects today!

Check it Out!

2010-03-04T22:16:00.001-05:00

Here's where you can find us on Facebook!

Jen

Are You Ready For Some Sneaks?

2010-03-02T06:14:00.000-05:00

Yesterday the sun was shining and I spent the day happily creating away with my AWESOME March kit! I cannot even tell you how much I adore what I created using this kit...I'm not sure if it was the combination of the sun shining in my windows while I worked and the bright and cheery patterned papers that were singing Spring to me or what, but whatever the reason, I am in love and have a feeling that you will be too when you get a chance to play with this kit as well!

Can't wait to share my layouts with you when we have the full gallery reveal! Until then, happy scrapping!

Jen

Some ideas for Vinyl

2010-03-01T08:36:00.000-05:00

I also frequently use vinyl to make my own "custom" designed stickers for scrapbooking and craft projects. The teacher's names on the above lunchboxes are an example of this. I love to use Vinyl with my Cricut because it is much thinner than paper and therefore, much easier to cut intircate shapes. A tip for readers though, because it is so thin you do not want to try to place the sticker like you would a normal one. I suggest using the "transfer tape" method. See a great YouTube video by here Above Rubies Studio. It is super easy and the plus side it that you take take your stickers right of the mat in one piece and apply to your project. No worries about letters not being straight or correctly spaced.

For those who use a Cricut I have found these setting work best for me when cutting Vinyl. You don't want to cut through the backing, just the vinyl on top.

Blade 2

Speed 1

Pressure 2

Silhouette has come out with some really cool new vinyl products that I cannot wait to try.

Fuzzy Vinyl! I'm not so sure I would use this on an interior project because of dust collection. I'm going to use it to make fuzzy stickers and shapes. You can also purchase this at TwoPeas.

Heat Transfer Vinyl also from Silhouette. They have both smooth and flocked in many colors. I'm going to make some tshirts for my little guys with the flocked. This looks so much easier than the Yudo machine from Provo!

Another great product for interior walls is Chalkboard Vinyl. I purchased mine from ebay. I plan to make a wall graphic with mine to write imporant dates and info for the family each week.

I purchase my regular vinyl from SignWarehouse when I need a roll or from Vinyl Outlet when I only need a sheet or two. You can purchase transfer tape from either source. If you are only using vinyl for small applications, you can also use delicate blue painters tape from a hardware store.

Anyone else have any great vinyl products, sources or ideas they love?

Scrappy Crushes...

2010-02-26T07:58:00.002-05:00

Yep, I'll admit there are a few scrappy gals out there that amaze me. When I get stuck on a project, or just need a little push, I head to these gals for a major dose of scrappy goodness.

One of my standbys, along with everyone else is Ali Edwards. Seriously, is there anything she does that we don't just LOVE? Her new stamps are out, and they're fabulous, of course.

My newest crush belongs to Elizabeth Kartchner. We are sooooo lucky because the March kit contains some of her new goodies. I just love her new line, and I don't think it's possible for anyone to be any cuter. I mean, really!!! One of my fave things of hers:

Now there are a couple other gals that their work just inspire me beyond belief...first up: Lisa Dickinson Her stuff just wows me, and I am always inspired after a visit to her blog. One of my faves of hers? Right here:

Last, but definitely not least...my sweet girl Sasha Farina. She is one of the most talented gals I know, and also one of the sweetest people ever! Her work is amazing, just whimsical and perfect all at once. I could seriously spend hours gushing over her work. Head over to her blog and prepare to get inspired.

Who are your scrappy faves? List 'em here so we can check them out!

Everything's Coming Up Roses...(or Flowers!)

2010-02-23T10:00:00.003-05:00

It seems that all the rage these days when it comes to scrapping is flowers, flowers, flowers and since this next month's kit is going to have little bits of florals thrown in and a feminine flair I thought it might be fun to share some of my favorite flower tutorials and techniques with you!

Martha Stewart of course has some beautiful templates and tips to share when it comes to crafting and making flowers is no exception! Check out this beautiful Crepe Paper Rose!

Tutorial and template can be found here.

I found some beautiful Poppies made from crepe paper as well on A Very Chocolate Life's site.

These recycled paper flowers are fun and would be fun on mini books or banners don't you think?

And speaking of recycling...check out these stunning flowers made from recycled egg cartons!

And one of my favorite sites, Zakka Life has this fun tutorial for creating some tiny delicate tissue paper flowers.

Hope this inspires you to perhaps create some of your own floral embellishments!

Jen

Lifesavers

2010-02-22T08:01:00.001-05:00

So today I thought we could talk about Lifesavers...no, not the candy kind! I'm talking about the little tools and items you keep close and handy to get your projects done. Those inexpensive, hopefully not taken for granted time saving items that never leave your desk.

Here are my favorite cannot live without tools:

A. Drafting brush - dusts away eraser grit, lint, fibers without leaving fingerprints or smudges.

B. White prismacolor pencil - perfect for marking temporary lines on dark papers

C. Fiskars Soft Grip Scissors - the spring does all the work for me (love these so much)

D. Soft White Click Eraser - the perfect eraser, gets into tight spots, never marks up my paper

E. QuickStick by Quickutz - a poker pickerupper and gem applier (you need this. serious.)

F. Basic Grey Rubon Tool - makes rubons go on like butta

G. American Craft 05 Precision Pen - my favorite journaling pen

H. 18" Metal Ruler - stretches across my entire layout, lines up w/ grid so I get straight lines

I. 24" Black Mat - i will not scrap without it and it's mighty grid power

J. Adhesive Pickup - rubs away adhesive, great for Xyron X to remove excess around shapes

K. Dotto - put some on the back of every layout to hold paper straight to the grid

L. Adjustable Triangle - lets me make sure that items are all at the same angle or perpendicular

What are your go to's girls? Got any favorites? Share them and link them if you can.

Sketchety Sketch Time!

2010-02-20T15:22:00.003-05:00

Don't you just LOVE sketches??? I do! They make scrapping sooo much easier. No more wasting time shifting papers aimlessly around the page or agonizing over a cut. Using a sketch lets you skip right to the fun part of picking paper and placing embellies. Like I said, I love them. :)

This month it was my turn to do the sketch. I drafted up a one-photo LO for the team to use. I really enjoyed seeing what everyone did with it. Check it out:

Jenn's stuff always makes me go "eeeeee!". LOL. I am a big fan of her ability to make every page look so balanced and clean. Love that. Her photos are great and she really plays to her strength in photography by scrapping in a way that features the photos. Her use of the sketch reflects her style, too... I like how she shifted everything to the left a bit and used a large vertical photo instead of the horizontal 5x7.

Laina took this kit and kicked it up a notch! BAM! :) She re-colored the chipboard alphas to match the blue of the Sass buttons and she machine stitched on the chipboard JB button (did you break a needle doing that, Laina?). How fun! She took the sketch and shifted things around a bit to suit her layout... journaling on the left, title on the top, and a fun cluster of embellies on the bottom right. It's all the little details in her pages that melts my heart! The stitches, the colored insides of the alphas, and the precise little brads. Happy, happy, happy!

You know Amy must be such a friendly down-to-earth person just by looking at her layouts. They are relaxed and comfortable. Pretty and shabby. Unpretentious and friendly. She scraps with confidence and that comes through in her layouts! I love the loose and carefree stitched ruffles, the hand-cut heart, the strings, the tucked-in journaling card. Nice. I also love how she pretty much followed the sketch to a T. And it's still all her.

And there's me. Heh. Not so easy to talk about my own layout... let me try: Well, I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. It's the bestest. I rocked it. LOL. ;) But seriously, I do love how I tried some new things... like ruffles! That was (not) easy. Almost sewed my finger to the page trying that technique. I also tried making a crepe paper rose (it looks much better in person), and I moved my journaling along the left hand side to try to balance the page.

Sooo... try this sketch out if you can! And link to it here in the comments so I can gush over it. :D

Happy weekend!!!!
-Brook

march sneak

2010-02-19T13:40:00.003-05:00

i am super excited about next months kit

Die Cutting

2010-02-18T00:56:00.001-05:00

It's no secret that I am a huge fan of die cutting machines. I use some form of die cutting on almost every page I make.

This month I brought out my trusty BigShot to cut my "Grandpa" title from the Reuse font by Quickutz. The BigShot is awesome as far as traditional die cutters. I can use any die on the market in it. My favorite are all of the Quickutz 4x8 alphas. Love them, so easy and quick to use. (I find that cutting small cardstock letters out of a electronic die cutting machine to be stressful. Quite simply - they usually tear if under 1")
I used my Cricut to create the flowers under the title. It's a great way to use up those li21ttle scraps of pattern paper and make your embellishments.

I have the orginal Cricut and my mother and I share a Cricut Expression. I use software called Sure Cuts Alot (SCAL for short) that allows me to bypass Cricut cartridges and cut fonts from my computer on the Cricut. I have a huge font library and love to mix and match fonts. I highly recommend getting SCAL if you own a Cricut. There are many tutorials and Yahoo Message boards dedicated to it. You tube has tons of great videos on the Cricut and SCAL. Another new piece of software for the Cricut is called Make the Cut. I haven't tried it yet but many boards seem favorable to it.

I also like to use my machine to cut vinyl and contact paper for pages. I found this woodgrain contact paper at Lowe's! My next project for it is some wall words for my little guys' cowboy bedroom. Vinyl cuts like butter on digital cutters. It can be tricky to apply so make sure to use the image transfer method on this video before you try.

My mom and I have been having a friendly argument over who's house the Cricut Expression resides at...so in all fairness, it truly belongs to her. I lose. Time to get another machine.

After researching, I was pretty sure I wanted to purchase a Silhouette, especially after seeing all the new designs and partnerships they are forming. Their machine has some pretty cool print and cut technology and you don't need cartridges. You can download images right from their site. After reading Kristina Werner's blog, I am convinced it cuts better than the Cricut as well. The only drawback for me is that it only cuts up to 8 1/2" wide and that kinda bugged me a bit. So I looked some more and found...

The Lexus of Die Cutting Machines - the eCraft. This baby can do it all - 12" wide with unlimited lengths. It can even cut felt! I really ~~want~~ need this...now to convince my husband that our tax return should be spent on this. :)

So - what's your favorite die cutter? I'd love to know!

Trying Something New...

2010-02-16T06:00:00.002-05:00

I have never, ever scrapped a layout using the two-page 8 1/2 x 11 format until this month's kit from Mosh Posh! Isn't it funny how we get in scrapbooking routines and stick with them? Do you scrap in a particular size ALL the time or perhaps you always journal using your computer or only handwriting...I challenge you to try something different just for the sake of doing it! Do I like the new format of the above layout? Honestly, I'm not so sure...but I am glad that I branched out and at least tried it!

What are you going to try?

RUFFLES!!!!

2010-02-15T09:47:00.001-05:00

I am addicted to ruffles right now, and from the looks of this month's gallery, I'm not the only one.

These other design team ladies can rock the ruffles like nobody's business!

I did a bit of surfing around, and found these fabu examples as well...

From Liz Kartchner:

and these from Heidi Swapp:

And one more from me:

Hope you have a great Monday!!!

Challenge Yourself

2010-02-10T00:01:00.001-05:00

It's February. It's cold and dreary out. I tend to get very bored at this time of year.My solution? Try something new!
I have been surfing a few different blogs and have found a few techniques that have caught my eye. I tend to get in ruts where I use the same techniques over and over. I love to look at other people's work to find inspiration. Here are five ideas I plan on trying. Want to join me?

Katy Watson makes the cutest projects for Maya Road using Glossy Accents and Martha Stewart Microbeads. Check out her tutorial here.

I drool every time I look at these Cosmo Cricket flowers.Check out Natasja's tutorial here. Amazing.

Here's a great tutorial on ribbon scrunching!

I've been late on the misting craze. I'm just getting into it now. Here's a great tutorial from the Maya Road blog.

Last but not least...paper pinwheels. Ahh. So pretty. Check out Style Me Pretty's tutorial.

I am going to challenge myself to use at least two of these ideas on my March Mosh Posh kit! Can't wait to get started.

February Gallery is Up!

2010-02-05T21:27:00.003-05:00

The Design Team just filled up the gallery with some wonderful layouts! Check it out: FEBRUARY GALLERY. Here is a 'lil taste of the goodness...