Giveaway Alert!

Hi, everyone! Just a quick post to alert you all to a giveaway!

You'll be especially interested in this one if you're a Ranger/Tim Holtz fan! Dawn and Kim from Wild West Scrap Divas are giving away a bunch of Tonic & Ranger products:

1 Tim Holtz Paper Distresser
1 Tim Holtz Tonic Scissors
1 Inkessentials Craft Mat (large)
1 Bottle of Crackle Accents
1 Bottle of Glossy Accents
1 Bottle of Matte Accents
1 Bottle of Sepia Accents
1 Pack of Ranger Embossing Pens
1 Ranger Craft Bucket
1 Perfect Pearls Naturals Kit
1 Tuscan Garden Alcohol Ink Set
1 Bottle of Blending Solution
1 Mini Mister Block
12 Mini Misters

Just follow the steps below and this awesome prize could be yours!
1. Check out their blog {http://wwscrapdivas.blogspot.com} and become a follower!
2. Tell your friends on the net about their giveaway on your blog, facebook, myspace or twitter!
3. Leave a comment here on their blog to let them know what you did to spread the word {be sure to include a link}!

Once they reach 100 subscribers, they'll draw the winner!

Good luck, everyone!

~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

Decisions, Decisions

Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach!

Thanks so much for all the great tips and advice you left on my Cricut post! You guys are awesome! Thanks for helping me out!

I went to the Cricut library last night and looked at every. single. cartridge. Well, that's not completely true. I didn't look very carefully at the font cartridges because I had planned on getting either SCAL or MTC right from the start. And I made a list of all the cartridges with images that work for me and what I am doing with my scrapping:

A Child's Year
Beyond Birthday's
Christmas Cheer
Easter Seasonal Cartridge
Fabulous Finds
Graphically Speaking
Heritage
Home Accents
Home Decor
Joys of the Season
Everyday Paper Dolls
Paper Doll Dress-Up
Life Is A Beach
Love Struck Seasonal
Mother's Day Seasonal
Pagoda
Picturesque
Sentimentals
Storybook
Tags, Bags, Boxes, & More
Tie the Knot
Very Merry Tags
When It's Cold Outside
Wild Card
Disney: Mickey & Friends

Those are not necessarily the cartridges I plan on buying. I need to go through that list again and split the cartridges into three more lists: 1) buy now, 2) buy eventually and 3) add to wish list. Ones that are "Gee whiz, might be nice & I could use it" but I don't really want it enough to spend my own money will go on the third list. Then I just need to start hunting down the ones on the first two lists for good prices and slowly build my cartridge library. :D

In the meantime, I am 95% sure I will be going with "Make the Cut" over "Sure Cuts A Lot" as it seems like it combines the features of Inkscape and SCAL into one program that appears to be very user friendly. I am waititng until I get home, however, to make the final decision. My only hesitation with MTC is that it is still pretty new, so not sure how people like it long term. But I am pretty good with the computer, so I can probably get either to work for me just fine. Mostly I am just waititng until I get home and can load the trial software on my big computer for playing around.

I'll also be investing in the deep cut blade because I do want to use the shape carts and my own SVGs to cut the pages for mini albums out of lightweight chipboard. I think that would rock!

Anyways, thanks again for all your suggestions! They were so helpful!

~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

At Last ~ A Cute Camera Bag!

Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach!

I have been on the lookout for a cute camera bag for some time. I wanted one big enough for all my cameras and gear, but also with enough room to carry my wallet, sunglasses, and anything else I would normally have in my purse. That way I would just have to carry the camera bag and not a purse + a camera bag. I also wanted all that in a package that looked like a purse and not like a camera bag.
Here is the winner & my new camera bag: Jill-e Small Yellow Nylon Camera Bag.
The manufacturer calls this as a "small" bag, but it is not actually all that small. It is large and roomy and has enough space for all my crap ... er, stuff.


The company also makes a "medium" bag and a "large" bag & the large bag is on wheels and is HUGE so I think that "small" is more of a relative term & not so much a descriptive term.

This camera bag was a Christmas present from my sister & a total surprise & I love it! So much thanks to my sister & if you've been on the lookout for a cute camera bag, definitely check out their site!

What did Santa bring you for Christmas that was a big surprise?

~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

Proud Cricut Owner

Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas & that you're either relaxing today with your families or hitting the after Christmas sales ~ whichever is more your speed.

I know you've all been wondering if I did, in fact, get a Cicut Expression for Christmas & the answer is YES! I got the Cricut Expression {the regular one} with the Accent Essentials and Plantin Schoolbook cartridges. I've already been playing with it & so far it has been working smoothly with no major mishaps. I use the Plantin Schoolbook cartridge to make a snowy village scene complete with mountains and trees and I can see that there is a lot to do with these machines that I'd never thought of before.

Accent Essentials has a lot of images that will be excellent for mini album pages, so I am really excited about that. When I get back to Miami, I want to get my hands on a deep cut blade and SCAL and just play around with what it can do. So, those of you who have Cricuts already, what cartridges are a must have? I like Storybook & there are some cool images on "A Child's Year" but I haven't really done a ton of research in this area.

~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

Calling All Northern Virginia/Metro DC Blog Readers!

Hi, everyone! I wanted to let you know that I will be cropping at ScrapbooksPlus in Chantilly, VA on Wednesday, December 30th, from 6:00 p.m.to 9:00 p.m. Wednesday is 40% Off Coupon Day out at ScrapbooksPlus, so be sure to print one off and treat yourself to some goodies!

There is no class at the store that night, and ScrapbooksPlus allows free cropping in their classroom area on nights without classes, so we should be able to crop and chat and shop and just have some fun!

Please leave a comment here if you are interested in joining me ~ I'd love to meet some of you gals! I already have a couple of scrappers from The Beach who have let me know they will be coming!

~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

Some Snow Pics

Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach! Nothing beachlike about the weather here, though ~ brrr!

I am still snowed in. We managed to dig out my sister's Jeep {didn't required as much digging as my car, since it's a 4 Wheel Drive SUV} and get some food, but my car remains buried in a snow drift. My brother is coming with his truck {big, black, Dodge Ram} later today to dig/push me out. So I should be free by this evening! Yay! In the meantime, I thought I'd share some pictures of the snow with you!

Anyone care for a stroll? :) This is the view from my sister's balcony of the sidewalk that runs past her building. I just took this picture a few minutes ago, so there's already been a good deal of melting and shoveling going on.



Here's a picture of her swimming pools. Looks inviting, yes? :) Notice the drifts along the fence?



And this is a decorative footbridge she has in her complex's shared area. You can't even see the little stream/valley thing it crosses.



I hope you're staying warm & enjoying your families from the comfort of a sweater this holiday season!

Merry Cristmas!

~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

It's Snowing! *UPDATED*

Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach!

After many hours on the road, I made it to my final holiday destination! I am very tired and very achy. It was a pretty bad drive ~ I got rained on the whole time {buckets and buckets ~ Miami is flooded right now!} and then as soon as I got here, it immediately started dumping piles and piles of snow on me! :) It is officially too cold for me. Yikes!

UPDATE: We have been upgraded from a Winter Storm Warning to a Blizzard Warning by the National Weather Service! They have all the trucks on the road, but the snow is falling two inches per hour and they cannot keep up with even the highways. My sister and I were going to finish up Christmas shopping today, but instead we're drinking hot chocolate and are buried in a snow drift while we watch the news on the weather. :)

I hope you're all staying warm and dry this holiday season!

~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

She Likes It!

Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach!

I finished my November swap mini and I was so excited to get it into the mail to my partner Hope, that I forgot to take pictures or make a video! Luckily, Hope made a video so you could all see it:



There are a lot of techniques in the album, which may be appearing in future videos, and I will be doing a tutorial video on the double slider card very soon!

Thanks for watching!

~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

New Video: Dive into Fall, Part 6

Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach!

It's finally here! Here you can finally see the entire "Dive into Fall" mini album. I know you've been waiting for this one for for a while, so I hope you're excited to see that I have a new video uploaded over on my YouTube channel! Without further ado, here is Part Six of my "Dive Into Fall" mini album series:



What's next? I have no idea. Maybe the double slider pocket tutorial I promised a while back. We'll just have to see! Have a great week, everybody!

~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

New Video: Dive Into Fall, Part 5

Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach!

I know you've been waiting for this one for for a while, so I hope you're excited to see that I have a new video uploaded over on my YouTube channel! Without further ado, here is Part Five of my "Dive Into Fall" mini album series:



Yes, there is a part six coming with an overview of the completed album. I'm going to have that up on Monday for you!

~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

And I Thought I'd Always Be A Bazzill Girl

Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach!

Yesterday I handed over 23 of the 26 Christmas Kits to the USPS Carrier & so they are {almost!} all gone! Those were for everyone who has paid their final balances & all kits have been invoiced, so things are almost back to normal around here. Not that I was ever really normal, but you know what I mean ~ normal for me. Which is most likely certifiably insane to the rest of the world.

So, the other night we were all chatting over on The Beach about the "new" American Crafts cardstock, as my friend Jenn sells some in her online shop and over at the Beach Boutique. Right now she has the 60 sheet box of black textured cardstock for $15.00 ~ it normally retails for $19.99, so that's a great deal! She also has some Thickers for super cheap as well! I bought a bunch from her & they will be making an appearance as part of the 12 Months of Christmas. Maybe. Could be. It's a secret.

I got some questions about the AC cardstock ~ specifically how it compares to Bazzill cardstock ~ since I had used it in my Countdown to Christmas Kits. And prior to using it in the Christmas Countdown Kits, I had been exclusively using Bazzill cardstock. And I still have a ton of it, so I will probably be using it for quite a while, BUT I will be buying AC cardstock going forward.

I thought I would do a blog post about it, too, to answer the questions from the other night & basically to just ramble on like I normally do.

1. Price: The prices are pretty comparable, although the AC cardstock has a slightly cheaper MSRP than the Bazzill, at $0.50/sheet vs. Bazzill's $0.60/sheet.

2. Texture & Finishes: Both AC and Bazzill come in a variety of finishes and textures. AC has some really cool ones, though. I am particularly fond of the Damask and the Alligator {it's a pearlized alligator skin finish and it rocks!}. They also have foil, glitter and pearl finishes, as well as weave, tweed and linen textures.

3. Weight: Same. AC cardstock and Bazzill cardstock are both 80 lb. cover weight cardstock.

4. Color Variety and Saturation: Both have really good, rich color saturation. Each layer of cardstock is deeply dyed, both with the AC cardstock and the Bazzill CS. As for variety, I didn't look this up {so sue me, I'm lazy} but I am looking at the AC catalog now and my guess is that Bazzill probably has more colors. However, AC has a ton of colors that are much more ME ~ bright, vibrant, etc. They have plenty of lovely neutrals and earthtones, too, but they seem to have more brights and bolds and that is great for me.

5. Scoring, Folding, Cracking & Splitting: I have had more luck scoring and folding the AC cardstock. It could just be me, but I seem to work with it better than with the Bazzill. I have less splitting and cracking when folding pockets and cards and envelopes.

So, there you have it! Just my opinion on cardstock, which, along with $5.95, will get you a Venti Frappaccino.

~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

WINNER ANNOUNCED: Black Friday Giveaway!

Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach!

This is just a quick post to announce the winner of the Black Friday Giveaway:

Joanna said...
mini ablum kits would be a fab giveaway.

lovely cards :)

Friday, November 27, 2009 10:54:00 AM

Congratulations, Joanna! You have won the cards from the Black Friday Giveaway! Please email me your mailing address at thescrapbeach{at}gmail{dot}com so I can get them on their way to you!

Thanks for participating, everyone! The first giveaway for the Twelve Months of Christmas will be announced on Monday, January 4th, so stay tuned for more prizes!

~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

Upcycling: Finding & Using Book Pages

Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach!

I've gotten a few questions related to the book pages I've been incorporating into my latest mini album video series. I thought I would take a moment to write a little bit about what I am using and why I am using it.

1. Where did you get the book pages you've been using in this album?

Currently I am using pages from The Quest for the Holy Grail in my mini books and other recent projects {such as the cork lollipop flowers that have been dubbed "Holy Grail Flowes" by my buddy Weezie}. I simply harvested the pages right from the book I used in my Medieval Literature class. It is probably my least favorite book from my least favorite college literature class & while it looks quite aged, the book is probably only about ten years old.

If you're looking for similar pages to use, check your bookshelf first. Any book will do to achieve a similar look: an old dictionary, a trashy romance novel, even a technical manual. If you can;t find anything on your own bookshelves, check out a used bookstore for some opportunities.

2. Are these book pages safe to use in scrapbooks?

No. The paper used to make the pages in paperback books is some of the cheapest, most acid-ridden paper around. Which is why these book pages look so old already, even though they are less than ten years old. The acid has already started taking a toll on the paper and yellowing the edges. So if it is important to you that your books be 100% acid free, you need to stay away from these types of materials. Or you'll need to be sure to spray it with an acid buffering spray like Archival Mist or Krylon Make It Acid Free before including them in your books.

So, harvest those pages from books you didn't enjoy in college! I hated Medieval Literature ~ it was such a mistake to take it. I took it to complement my history degree, because literature is such a good way to learn what people of a certain era were thinking and feeling BUT I didn't like Medieval History either, so it was a colossal waste of my time. {What was I thinking!?}

I think after I am finished using up The Quest for the Holy Grail that either The Song of Roland or Troilus and Criseyde is next. Those might be moe fun to use because they are written in poem format with stanzas and such, so they could give a cool and different look to the projects.

~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

Black Friday Giveaway!

Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach! I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving holiday yesterday!

Just a quick post today to remind you about my 12 Months of Christmas Giveaway & to share a picture with you of what I'm giving away for Black Friday. I made this set of twelve Christmas cards with matching envelopes:



The front of the card is shown on the left, and the inside of the card is shown on the right. The envelopes are stamped with snowflakes along the side and with "Seasons Greetings" on the back flap.

To be entered to win the cards, simply leave a comment on this post by midnight on Monday, November 30th with what kind of things you'd like to see throughout the 12 Months of Christmas Giveaway: mini albums? thickers? tools? supplies?

~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

New Video: Dive into Fall, Part Four

Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach! Sorry I've been slow with the new posts lately. Between packing the kits & working on the new DVD, I've been letting some things around here slide {sorry about that, laundry} and the blog has been one of them.

I did edit a new video yesterday evening which I just uploaded over on my YouTube Channel:



I was definitely playing a lot with this album ~ trying new products, new techniques and all sorts of other fun stuff!

~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

Oh, I So Want This!

Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach!

I am not buying many things for myself right now because Christmas is coming and I need to save my pennies for gifts for family and friends. Well, except I did buy printer ink and kraft cardstock and two new glass mats ~ one to replace my glass mat, which broke, and one to have on hand as a spare. But those were not very fun items to be spending my money on, since they're such staples of scrapping ~ not anything new, fun and exciting. Especially the printer ink ~ boring! But, no photos = no scrapping, so it had to be done!

Anyways, besides those three {four?} things, I have been avoiding personal shopping and making a wish list for all the Santas in my life, per their request. I just found something last night that tops the list: Quickutz Santa's Workshop Kit!



As far as I can tell from my online research, this kit includes dies to make the Peppermint Mini Album {3 3/4" x 5 1/2"}, the Wintergreen Mini Album {6" x 3 1/2"}, the Sugarplum Mini Album {4" x 3 3/4"}, the Santa's Workshop Mini Alphabet {pre-foamed cookie cutter dies} and an assortment of additional shapes! Just from looking at the pictures, it looks like the assorted shapes would be great for mini albums ~ I think I see some tabs in there, some book plates, etc.



I recently bought some lightweight chipboard as a mistake. {Hmm ... for someone who claims to have not been doing much personal scrapbook shopping, there seems to be quite a lot in this post about buying things!} I wasn't paying attention when I was ordering more chipboard {I ran out of kraft colored chipboard}. Normally I get the extra heavy weight chipboard & this time I ordered lightweight instead. Which explains why it was so cheap. I decided to try running it through my BigShot with the large piece in my Nestabilities "Labels Eight" set to see if I could use it for shaped mini albums. It was thin enough that the Nestabilities cut it perfectly!

It was too thin to use by itself as an album page, but I just took some Mod Podge and used it to stick two of the sheets together. I pressed them overnight while the Mod Podge dried and I was left with perfect chipboard pages for a new album! Once the Mod Podge was dry, I ran the chipboard pieces through my 7Gypsies Binderie really fast and voilà:


For a six page mini album, I needed 12 of the die cut shapes, and I was able to cut 6 out of a single 12"x12" piece of chipboard, so it was not bad at all. Since there were 25 sheets in the pack of chipboard, I'll probably be able to get a bunch of albums and chipboard letters out of this $7.00 mistake!

The album pages were relatively easy to decorate as well because I was able to just run the patterned papers through my BigShot & adhere them down:



I used a liquid glue to adhere them down instead of my ATG to make sure I got a nice, tight, connection. Normally the way I cover chipboard is to cut a square or rectangle with the same dimensions as the chipboard shape. Then I cover the paper with my ATG and trim around the chipboard shape with my craft knife. I'm pretty fast with this normally, but since my craft knife is taking a much needed vacation while I am waiting for my glass mat{s} to arrive {they come today!}, it was fun to experiment with new techniques for mini albums.

Now I know to keep lightweight chipboard on hand to use with my wafer thin dies! And I know that I can make chipboard quickly and easily for any size or shape of album. Or even for totally customizable chipboard letters!

Which means that even though the Quickutz kit above is filled with wafer thin dies, they can still be used to make chipboard albums!

What scrappy goodies are on your Christmas wish list?

~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

New Video: Dive into Fall, Part Three

Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach!

I just uploaded a new video over on my YouTube Channel:



I was definitely playing a lot with this album ~ trying new products, new techniques and all sorts of other fun stuff! Today's episode has more Glimmer Mists I hope you enjoy it!

~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

New Video: "Dive Into Fall" Part Two

Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach! My greetings come to you from under a pile of Christmas paper and embellishments! :D

I've been working, working, working on the kits and the DVD the past few days, but I did get another video in the "Dive Into Fall" video series posted today over on my YouTube Channel:



I was definitely playing a lot with this album ~ trying new products, new techniques and all sorts of other fun stuff! I hope you enjoy it!

~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

New Videos: Scraproom Redo & Fall Mini Album

Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach! I hope you all had a great weekend! I had a ton of fun at the crop ~ a big thank you to all of you who joined us!

Today I have two new videos over on my YouTube Channel: an update tour of my scraproom and the first part in a new mini album series with a fall/family theme.

I realized during the last crop that I needed to rearrange my scraproom. The furniture placement that worked so well in the beginning has not been holding up to the changes in my lie very well. Between the videos, and the live crop feeds and everything else, I had put too much stuff on my desk and was getting way crowded, so this is what I came up with:



If you're curious, this is what it looked like before I moved things around yesterday afternoon:



I also posted the first video in a new mini album series: "Dive Into Fall"



Thanks for watching ~ I hope you enjoy all the videos!

~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

Today Only: Sale at My Friend's Etsy Shop!

Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach!

I just wanted to do a quick post today and let you know that my friend Jenn is having a big sale at her Etsy shop today! For today only, if you buy one item you'll get a second item 50% off!* Her Etsy Shop is loaded with cute and very reasonably priced items like scrapbook kits, idea books, adorable flannel pillow cases, blankets, wall art and more! Here are a few of my favorites:

"Monkeying Around" Snuggle Blanket and Bonus Throw: {I love monkeys!}



Wall Art:



Teresa Collins's "A Documented Life" Mini Album Kit:



Art Blanche "Gingerbread House" Mini album:



"Mirror Mirror" Mini Album Kit:



Those are just a few of the wonderful items she has for sale, so check out her store and take advantage of today's sale!

~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

*Discount refunded after payment.

12 Months of Christmas

Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach!

I have finally figured out what to do to celebrate my 100,000 video views over on my YouTube Channel: starting Monday, January 4, 2010, I will be doing a giveaway on my blog each month for an entire year. Part celebration of my 100,000 video views, part overflowing Christmas Cheer and part sheer whimsy, I am calling it the "Twelve Months of Christmas" giveaway! I will post a new giveaway the first Monday of every month for the entire length of 2010. Sound fun? I think so!

Once again, thank you all so much for supporting me here, and on YouTube and over on "The Beach" ~ it means a great deal to me & so I am excited to be hosting these giveaways! Stay tuned ~ the first giveaway of the "12 Months of Christmas" will be announced Monday, January 4th, and a new giveaway will be announced the first Monday of each month following that! To give you a taste of what's to come, I will also be doing a "Black Friday" giveaway on November 27th!

~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

P.S. Remember there's a live crop tonight sarting at 9:00 p.m. Eastern on my UStream Channel with all kinds of challenges, prizes and just plain old scrapping fun!

Christmas Tag Swap!

Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach!

This year I am participating in a Christmas tag swap. We were to make a batch of identical tags designed for use on gifts this holiday season. These are the ones I came up with:


I stamped the reindeer in Tsukineko's Staz-On in "Cotton White" on a transparency. The reindeer came from the "Christmas Silhouette" stamp set by Inkadinkado, which is one of my favorite Christmas stamp sets.


I attached the transparency to 2.25"x4.5" piece of distressed red paper from the Making Memoires "Fa La La" collection with a silver mesh and wire ribbon & punched all four corners to give it a ticket look. To keep the ribbon from getting too bulky, I tied it with some string instead of making a knot in the ribbon itself.


I made one tag for each of the 24 swap participants. Don't they look pretty all sitting there on my scrap desk? It's almost too hard to put them in an envelope and send them all away!


I can't wait to see what everyone else creates! It will be so fun to see all the different tags decorating my packages this year!

~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

New Video: Trade Wind Scrappers September Swap Album

Hi, everyone! Well, as of 12:15 this morning I am finally back in Miami! It feels like I haven't seen the inside of my apartment in forever! It took me 17 hours to make the drive yesterday {normally it takes 15} because of some really horrible traffic delays caused by constuction up and down I-95. So frustrating! At least it's finally over.

I am back to hosting the Thursday scrap chats as of this week, so our normal viewing schedule will resume tomorrow. For those of you who don't know what that means, I host two live scrapbook shows on Thursdays on my UStream Channel. There is a live video feed into my scraproom, as well as a live chat. We talk, I answer questions as I go, you can see projects that are not available on my YouTube channel, and we basically just have fun!

The first of the two Thursday chats is at 2:00 p.m. Miami, FL USA time {GMT-5} and is called "Euro Chat" as it was primarily designed with my European viewers in mind {because of the time diference}. The second is at 9:00 p.m. Miami, FL USA time {GMT-5} and is called "Scrap Chat" and is for all my viewers to enjoy. Well, they're both open to everyone ~ you don't have to live in Europe to come to the afternoon one & European members are welcome at the evening one.

I also have a new video uploaded over on my YouTube Channel today: September "Trade Wind Scrappers" Swap Album Received



Later in the week I wil post the first in a new video series where I show my September swap album for my partner coming together. Thanks so much for watching & thank you again for all your wonderful comments and support the past few weeks!

~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

Christmas Countdown Kits: Ordering Extended!

Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}Beach!

Because I continue to have a great deal of inerest in the Christmas Countdown kits, I have decided to extend the pre-order date through November 13th. This will not impact the shipping dates for the kits ~ kits will still ship out no later than November 23rd so you will have plenty of time to finish them before Christmas if you like.

There are still three pricing options outline below, so if you're interested in pre-ordering a kit, email me before November 13th. If I have kits leftover after that point, I will still sell them, but prices will go up.

This Christmas, I am offering a virtual DVD class based on my popular "25 Days Until Christmas" mini album from last year. If you select the "All the Trimmings!" option {see pricing below}, the kit will contain all the product you need to make the album, a full-color instruction manual with detailed step-by-step instructions, and a DVD tutorial where I will create an identical album for you in a classroom-like environment.

Pre-Order Prices: through November 1st
1. Instruction Manual + DVD only: $15.00 USD + shipping due on order {will ship in a USPS Priority flate rate envelope}
2. Instruction Manual, DVD, Chipboard, Rings & Paper only: $30.00 USD, $20.00 USD due on pre-order and the remaining $10.00 USD + Shipping due when kits are ready to ship.
3. Instruction Manual, DVD, Chipboard, Paper & All the Trimmings!: $65.00 USD, $40.00 USD due on pre-order and the remaining $25.00 USD + Shipping due when kits are complete & ready to ship

Shipping will be via USPS Priority mail & calculated by package weight & recipient's location; should be between $8.00-$10.00 most locations CONUS for the full kit and $6.00-$8.00 for the partial kits. Kits will be shipped as soon as they are available and once balances are paid in full on a first-come, first-serve basis, with all kits being shipped via USPS Priority Mail by Monday, November 23, 2009 at the latest.

I will be using PayPal to send invoices and receive payments. To pre-order one of these kits for yourself, email me at thescrapbeach@gmail.com with the subject line "CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN PRE-ORDER" and include the type of kit you'd like, your full name, your shipping address and the email address where you'd like the PayPal invoice sent.

This is a huge 6"x9" 18 page {36 pages, front and back} custom chipboard gate-folded mini album in a "Christmas Countdown" format. There will be one page for each day of December for you to chronicle your family's activities leading up to and including Christmas Day. I dearly love the mini album I made in this format last year. In fact, I am offering this as a class because a friend of mine who has seen the album in person convinced me to offer a virtual class based around this concept for Christmas 2009.

While a class sample will not be available for this project kit for you to view before you commit to pre-ordering, a detailed supply list is included below so you can see exactly what product is included & know that you will be getting more than your money's worth. As far as the album's construction, it will be of the same design as my "25 Days Until Christmas" album from 2008 ~ a 6"x9" 18 page custom chipboard gate-folded mini album. This will be the album that I use for my personal 2009 Christmas album, so you can be sure that it will have the same attention to detail and level of creativity that I put into all my projects!

Like last year's album, this album will be chock full of beautiful techniques, unique and exciting pages, interactive page elements and custom embellishments. The biggest difference between the two albums will be that the 2008 album used the Making Memories "Fa La La" collection and the 2009 album will primarily use the Making Memories "Mistletoe" collection, with inclusions from 7Gypsies, American Crafts, Jenni Bowlin, Little Yellow Bicycle, Prima and Tim Holtz. If you are reading this post, then you are probably already familiar with my work and my YouTube videos, so you know what to expect from my creations. This one will be no exception, and it will be exclusive to the class DVDs ~ the completed album will never appear in videos on my YouTube channel! Only class members will have access to this exclusive album through the instructional DVD.

Christmas Countdown Album Supply List:

Pricing Level 1: includes full-color, step-by-step instruction manual + DVD class

Pricing Level 2: includes manual, DVD, chipboard & papers ~ complete list below
Cardstock: 8 12"x12" Sheets
American Crafts in White x 2 sheets ($0.60 value)
American Crafts in Black x 2 sheets ($0.75 value)
American Crafts in Spinach x 2 sheets ($0.98 value)
American Crafts in Pomegranate x 2 sheets ($0.98 value)
Double-sided Patterned Paper: 18 12"x12" sheets
Advent x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Icon Dot x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Pattern Stripe x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Argyle x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Big Green Dot x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Cardinal x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Happy Holidays x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Mistletoe x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Trees x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Speciality Paper:3 12"x12" sheets, 4 4"x4" die cut sheets
Die-Cut Glitter Mini Dot Red x 1 sheet ($0.99 value)
Glitter Music Note x 1 sheet ($0.99 value)
Poinsettia Flocked x 1 sheet ($0.99 value)
Jenni Bowlin 4"x4" Mini Classic Die Cut Label Papers x 4 sheets ($1.87 value)
Other Kit Contents:
5 sheets of 12"x12" raw chipboard and a cutting guide. ($1.75 value)
2" Book Rings to bind the album x 4 rings
Full-Color Step-by-Step Instruction Manual
Instructional DVD

Pricing Level 3: includes everything in Pricing Level 2 + what's below
Alphabets:
Making Memories "Wedding Shimmer Alpha" x 1 pack ($3.99 value)
Jenni Bowlin Tiny Circle Alpha is Vintage Red x 1 pack ($1.75 value)
Embellishments:
7Gypsies Charm Dangles in "Ruby" x 2 charms ($1.99 value)
Assorted Tim Holtz Fragments in "Charms" x 3 charms ($0.65 value)
Little Yellow Bicycle "25 Days of Christmas" Cardstock Tags x 1 pack ($4.99 value)
Little Yellow Bicycle "25 Days of Christmas" Glittered Chipboard Shapes x 10 shapes ($2.50 value)
Making Memories "Mistletoe" Chipboard Buttons x 1 pack ($1.99 value)
Making Memories "Mistletoe" Metal Keys x 1 key ($1.33 value)
Making Memories Circle Journaling Stickers x 1 pack ($2.99 value)
Making Memories Dimensional Stickers x 1 pack ($4.99 value)
Prima Paper Flowers x 8 flowers ($0.75 value)
Prima Pearls & Crystals x 20 pearls & 10 crystals ($0.75 value)
Ribbons & Trims {assorted} ($5.00 value)
Other Kit Contents:
Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink Cat's Eye in "Black Bird" x 1 ink pad ($1.99 value)
Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink Cat's Eye in "Lipstick Red" x 1 ink pad ($1.99 value)
Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink Cat's Eye in "Lime Pastel" x 1 ink pad ($1.99 value)
Judikins Diamond Glaze x 1 2 oz. bottle ($4.79 value)
Ranger Stickles in "Crystal Ice" x 1 bottle ($2.50 value)
Various Custom Embellishments created by me just for you and this class kit, including tickets, tags and interactive acetate embellishments!

Thank you for your interest and for all your support! Please do not hesitate to leave a comment here with a question or e-mail me at thescrapbeach@gmail.com. I will get back to you as soon as I can.

~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

Do You Love Thickers?

Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach!

Are any of you Thickers addicts? If you've been watching my videos, then you know that I certainly am! Well, for those of us who can't get enough of American Crafts "Thickers", Two Peas In A Bucket has an amazing promotion going on: buy 10 packs of Thickers in the 2Peas Store before the end of the month and be entered to win 140 packs of Thickers!

Here's a picture of the prize Thickers ~ amazing!


I don't even know where I would put that many Thickers, but I can't wait to try to find a spot for them! Oh, I hope they pick me!

To sweeten the deal, 2Peas has put all of the American Crafts "Thickers" at 25% through the end of the month!


And don't forget that at Two Peas In A Bucket shipping is always free in the US on orders over $50.00 with the free shipping code from the newsletter. If you're not getting the newsletters, click this link to see the most recent newsletter ~ the code is at the end: October Newsletter

As you can see from the newsletter, Halloween goodies are also on sale at 2Peas through the end of the month. Have fun shopping everyone & good luck to all you Thickers fans out there on winning the big prize!

~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

And Now for Something Completely Different

Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}Beach!

Let's talk about something a little more cheerful now. Due to popular demand, I have added a third pricing option for the Christmas Countdown kits: there is now an option to purchase just the DVD and instruction manual. As of now, I am totally caught up on the orders I have received to date & am ready to take new orders. If you're interested in reserving a kit at the pre-order price, email me before November 1st. The way it looks now, I won't be making too many extra kits to have available after the first.

This Christmas, I am offering a virtual DVD class based on my popular "25 Days Until Christmas" mini album from last year. If you select the "All the Trimmings!" option {see pricing below}, the kit will contain all the product you need to make the album, a full-color instruction manual with detailed step-by-step instructions, and a DVD tutorial where I will create an identical album for you in a classroom-like environment. Putting the video on DVD instead of YouTube allows me to offer a slower pace with fewer cuts and more detailed shots. The DVD classroom format will also enable you to scrap at your own pace by pausing, rewinding, skipping ahead & playing it back at your leisure. You won't have to worry about an Internet connection or waiting for videos to load.

I am currently offering THREE pricing levels. These prices are good through November 1st. After that, kits may not be available or may only be available at elevated prices due to minimum order requirements.

Pre-Order Prices: through November 1st
1. Instruction Manual + DVD only: $15.00 USD + shipping due on order {will ship in a USPS Priority flate rate envelope}
2. Instruction Manual, DVD, Chipboard, Rings & Paper only: $30.00 USD, $20.00 USD due on pre-order and the remaining $10.00 USD + Shipping due when kits are ready to ship.
3. Instruction Manual, DVD, Chipboard, Paper & All the Trimmings!: $65.00 USD, $40.00 USD due on pre-order and the remaining $25.00 USD + Shipping due when kits are complete & ready to ship

Shipping will be via USPS Priority mail & calculated by package weight & recipient's location; should be between $8.00-$10.00 most locations CONUS for the full kit and $6.00-$8.00 for the partial kits. Kits will be shipped as soon as they are available and once balances are paid in full on a first-come, first-serve basis, with all kits being shipped via USPS Priority Mail by Monday, November 23, 2009 at the latest.

I will be using PayPal to send invoices and receive payments. To pre-order one of these kits for yourself, email me at thescrapbeach@gmail.com with the subject line "CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN PRE-ORDER" and include the type of kit you'd like, your full name, your shipping address and the email address where you'd like the PayPal invoice sent.

This was is a huge 6"x9" 18 page {36 pages, front and back} custom chipboard gate-folded mini album in a "Christmas Countdown" format. There will be one page for each day of December for you to chronicle your family's activities leading up to and including Christmas Day. I dearly love the mini album I made in this format last year. In fact, I am offering this as a class because a friend of mine who has seen the album in person convinced me to offer a virtual class based around this concept for Christmas 2009.

While a class sample will not be available for this project kit for you to view before you commit to pre-ordering, a detailed supply list is included below so you can see exactly what product is included & know that you will be getting more than your money's worth. As far as the album's construction, it will be of the same design as my "25 Days Until Christmas" album from 2008 ~ a 6"x9" 18 page custom chipboard gate-folded mini album. This will be the album that I use for my personal 2009 Christmas album, so you can be sure that it will have the same attention to detail and level of creativity that I put into all my projects!

Like last year's album, this album will be chock full of beautiful techniques, unique and exciting pages, interactive page elements and custom embellishments. The biggest difference between the two albums will be that the 2008 album used the Making Memories "Fa La La" collection and the 2009 album will primarily use the Making Memories "Mistletoe" collection, with inclusions from 7Gypsies, Jenni Bowlin, Little Yellow Bicycle, Prima and Tim Holtz. If you are reading this post, then you are probably already familiar with my work and my YouTube videos, so you know what to expect from my creations. This one will be no exception, and it will be exclusive to the class DVDs ~ it will never appear in videos on my YouTube channel! Only class members will have access to this exclusive album through the instructional DVD.

Christmas Countdown Album Supply List:

Pricing Level 1: includes full-color, step-by-step instruction manual + DVD class

Pricing Level 2: includes manual, DVD, chipboard & papers ~ complete list below
Cardstock: 8 12"x12" Sheets
American Crafts in White x 2 sheets ($0.60 value)
American Crafts in Black x 2 sheets ($0.75 value)
American Crafts in Spinach x 2 sheets ($0.98 value)
American Crafts in Pomegranate x 2 sheets ($0.98 value)
Double-sided Patterned Paper: 18 12"x12" sheets
Advent x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Icon Dot x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Pattern Stripe x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Argyle x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Big Green Dot x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Cardinal x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Happy Holidays x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Mistletoe x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Trees x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Speciality Paper:3 12"x12" sheets, 4 4"x4" die cut sheets
Die-Cut Glitter Mini Dot Red x 1 sheet ($0.99 value)
Glitter Music Note x 1 sheet ($0.99 value)
Poinsettia Flocked x 1 sheet ($0.99 value)
Jenni Bowlin 4"x4" Mini Classic Die Cut Label Papers x 4 sheets ($1.87 value)
Other Kit Contents:
5 sheets of 12"x12" raw chipboard and a cutting guide. ($1.75 value)
2" Book Rings to bind the album x 4 rings
Full-Color Step-by-Step Instruction Manual
Instructional DVD

Pricing Level 3: includes everything in Pricing Level 2 + what's below
Alphabets:
Making Memories "Wedding Shimmer Alpha" x 1 pack ($3.99 value)
Jenni Bowlin Tiny Circle Alpha is Vintage Red x 1 pack ($1.75 value)
Embellishments:
7Gypsies Charm Dangles in "Ruby" x 2 charms ($1.99 value)
Assorted Tim Holtz Fragments in "Charms" x 3 charms ($0.65 value)
Little Yellow Bicycle "25 Days of Christmas" Cardstock Tags x 1 pack ($4.99 value)
Little Yellow Bicycle "25 Days of Christmas" Glittered Chipboard Shapes x 10 shapes ($2.50 value)
Making Memories "Mistletoe" Chipboard Buttons x 1 pack ($1.99 value)
Making Memories "Mistletoe" Metal Keys x 1 key ($1.33 value)
Making Memories Circle Journaling Stickers x 1 pack ($2.99 value)
Making Memories Dimensional Stickers x 1 pack ($4.99 value)
Prima Paper Flowers x 8 flowers ($0.75 value)
Prima Pearls & Crystals x 20 pearls & 10 crystals ($0.75 value)
Ribbons & Trims {assorted} ($5.00 value)
Other Kit Contents:
Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink Cat's Eye in "Black Bird" x 1 ink pad ($1.99 value)
Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink Cat's Eye in "Lipstick Red" x 1 ink pad ($1.99 value)
Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink Cat's Eye in "Lime Pastel" x 1 ink pad ($1.99 value)
Judikins Diamond Glaze x 1 2 oz. bottle ($4.79 value)
Ranger Stickles in "Crystal Ice" x 1 bottle ($2.50 value)
Various Custom Embellishments created by me just for you and this class kit, including tickets, tags and interactive acetate embellishments!

Thank you for your interest and for all your support! Please do not hesitate to leave a comment here with a question or e-mail me at thescrapbeach@gmail.com. I will get back to you as soon as I can.

~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

Thank You

Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}Beach!

I wanted to thank you for all the kind words, prayers and warm thoughts you have sent to me and to my family. It has been a rough week, but knowing there were so many warm-hearted people around the world with their thoughts on us was very comforting.

My twenty year-old cousin Rachel was hit by a drunk driver while riding her bike across her college campus. The accident was a hit and run, although the police have the driver in custody now. Her parents and her ten brothers and sisters as well as the entire rest of the family were devastated by this shocking tragedy. It has been very, very hard for us all to process.

Again, thank you very, very much for everything! We all appreciate it so very much.

Sincerely,

Kathryn

I've Got Some Good News & I've Got Some Bad News

Hi, everyone! Like the title says, this post is a mixed bag.

GOOD NEWS: It's official ~ there is definitely going to be a Christmas Countdown Virtual Class! Thank you to everyone who has expressed interest so far ~ I am so glad you're all so excited about this!

BAD NEWS: I just had a family member killed in a car accident, and I will not be making any new videos or blogging for a while due to family commitments. I will be checking my email as often as possible over the next few days and will respond to inquiries/send invoices as soon as possible. Making this class a reality is a high priority for me, so I will being doing my best and just ask that you have patience if I do not respond as quickly to emails as you may be used to.

Here's what I am offering: a virtual DVD class based on my popular "25 Days Until Christmas" mini album from last year. If you select the "All the Trimmings!" option {see pricing below}, the kit will contain all the product you need to make the album, a full-color instruction manual with detailed step-by-step instructions, and a DVD tutorial where I will create an identical album for you in a classroom-like environment. Putting the video on DVD instead of YouTube allows me to offer a slower pace with fewer cuts and more detailed shots. The DVD classroom format will also enable you to scrap at your own pace by pausing, rewinding, skipping ahead & playing it back at your leisure. You won't have to worry about an Internet connection or waiting for videos to load.

I am currently offering two pricing levels. These prices are good through November 1st. After that, kits may not be available or may only be available at elevated prices due to minimum order requirements.

Pre-Order Prices: through November 1st
1. Instruction Manual, DVD, Chipboard, Rings & Paper only: $30.00 USD, $20.00 USD due on pre-order and the remaining $10.00 USD + Shipping due when kits are ready to ship.
2. Instruction Manual, DVD, Chipboard, Paper & All the Trimmings!: $65.00 USD, $40.00 USD due on pre-order and the remaining $25.00 USD + Shipping due when kits are complete & ready to ship

Shipping will be via USPS Priority mail & calculated by package weight & recipient's location; should be between $8.00-$10.00 most locations CONUS for the full kit and $6.00-$8.00 for the partial kits. Kits will be shipped as soon as they are available and once balances are paid in full on a first-come, first-serve basis, with all kits being shipped via USPS Priority Mail by Monday, November 23, 2009 at the latest.

I will be using PayPal to send invoices and receive payments. To pre-order one of these kits for yourself, email me at thescrapbeach@gmail.com with the subject line "CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN PRE-ORDER" and include the type of kit you'd like, your full name, your shipping address and the email address where you'd like the PayPal invoice sent.

This was is a huge 6"x9" 18 page {36 pages, front and back} custom chipboard gate-folded mini album in a "Christmas Countdown" format. There will be one page for each day of December for you to chronicle your family's activities leading up to and including Christmas Day. I dearly love the mini album I made in this format last year. In fact, I am offering this as a class because a friend of mine who has seen the album in person convinced me to offer a virtual class based around this concept for Christmas 2009.

While a class sample will not be available for this project kit for you to view before you commit to pre-ordering, a detailed supply list is included below so you can see exactly what product is included & know that you will be getting more than your money's worth. As far as the album's construction, it will be of the same design as my "25 Days Until Christmas" album from 2008 ~ a 6"x9" 18 page custom chipboard gate-folded mini album. This will be the album that I use for my personal 2009 Christmas album, so you can be sure that it will have the same attention to detail and level of creativity that I put into all my projects!

Like last year's album, this album will be chock full of beautiful techniques, unique and exciting pages, interactive page elements and custom embellishments. The biggest difference between the two albums will be that the 2008 album used the Making Memories "Fa La La" collection and the 2009 album will primarily use the Making Memories "Mistletoe" collection, with inclusions from 7Gypsies, Jenni Bowlin, Little Yellow Bicycle, Prima and Tim Holtz. If you are reading this post, then you are probably already familiar with my work and my YouTube videos, so you know what to expect from my creations. This one will be no exception, and it will be exclusive to the class DVDs ~ it will never appear in videos on my YouTube channel! Only class members will have access to this exclusive album through the instructional DVD.

Christmas Countdown Album Supply List:

Pricing Level 1: includes manual, DVD, chipboard & papers ~ complete list below
Cardstock: 8 12"x12" Sheets
American Crafts in White x 2 sheets ($0.60 value)
American Crafts in Black x 2 sheets ($0.75 value)
American Crafts in Spinach x 2 sheets ($0.98 value)
American Crafts in Pomegranate x 2 sheets ($0.98 value)
Double-sided Patterned Paper: 18 12"x12" sheets
Advent x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Icon Dot x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Pattern Stripe x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Argyle x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Big Green Dot x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Cardinal x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Happy Holidays x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Mistletoe x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Trees x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Speciality Paper:3 12"x12" sheets, 4 4"x4" die cut sheets
Die-Cut Glitter Mini Dot Red x 1 sheet ($0.99 value)
Glitter Music Note x 1 sheet ($0.99 value)
Poinsettia Flocked x 1 sheet ($0.99 value)
Jenni Bowlin 4"x4" Mini Classic Die Cut Label Papers x 4 sheets ($1.87 value)
Other Kit Contents:
5 sheets of 12"x12" raw chipboard and a cutting guide. ($1.75 value)
2" Book Rings to bind the album x 4 rings
Full-Color Step-by-Step Instruction Manual
Instructional DVD

Pricing Level 2: includes everything in Pricing Level 1 + what's below
Alphabets:
Making Memories "Wedding Shimmer Alpha" x 1 pack ($3.99 value)
Jenni Bowlin Tiny Circle Alpha is Vintage Red x 1 pack ($1.75 value)
Embellishments:
7Gypsies Charm Dangles in "Ruby" x 2 charms ($1.99 value)
Assorted Tim Holtz Fragments in "Charms" x 3 charms ($0.65 value)
Little Yellow Bicycle "25 Days of Christmas" Cardstock Tags x 1 pack ($4.99 value)
Little Yellow Bicycle "25 Days of Christmas" Glittered Chipboard Shapes x 10 shapes ($2.50 value)
Making Memories "Mistletoe" Chipboard Buttons x 1 pack ($1.99 value)
Making Memories "Mistletoe" Metal Keys x 1 key ($1.33 value)
Making Memories Circle Journaling
Stickers x 1 pack ($2.99 value)
Making Memories Dimensional Stickers x 1 pack ($4.99 value)
Prima Paper Flowers x 8 flowers ($0.75 value)
Ribbons & Trims {assorted} ($5.00 value)
Other Kit Contents:
Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink Cat's Eye in "Black Bird" x 1 ink pad ($1.99 value)
Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink Cat's Eye in "Lipstick Red" x 1 ink pad ($1.99 value)
Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink Cat's Eye in "Lime Pastel" x 1 ink pad ($1.99 value)
Judikins Diamond Glaze x 1 2 oz. bottle ($4.79 value)
Ranger Stickles in "Crystal Ice" x 1 bottle ($2.50 value)
Various Custom Embellishments created by me just for you and this class kit {includes tickets, tags and interactive acetate embellishments!}

Thank you for your interest and for all your support! Please do not hesitate to leave a comment here with a question or e-mail me at thescrapbeach@gmail.com. I will get back to you as soon as I can.

~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

DVD Virtual Class Kit Idea

Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach!

I wanted to take a moment to tell about an idea I have for a Christmas Countdown Mini-Album Virtual Class Kit. This is the same kit idea that was discussed in the last Thursday Scrap Chat on my ustream channel ~ thank you to everyone who has expressed interest so far!

Out of all my projects on my YouTube channel, one of the most popular by far is my "25 Days Until Christmas" mini album. This was a huge 6"x9" 18 page {36 pages, front and back} custom chipboard gate-folded mini album that I made to chronicle all our activities leading up to Christmas 2008. I dearly love this mini album, and so do a lot of other people. In fact, a friend of mine loves it so much, that she begged me to offer a virtual class based around this concept for Christmas 2009, so I am writing this post to see if there is enough interest to make such a virtual class possible.

So, here is what I will be offering if I have enough interested scrappers to go forward with the class kits: a virtual DVD class + all the goodies you need to complete a 6"x9" Christmas Countdown mini album very similar to mine from last year.

The kit will contain all the product you need to make the album as well as a full-color instruction booklet with detailed step-by-step instructions. It will also contain a DVD tutorial where I will create an identical album for you in a classroom-like environment. Putting the video on DVD {instead of YouTube} allows me to offer a slower pace with fewer cuts and more detailed shots. The DVD classroom format will also enable you to scrap at your own pace by pausing and playing it back at your leisure. No more having to worry about a convenient internet connection or waiting for videos to load. In addition to the large amount of manufacturers' product included {an over $65.00 value, see supply list below}, the kit will also include various custom embellishments created by me that will be unique to these kits, such as tickets, tags and interactive acetate embellishments.

While a class sample will not be available for this project kit for you to view before you commit to pre-ordering, a detailed supply list is included below so you can see exactly what product is included & know that you will definitely be getting your money's worth in product alone.

As far as the album's construction, it will be of the same design as my album from 2008 ~ a 6"x9" 18 page custom chipboard gate-folded mini album {not that there's anything truly "mini" about this album ~ it's huge!}. Like last year's album, this album will be chock full of beautiful techniques, unique and exciting pages, interactive page elements and custom embellishments. The biggest difference between the two albums will be that the 2008 album used the Making Memories "Fa La La" collection and the 2009 album will primarily use the Making Memories "Mistletoe" collection, with inclusions from 7Gypsies, Jenni Bowlin, Little Yellow Bicycle, Prima and Tim Holtz. If you are reading this post, then you are probably already familiar with my work and my YouTube videos, so you know what to expect from my creations. This one will be no exception, and it will be exclusive to the class DVD ~ it will never appear in videos on my YouTube channel! Only class members will have access to this exclusive album through the instructional DVD. This will also be the album that I use for my personal 2009 Christmas album, so you can be sure that it will have the same attention to detail and level of creativity that I put into all my projects!

The pre-order price for the Christmas Countdown Virtual Class will be $65.00 + priority shipping. Packages will ship from Miami, FL and shipping cost will probably be between $8.00-$10.00 CONUS depending on final package weight and your location. If there is enough interest expressed, I will be taking pre-orders through November 1, 2009. Of the total price, $40.00 will be due when you pre-order to reserve your class kit. The remaining $25.00 + shipping will be due when the kits are completed and ready for shipping. Kits will be shipped once balances are paid in full on a first-come, first-serve basis, and I hope to have all kits shipped via USPS Priority Mail by Monday, November 23, 2009 at the latest. There will most likely only be 24 of these kits available unless there is more interest than I expect.

If this is something that you definitely want to do, please email me at thescrapbeach@gmail.com with the subject line "CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN KIT" as soon as possible. If enough interested people email me, I will start taking pre-orders this week & will make the offer first to any people who express interest at this time before opening it up to everyone else.

Christmas Countdown Album Supply List:
Album:
This is a custom-designed chipboard album. The kit will include 5 sheets of 12"x12" raw chipboard and a cutting guide. ($1.75 value)

Paper:
This album will feature patterned papers from the Making Memories "Mistletoe" Collection and cardstock from American Crafts.

Cardstock: 8 12"x12" Sheets
American Crafts in White x 2 sheets ($0.60 value)
American Crafts in Black x 2 sheets ($0.75 value)
American Crafts in Spinach x 2 sheets ($0.98 value)
American Crafts in Pomegranate x 2 sheets ($0.98 value)

Double-sided Patterned Paper: 18 12"x12" sheets
Advent x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Icon Dot x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Pattern Stripe x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Argyle x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Big Green Dot x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Cardinal x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Happy Holidays x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Mistletoe x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)
Trees x 2 sheets ($1.40 value)

Speciality Paper:3 12"x12" sheets, 4 4"x4" die cut sheets
Die-Cut Glitter Mini Dot Red x 1 sheet ($0.99 value)
Glitter Music Note x 1 sheet ($0.99 value)
Poinsetta Flocked x 1 sheet ($0.99 value)
Jenni Bowlin 4"x4" Mini Classic Die Cut Label Papers x 4 sheets ($1.87 value)

Alphabets:
Making Memories "Wedding Shimmer Alpha" x 1 pack ($3.99 value)
Jenni Bowlin Tiny Circle Alpha in Vintage Red x 1 pack ($1.75 value)

Embellishments:
7Gypsies Charm Dangles in "Ruby" x 2 charms ($1.99 value)
Assorted Tim Holtz Fragments in "Charms" x 3 charms ($0.65 value)
Little Yellow Bicycle "25 Days of Christmas" Cardstock Tags x 1 pack ($4.99 value)
Little Yellow Bicycle "25 Days of Christmas" Glittered Chipboard Shapes x 10 shapes ($2.50 value)
Making Memories "Mistletoe" Chipboard Buttons x 1 pack ($1.99 value)
Making Memories "Mistletoe" Metal Keys x 1 key ($1.33 value)
Making Memories Circle Journaling Stickers x 1 pack ($2.99 value)
Making Memories Dimensional Stickers x 1 pack ($4.99 value)
Prima Pearls & Crystal Bling x 30 pieces (20 pearls & 10 crystals, $0.75 value)
Prima Flowers x 8 flowers ($0.50 value)
Ribbons & Trims {assorted} ($5.00 value)

Other Kit Contents:
2" Book Rings to bind the album x 4 rings
Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink Cat's Eye in "Black Bird" x 1 ink pad ($1.99 value)
Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink Cat's Eye in "Lipstick Red" x 1 ink pad ($1.99 value)
Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink Cat's Eye in "Lime Pastel" x 1 ink pad ($1.99 value)
Judikins Diamond Glaze x 1 2oz. bottle ($4.79 value)
Ranger Stickles in "Crystal Ice" x 1 bottle ($2.50 value)
Full-Color Step-by-Step Instruction Manual
Instructional DVD
Various Custom Embellishments created by me just for you and this class kit {includes tickets, tags and interactive acetate embellishments!}

So that's what you would be getting in the kit if we end up going ahead with this idea! If you definitely want to order one of these kits for your Christmas album, please email me right away at thescrapbeach@gmail.com so I can determine if there is enough interest to get the ball rolling on this.

Thank you for your interest and for all your support!

~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

TGIF + New Video!

Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach! I hope you have lots of fun stuff planned for this weekend!

I just uploaded Part Two of my "29 Years of Love" layout over on my YouTube Channel. I hope you enjoy the video!



This is a 12"x24" 2-Page Layout I did about my teddy bear. His name is "Teddy" or "Mr. Teddy" if you're feeling formal {I know you are blown away by the creative genius with which I selected those names}. The paper comes from the K&Company "Cut 'N Paste" collection and it uses lots of chipboard, ink, glitter and Aleene's Paper Glaze.

Thanks again everyone for watching my videos and visiting my blog ~ have a great weekend!

~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

YouTube Milestone: 100,000 Views of my Videos

Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach!

Just six months ago, I had barely started this blog and was celebrating reaching a milestone with my YouTube Channel: 100 Subscribers. Today I have a new milestone to celebrate, and it is once again thanks to all of you!


This weekend I crossed the 100,000 mark for video views. That means that my YouTube videos {all of them together} have been watched over 100,000 times! That is so exciting to me! I want to do something to celebrate and to thank you all for sticking with me and my channel. Not sure how to celebrate yet ~ any ideas? Well, you think about that and let me know by leaving a comment on this post. In the meantime, I have a new video up today for you:



This is a 12"x24" 2-Page Layout I did about my teddy bear {names Teddy ~ am I a creative genius or what!?} and it uses lots of chipboard, ink, glitter and Aleene's Paper Glaze. I also used papers from the K&Company "Cut 'N Paste" collection.

Thanks again everyone for watching my videos and visiting my blog!

~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

Dimensional Paper Glazes

Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach!

If you watch my videos, then you probably know that I am a HUGE fan of the dimensional accent/adhesive/glaze Ranger "Glossy Accents". I love the shine that it adds to an element and how thick & dimensional it is. What I didn't know until recently is that there are several similar alternatives to this product. Since Glossy Accents is a bit pricey at around $6.00 or $7.00 a bottle {I buy it with a coupon at Michael's usually}, I decided to check out some of the alternatives to see how they stacked up to what I had been using.


I tracked down a bottle of Judikins "Diamond Glaze" {less than $5.00 a bottle} and a bottle of Aleene's "Paper Glaze" {right around $5.00 a bottle} to test in my scrap projects as alternatives to Ranger "Glossy Accents".




{Side note: I have also heard good things about, but have not personally tried, Close To My Heart's "Liquid Glass", which is $6.95/bottle, and Krylon "Triple Thick Crystal Clear Glaze" which is actually a spray and weighs-in right around $5.00 for the smaller can.}

There were five things which I had in the back of my mind while I was using these products: price, ease of use, thickness, clarity and drying time. So, let's see how they stacked up to each other.

1. Judikins "Diamond Glaze": At $4.79/bottle, this is the cheapest of the three dimensional glazes/adhesives that I have in my scrap room. It is also the thinnest of the three, and does not stay put as well as the other two. For that reason, it is a little more difficult to use than Glossy Accents, but it is not as difficult to use as the Paper Glaze {more on that below}. It is the clearest of the three, in my opinion, although all three are pretty darn clear. It also has the shortest drying time at around four to six hours depending on the project, which is important here in humid Miami. It can be hard to find in stores, although it is readily available online.

2. Aleene's "Paper Glaze": At $5.29/bottle, this is only marginally costlier than "Diamond Glaze" and still significantly cheaper than "Glossy Accents". It is also readily available in stores like Michael's. Despite that, I liked it the least of the three. The nozzle on the bottle was not good & it created bubbles that were hard to pop. It also came out so thick it was hard to apply to detailed areas & had the longest drying time of the three at well over 24 hours {closer to 48 hours in my case, although I assume it had something to do with how thick it is}. Paper Glaze is the least clear of the three, in my opinion, althouh it is practically crystal clear ~ not a big drawback & not what ruled this one out for me.

3. Ranger "Glossy Accents": At $6.99/bottle it is far and away the most expensive of the three. Aside from the fact that the bottle is prone to clogging, it is also the easiest to use and apply. It is thick enough that it stays where you put it and doesn't run, but not so thick that it can't be used for fine details. Its drying time is at least twice as long as the Diamond Glaze, but it is thicker & only needs one coat {whereas I found some Diamond Glaze projects required two applications, although this was not the norm}. It is very clear ~ almost as clear as the Diamond Glaze & the difference in clarity is pretty much negligible between the two.

Of the three, I prefer Diamond Glaze overall. It is by far both the cheapest and the quickest to dry. It is also the clearest of the three {might have something to with being thinner ~ just a guess} and has the mildest scent. Another thing I like about Diamond Glaze is that if it leaks off where I want it, I can quickly wipe it up with a baby wipe and it comes off completely like it was never there {unlike Glossy Accents which I can never fully get off if I get it outside the lines}. You'll probably be seeing all three bottles in future videos, as I'll be using all three until they run out, at which point I will most likely make the switch to just having Diamond Glaze on hand.

Totally unrelated to this review ~ but related to these glazes & still VERY cool ~ is an idea I got from Weezie during the last Thursday scrap chat. She said she has been tinting her Glossy Accents with alcohol inks, and I tried it with Diamond Glaze. I poured about a Kennedy half dollar sized pool of Diamond Glaze on a piece of tin foil and added one drop of alcohol ink in Lettuce. The alcohol ink instantly spread out through the Diamond Glaze {it was cool to watch} and I was able to apply it to some chipboard accents I was making for a murky swamp effect:


Neat, right? Thanks for the idea, Weezie!

I hope you found this review helpful. I love Glossy Accents, but it is expensive and I think I am going to make a permanent switch to Diamond Glaze. Also, here's a sneak peek at what's coming up on Life on the {Scrap}beach!


Thanks for stopping by & have a great week everybody!

~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.