Ebates - earn $$ back when you shop...Really!

Ever hear of ebates.com? Ever do some online shopping?  Combined, these will give you money back.  That's right! You heard me...$$$ back to you!  I didn't sign up for the longest time because I thought it was one of those scams, but then I found someone who did it and they loved it so I signed up.  It's free, of course (I wouldn't be telling you about it if it weren't, 'cause that's how I roll lol) and I've made about 20 bucks so far.  I know, it's not going to make me rich, but $20 in my pocket is better than in someone else's!  In any event...using it is really easy.  Sign up and then when you're ready to shop, go to ebates.com first....if you click to your final destination through ebates, you get credit and make a percentage of your order.  That's all there is to it!  Once a quarter I get a check mailed to me.  Ka-ching!

Soooo.... if you're ready to start making some $ back on your online purchases, click the link below:

http://www.ebates.com/

Happy shopping!

Version 4!!!

It's coming, it's coming!!!!  Version 4 of My Memories Suite is coming soon!  Lots more added to this version...I can't wait to find out what!  What will you create with your new software??

If you're interested, they offer free trials of their software programs.  Feel free to download a trial and start playing around.  If you love the software like I do, please use my code for a great discount: STMMMS72517 - you can click the link on my sidebar.

Enjoy!

Share the Memories ~ Freebie

Hi All,

Sorry, it's been a little while since I posted a freebie, but this week's a cool one that could be used for so many different things! And with Christmas coming up I think this could get a lot of use :-)  Remember, these links only last for so long, so grab them while you can!

http://www.mymemories.com/store/share_the_memories_kit_1

Please remember...You will now access the freebies through the store, instead of as a direct download. This means that if you ever buy a new computer, your computer crashes, or you accidentally delete a file, you will be able to access it in your My Downloads section of your MyMemories account. Please know that you will now have to have a (free!) MyMemories account to access the downloads. Enjoy!!!

Click below for a tutorial on how to make these adorable little boxes! 
http://www.mymemories.com/craftables/takeout

As always, if you're thinking about getting their fantastic software program, use my code on my sidebar.... shhhhh....you 'may' want to hold off for a little while.....but I can't say why just yet ;-)

Ridiculous Blog Hop!

Have you done My Memories blog hop yet? Well, what are you waiting for! It's ridiculous the amount of freebies (30+ !!!) they have in store for you.  Seriously ... if you do digital scrapbooking, with or without their fabulous software, you need to do this blog hop (or blog train, as they call it, but really it's the same thing lol)  Remember, all of their kits come in two formats - one to use with their program, and one general, so go hop and getcha come goodies!  

Enjoy!

And after you're done hopping, and trying out their software program, come back here and grab my code to save you some $$ off getting your very own software!  You know you want to...  :-)  Have fun!

Book Review - Catching Fire

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked the second book of the trilogy...not quite as much as the first, but liked it nonetheless.  The end of the first book really kinda left me hanging, so I was looking forward to reading the second one to see what happens next! It was a fairly quick read and overall was pretty good.


View all my reviews

Book Review - Mockingjay

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked the book, but this was my least favorite of the trilogy.  I'm not crazy about the ending (which I'll leave as a surprise for those who haven't read it yet), and for me it was slower than the previous two books.  By the time I was halfway through the book I was looking forward to being done with it.  I just wanted to know how it ended but it seemed to take a long time to get there, and then when I got there the ending seemed rushed to me. I'm interested to see how this will play out as a movie.  Guess I'll have to wait and see. Hmmm....


View all my reviews

Share the Memories ~ Freebie

Sorry it's been awhile since I've posted a freebie - life's been quite busy this summer!  Anyways.... There are a couple of announcements before I get to the freebie - and they relate to the freebie, in a way...  Here goes:

Announcement #1
You will now access the freebies through the store, instead of as a direct download. This means that if you ever buy a new computer, your computer crashes, or you accidentally delete a file, you will be able to access it in your My Downloads section of your MyMemories Account (i.e. you can re-download it).  This means that you will now have to have a MyMemories account to access the downloads...but don't worry, accounts are always free. 

Announcement #2
Craftables
Do you love all of the fun craftable projects that are offered as STM freebies? Now if you miss one, you will have the opportunity to purchase it in the store.  Almost all of the STM freebies that have been offered since April will be available in the store THIS WEEK! Just search for craftables, and you will find them all!  So, make sure to get your freebies while you can or else you'll have to buy them later :-)

Now, onto our freebie....party bags!  How cool are these?  Totally cool! Because you can also make them your own and customize as you wish.  Awesome!

Don't forget to use my code (STMMMS72517) for a $10 discount if/when you purchase the software. 


Scroll down for the tutorial for this freebie :-)

MyMemories Party Bags Tutorial

Party Bags Tutorial

1. Print your Purse Card templates on cardstock and gather supplies. 

Be sure to set your margins as close to 0 as possible.
(Recommended supplies: small craft scissors, bone folder, glue runner)



2. Using the scissors cut along inside of handles.



3. Fold bag at fold lines.
There should be a total of 6 folds.
TIP: Using a bone folder will help you get crisp edges on your project.


4. Using scissors, cut along outside edge.



5. Lay the bag flat, printed side down.
Fold up the tabs at the bottom of the bag, so that you can see the printing.
Apply Glue to the tabs on the printed side



6. Bring the side of the bag up and adhere the tab to the bottom of the bag.



7. Repeat on other side.



8. Lay the bag down, and apply glue to the last tab.



9. Attach the remaining side.
TIP: Insert your hand into the bag to ensure that all the tabs are securely attached.



10. Enjoy your Bag! You can fill it with all kinds of goodies or treats.
TIP: You can take the front and back and press them together to make side seams.

Dance Recital 2012

My daughter's dance recital was this weekend...and she did a fantastic job!  Here's a page I did with My Memories Suite of her ballet routine.  Other routine pages to follow :-)  (If you want to make your own cool page, check out my sidebar to get the link for the software program.  Easy to use and by clicking through my site you'll get $10 off!)

Share the Memories ~ Freebie

Here's another doorknob hanger freebie for you!  Have fun :-)

Prom Card

NO...not my prom...mine was too long ago! LOL  A friend of mine decided to have a prom for her 30th birthday party.  Everyone's dressing as if they are going to a prom!  Sassy Studio Designs has the perfect digi for this! She's called Ashelee's Prom (I know, fitting, right?!) Since my friend's favorite color is purple, that's what a chose for Ashelee's dress.  I colored her with Prismascolor pencils and added glitter glue on her hair tie, sash and of course her shoes!  A girl needs sparkly shoes for her prom!  I also had some shiny silver sticky paper (I think it's actually used for something electrical) that I cut with my Cuttlebug as a double mat.  I thought it would give it a disco ball kind of feel (not that the picture shows it that well, but it was quite shiny!)  I added 30's all over the background and some gemstones around the corners and Voila!  

(Sorry the pics aren't that great - the colors are more vibrant than what these show, but with the shiny paper it was hard to get a decent shot.)

Close-up - check out the glitter :-)

Trying to show the shininess of the silver paper

Share the Memories ~ Freebie

Doorknob hanger - how fun!  This week's freebie is a doorknob hanger, and because it's for MyMemories software, it's totally customizable!  (Of course there's the general format too, so don't worry if you don't have the software...but the program is pretty cool!  Use my code on the sidebar for a discount if you decide to purchase MyMemories.)

Using MyMemories Software to Customize your Doorknob Hanger

1. Download template file and install it into your software
2. Using MyMemories Suite, choose Create Album From Designer Template and find your project
3. Now you can add pictures, print and enjoy the provided template, or customize it with your own papers and embellishments.

Share the Memories freebie - photobox #2

Hello! If you missed last week's post, please go back and check it out - it explains about the photobox freebie and gives a tutorial on how to use it.  There's also a note about the new format.  Once you know what's going on, you can download this week's photobox freebie :-)  

Enjoy!

Share the Memories Freebie - photobox

NOTE: All of the Friday Freebies will now be MyMemories Suite Compatible.  What does that mean??? It means that you can now load the freebies directly into your MyMemories Suite Software, and then completely customize them with any paper and embellishments that you have.  If you don't have the software, don't' worry, you can still download the sample project and the elements, but you will not be able to customize your project.

Today's freebie is a photobox!  These make great gifts!  You can add pictures of families, individuals, or even special things into the frames!!!  

All you have to do is download and add photos, print, fold at the fold lines, and glue!! It's as easy as that!

p.s. Don't forget to use my code (STMMMS72517) if you buy the software! It will save you $10! :-)


Enjoy!!!

Photobox Tutorial
Using MyMemories Software to Customize your Flower Card

1. Download template file and install it into your software
2. Using MyMemories Suite, choose Create Album From Designer Template and find your project
3. Now you can add pictures, print and enjoy the provided template, or customize it with your own papers and embellishments.

TIP:
You can right-click on the white guide and lock it in place to keep it from moving while you are working. Make sure this is the top layer of your project before printing.

Instead of adding the paper as a background paper, you can add it as an embellishment so that you can move the paper around.  This is especially useful when using papers with stripes or circles, so you can decide which part of the paper you want to use.

Once it is added as an embellishment, you can now select the paper and move it into the position you want it.


Just SAVE and PRINT on cardstock!

Knitting News

So...of you knitters out there, who's ever tried Fair-Isle Knitting?  I haven't...and quite frankly I've been quite happy knitting with just one color, thank you very much! LOL  :-)  But, that's about to change!  I have an opportunity to learn how to Fair-Isle knit....Ut oh! LOL  I'm excited to try this out though!  I don't have all the materials needed at the moment, but from what I've read it seems like this is going to be fun!  I have to admit, I'm a bit nervous because I've yet to use two colors, and reading charts intimidates me!  But, most of what I know of knitting I've learned from Liat (knitfreedom.com) so I feel confident that she'll explain this technique clearly, so even I can understand and follow along in her new book, "The Complete Knitfreedom Video Guide to Fair-Isle Knitting".  Whether I can replicate is yet to be seen! Ha ha!  I'll keep you posted on my progress and I'll post a review of her video guide when I'm all through.  Wish me luck!

Mystery Blog Hop Winner!

I bet you didn't know it (really, how could you? lol) but I was one of the 'mystery' blogs along the hop. That means that I get to randomly choose a winner! So without further adieu, our winner is (insert drum roll here)....

♥...Mo...♥Apr 15, 2012 08:48 AM

Both cards are super beautiful

I just love

Greetings from Venezuela

Congratulations Mo!  You have won a Softpencil digi of your choice!  Please go to the Softpencil blog to find out the details.

Blog Hop #3

Hi Everyone!  First and foremost I want to thank everyone who hopped along this past week and left messages on my blog.  I truly appreciate all the comments!  Second, please hop along for the third and final blog hop at Softpencil!  I'm not partaking in this one, but you will be seeing some fabulous creations for sure!  Have fun!  I'm off to hop now myself.

Enjoy!

Softpencil Blog Hop!!!

Hello all and welcome to the second part of the Softpencil Blog Hop! This part runs from April 15th to April 20th....and I get to be a part of it! Thank you Elizabeth! :-)

We are celebrating the first year of Elizabeth's characters, the Tinytwinies™, the first year of Softpencil Studios relaunching and Elizabeth's 10th anniversary as a professional artist. We're also celebrating the opening of Elizabeth's new shop where all of her products are available: digi-stamps, clear stamps, stickers, rub-ons, kits for card making, scrapbooking and paper crafting - and more products coming soon! 

There are several prizes along the way:

• Elizabeth will be choosing a random winner (through random.org) from the players who complete the blog hop - the winner will receive a gift certificate for $15 to the Softpencil shop... and a surprise!
• All the players who participate by leaving their comments on each blog will receive a free digi-stamp of their choice. Yes! Only leave a comment on each blog and win a digi-stamp! Write to Elizabeth at elizabethpujalka@hotmail.com to let me know you commented on all the blogs. 
• And there is a "mystery blog" so all the girls who leave a comment on that blog will be entered on a drawing to win a digi-stamp... and a little surprise too! 

So be sure to leave a comment at each stop and leave 2 comments back at the Softpencil Blog! 


Now, onto my projects.  For this hop I made two cards - one using Easter Sunny, the other using adorable Lilly.

I colored Easter Sunny with Prismacolor colored pencils and cut it out and embossed it with my Scalloped Squares Nestabilities and my Cuttlebug.  The sentiment is from Stampin' Up, "Spring Fling".  The words had little stars in it, but I didn't care for them so I put yellow flower brads over them :-)  

I colored Lilly with Prismacolor colored pencils and used Circle Nestabilities and my Cuttlebug to cut her out.  For the background I just layered three papers - I couldn't decide which color to go with so I used them all!  The flowers (SU "Close as a Memory") are stamped using SU craft ink in white and then embossed with white powder.  On Lilly, I added glitter to her bow, a brad for the center of her flower, and black glossy accents on her buttons and shoes.  Below is a close-up to try and show the details on her :-)

That's all I have for today!  Don't forget to leave a comment to be entered into the drawing!

Happy hopping!

1- Annette Bowes 

2- April Lower 

3- Stephanie Serrano 

4- Julie Masse 

5- Farida Rone 

6- Monica Torres 

7- Melissa Craig 

8- Carole Rinear Chesser 

9- Michelle Quinno 

10- Debra Miller  (you should have come from here)

11- Heather D ---  This is me!

12- Pauline Guttrey 

13- Cyndi Kim 

14- Mervi 

15- Lola 

16- Jessica Shelton 

17- Monica Flores 

Share the Memories ~ Freebie

Following last week's bookmark freebie is another fabulous bookmark.  Remember that these are examples of what you can create with the files...you can always add or take away features in your product.  Be as creative as you want!  And have fun with it :-)


(If you missed last week's post, it has the tutorial for making bookmarks, not that you really need a tutorial for it lol).


Today's freebie:

Share the Memories ~ Freebie

This week (and next) the freebie is a bookmark!  And along with the freebie is a tutorial to tell you how to create your own using the MyMemories software.  These would make great gifts :-)


STEPS:  Open MyMemories Suite software and choose your album size (I chose 8.5 x 11 for a printable project).  Add the papers and elements you wish to use to create your own printable project (I made these Bookmarks), and when you are finished, click: SHARE ALBUM ====> EXPORT PAGES and save as a .jpg!  The new .jpg papers you created are now usable as stand alone printable projects to use and reuse anytime!  The Freebies enclosed are just samples of the printable projects you can make!  Just print, cut and use!  I just added a little ribbon fringe, and voila!!  What better little "extra" goodie when giving a book?  What about making these for your child's class?  Sunday School?  So many great uses - so easy and fun!



Remember, you can use these files in other programs.  Not that you'll like them as much as you would MyMemories, but you could use them elsewhere :-)

Today's freebie:

Softpencil Blog Hop this Month!!!

Mark your calendars!  Softpencil is having a blog hop to celebrate an anniversary and the unveiling of her new stamps!  Below is the info...and I'll be in the second blog hop :-)  I do hope you hop through all of the great blogs....you never know what you might find! :-)

Liebster Blog Award

I'm sending a thank you shout-out to my friend Diane! She awarded me the Liebster Award :-)

What is the Liebster award? Liebster means "favourite" in German, and the award is given by peers to fellow bloggers who have been able to inspire despite their small following. Once accepted, an award recipient must "pay it forward" by completing the following steps:

1) Post the award to your blog. 
2) Link back to the person's blog who gave it to you and thank them. 
3) Give the award to five bloggers with less than 200 followers that you appreciate and value. 
4) Leave a comment on the five blogs you chose to let them know that they have been given the Liebster award.

Here are five blogs that I feel deserve to receive the Liebster award:


1.  Regan - Charmed Stamping
I 'met' Regan through Sassy Studios Designs - they have some fabulously sassy images!  I think we are long lost sisters LOL  Love her style and creative thinking when it comes to making cards and being crafty.

2. Elizabeth - Softpencil Studios
 Elizabeth, the owner and designer of Softpencil Studios, makes adorable stamps! She started with digis, and then moved on to have rubber and clear stamps of her digis, and now has a whole line of products from stickers to rub-ons to decals.  (oh, she's having a blog hop coming up soon! Watch her site for details!)

3. Kelly - Finding Time to Create
Want to check out some really cool ideas for using your Silhouette (or Cameo) cutting machine? This is THE place to look!  Kelly has such fantastic ideas, and she often has tutorials so you can create your own masterpieces!  Thank you Kelly for all your inspiring ideas! :-)

4. Chris - Visual Designs by Chris
More Silhouette (and other cutters) designs!  Chris does a great job creating new files all the time! Plus she's got a slew of other creators at her shop, so you can find any design you're looking for!

5. Diane - My Useless Crafts and Such
Ok, so technically, Diane can't really get this award from me since she's the one who gave it to me, but she'd be the top of my list if I had received the award first!  Diane and I have been friends forever!  We have very similar likes/dislikes when it comes to crafting, although I'm way less OCD! (right Di?? lol)  Love ya!

Share the Memories ~ Freebie

Following  last week's freebie, this week's is also a paper/background.  If you missed how to create your own paper, please read last week's post.

Please note that all of these are .png files only, not MyMemories Suite Templates. They are usable in any software and are for everyone!! This freebie includes all of the papers and elements used in creating the above. The elements are.png and the papers are .jpg format. These  will not autoinstall into the software itself, but are used by adding to your project as you would a photo, and then layering your photo behind the open box. From there you can add journaling, embellishments and more to truly personalize!! 

Have fun with your freebie! If you post about your creation, please leave a link to your post in the comments section so I can check it out.  Happy scrapping!

p.s. If you're having fun creating these pages, why not check out the software package that mymemories offers?  Use my code for a great discount: STMMMS72517 - you can click the link on my sidebar.

Share the Memories ~ Freebie

This week's freebie is a paper/background freebie.  Creating your own background papers is easy in My Memories software! Whatever you create can be saved as a jpg which means you can use it time and time again! All you have to do is export to jpg format and voila! you've created a background paper!  How fun and easy is that?!  Here are the steps, in case you need them:

STEPS:  Open MyMemories Suite software and choose your album size.  Add the papers and elements you wish to use to create your own digital paper, and when you are finished, click: SHARE ALBUM ====> EXPORT PAGES and save as a .jpg!  The new .jpg papers you created are now usable as stand alone papers to use and reuse anytime!  The freebie below is just a sample of digital papers that you, too, can make!  All of the elements used to create these two papers are included in this week's freebie - use them any way to want and create your own!

Please note that all of these are .png files only, not MyMemories Suite Templates. They are usable in any software and are for everyone!! This freebie includes  all of the papers and elements used in creating the above. The elements are.png and the papers are .jpg format. These Quick Pages will not autoinstall into the software itself, but are used by adding to your project as you would a photo, and then layering your photo behind the open box. From there you can add journaling, embellishments and more to truly personalize!! 

Have fun with your freebie! If you post about your creation, please leave a link to your post in the comments section so I can check it out.  Happy scrapping!

p.s. If you're having fun creating these pages, why not check out the software package that mymemories offers?  Use my code for a great discount: STMMMS72517 - you can click the link on my sidebar.

Share the Memories ~ Freebie

Following last week's freebie, this one is also designed for 4x6 photocards, but can be used anyway you want to use them!  Get creative with them.  Enjoy your freebie!

Please note that all of these are .png files only, not MyMemories Suite Templates. They are usable in any software and are for everyone!! This freebie includes 2 Quick Pages, and all of the papers and elements used in creating them. The elements and QuickPages are.png and the papers are .jpg format. These Quick Pages will not autoinstall into the software itself, but are used by adding to your project as you would a photo, and then layering your photo behind the open box. From there you can add journaling, embellishments and more to truly personalize!!  

Have fun with your freebie! If you post about your creation, please leave a link to your post in the comments section so I can check it out.  Happy scrapping!

p.s. If you're having fun creating these pages, why not check out the software package that mymemories offers?  Use my code for a great discount: STMMMS72517 - you can click the link on my sidebar.

Share the Memories ~ Freebie

Hi! Sorry about the delay this week but the links didn't come out on their normal day.  Oh well...better late than never!  Anyway, today's (and next week's) freebie can be used for 4x6 photocards, or you can add them to your layouts too!  Very versatile!  Enjoy! (and remember that these are png files so anyone can use them)

Please note that all of these are .png files only, not MyMemories Suite Templates. They are usable in any software and are for everyone!! This freebie includes 2 Quick Pages, and all of the papers and elements used in creating them. The elements and QuickPages are.png and the papers are .jpg format. These Quick Pages will not autoinstall into the software itself, but are used by adding to your project as you would a photo, and then layering your photo behind the open box. From there you can add journaling, embellishments and more to truly personalize!!  

Have fun with your freebie! If you post about your creation, please leave a link to your post in the comments section so I can check it out.  Happy scrapping!

p.s. If you're having fun creating these pages, why not check out the software package that mymemories offers?  Use my code for a great discount: STMMMS72517 - you can click the link on my sidebar.

Delay

Sorry folks, but there won't be a freebie until tomorrow.  The freebies were late to arrive this week so it's going to be delayed a day.  Please check back tomorrow!

Happy Crafting!

Share the Memories ~ Freebie

Freebie time!  Here's the latest one...

Please note that all of these are .png files only, not MyMemories Suite Templates. They are usable in any software and are for everyone!! This freebie includes 2 Quick Pages, and all of the papers and elements used in creating them. The elements and QuickPages are.png and the papers are .jpg format. These Quick Pages will not autoinstall into the software itself, but are used by adding to your project as you would a photo, and then layering your photo behind the open box. From there you can add journaling, embellishments and more to truly personalize!! 

Have fun with your freebie! If you post about your creation, please leave a link to your post in the comments section so I can check it out.  Happy scrapping!

p.s. If you're having fun creating these pages, why not check out the software package that mymemories offers?  Use my code for a great discount: STMMMS72517 - you can click the link on my sidebar.

Share the Memories ~ Freebie

Another great freebie coming at ya!  This one is perfect for Valentine's Day...and if you need to make v-day cards this could work out fabulously for you!  Check out the freebie below and the tutorial on making a v-day card.  Enjoy!

Here's a tutorial that uses this first card freebie: Using the Card Tutorial  There are so many options!  Look for more tutorials coming up!

Please note that all of these are .png files only, not MyMemories Suite Templates. They are usable in any software and are for everyone!! This freebie includes 2 Quick Pages, and all of the papers and elements used in creating them. The elements and QuickPages are.png and the papers are .jpg format. These Quick Pages will not autoinstall into the software itself, but are used by adding to your project as you would a photo, and then layering your photo behind the open box. From there you can add journaling, embellishments and more to truly personalize!!

Have fun with your freebie! If you post about your creation, please leave a link to your post in the comments section so I can check it out.  Happy scrapping!

p.s. If you're having fun creating these pages, why not check out the software package that mymemories offers?  Use my code for a great discount: STMMMS72517 - you can click the link on my sidebar.

My Memories Suite Page

Here's for you Di!  I made this page just for you....since you wanted to see an example :-)  I made it in 8.5x11 since I know that you prefer to not have the 12x12 size :-) This was not a pre-set page - everything on it was built by moi.  I hope you like it! 

Tools: My Memories Suite software program

Share the Memories ~ Freebie

Hello again! It's time for the next My Memories freebie!  Check it out...

Please note that all of these are .png files only, not MyMemories Suite Templates. They are usable in any software and are for everyone!! This freebie includes 2 Quick Pages, and all of the papers and elements used in creating them. The elements and QuickPages are.png and the papers are .jpg format. These Quick Pages will not autoinstall into the software itself, but are used by adding to your project as you would a photo, and then layering your photo behind the open box. From there you can add journaling, embellishments and more to truly personalize!!

Have fun with your freebie! If you post about your creation, please leave a link to your post in the comments section so I can check it out.  Happy scrapping!

p.s. If you're having fun creating these pages, why not check out the software package that mymemories offers?  Use my code for a great discount: STMMMS72517 - you can click the link on my sidebar.