::ANNA::

Everyday Storyteller Winner

Thanks to all who participated!  I don't think I've seen so many comments on my blog, and can I say, what a wealth of information for any scrapbooker?

The lucky winner is:

Congrats Becky!  You'll be contact by Jennifer Wilson shortly.

Everyday Storyteller Blog Hop + GiveAway

It's almost time!

The release of the Everyday Storyteller is just around the corner, Friday May 4, 2012 at 10pm CST to be exact.

I'm excited to be able to share some of my favorite simple techniques that yield artsy complex results in digital scrapbook pages.  Never overthink the process.  When you allow the art of play to take over, magic happens.

In the meantime you are cordially invited to sign up for a VIP invite to attend the launch party happening at 8.30pm CDT just prior to the release.  There are over $600 in prizes up for grabs during this event including a little something from me.  It will be a GOOD time for sure.

*Please note that this GiveAway is now closed*

I have one copy of Everyday Storyteller to give away as part of a series of GiveAways and the best part is the winners will get their hands on this pot of gold before everyone else.  All you have to do is leave a comment answering the following question:

What is your most practical advice for Everyday Storytellers?

A winner will selected at random and I ask that you leave just one comment. The GiveAways will close at 11:59pm CDT on Tuesday May 1 2012.  

Good luck and get hopping :)

1. Cheryl Ashcraft
2. Anna Aspnes <<YOU ARE HERE
3. Katie Clemons
4. Elise Blaha
5. Paula Gilarde
6. Sara Gleason
7. Michelle Hernandez
8. Debbie Hodge
9. Katrina Kennedy
10. Amy Kingsford
11. Cindy Liebel
12. Crystal Livesay
13. Robyn Meierotto
14. CD Muckosky
15. Nancy Nally
16. Christine Newman
17. Ashli Oliver
18. Amanda Padgett
19. Renee Pearson
20. Lynnette Penacho
21. Elle Price
22. Heather Prins
23. Traci Reed
24. Lauren Reid
25. Amber Ries
26. Kristin Rutten
27. Betsy Sammarco
28. Jenn Smith-Sloane
29. Jessica Sprague
30. Melissa Stinson
31. Amy Tan
32. Tiffany Tillman
33. Jennifer Wilson

LOAD512

My friend Lain Ehmann kicks off LOAD512 on Monday and there are just a few spots remaining.

LOAD512 a.k.a LayOut A Day May 2012 is an opportunity to kickstart your scrapbooking and get not some, but LOTS of pages done.  31 Layouts in 31 days to be exact.  You get to spend the entire month with Lain and with daily emails and videos, you’ll be challenged to take your scrapbooking to new levels.

Digital or paper matters not to Lain.  Complete all the layouts or just a few.  It's the type of challenge you can make work for you and might be just what you need to get a few more stories documented this month.

Find out more information and learn what others are saying.

Jump on it before LOAD512 is sold out.

The Digi Dares + GiveAway

[Digital Supply List]

Last month I participated in the Digi Dares, a weekly challenge that promises to stretch, grow and hone your skills as a scrapbooker.  

Each week a new challenge is posted outlining the theme of the challenge and the parameters for the techniques and types of product to be used.  The team of Digi Darers create layouts to help inspire you and each challenge is sponsored by a differrent digital designer which results in weekly prizes in the form of coupons.  What's not to love about this?

If you do this challenge every week, you'll have at least 4 layouts per month, which is 32 pages in one year that reflect your life right now and say a little bit about who you are and what is important to you.

AnnaTeamer, Barb Hogan, is one of the Digi Darers and responsible for getting me involved.

I accepted one of the challenges in September and won for my week.  in light of this, I have decided I would like to give my prize away.  Go check out the Digi Dares and tell me something you learned while visiting.  Also if you participate in this week's challenge, leave a link to your layout for a bonus entry.  I will randomly select 4 winners on Friday October 21, 2011 to receive the following prizes:

$10 GiftKard to deisgns by Kaye Winiecki 

$10 GiftKard to HGD by Laurie Ann

$10 GiftKard to Studio Basic Designs

$10 to deisgns by Sabrina Dupre 

I will be sponsoring and participating in the Digi Dares again in November.

*Please note that this GiveAway is now closed*

3 New Ways to Learn More

There are 3 new and very cool looking classes being revealed at Get It Scrapped right now.  You might have noticed the changes in the sidebar earlier in the week as I have updated the some of the images to reflect these changes.  

I want to spend a little time today introducing you to the teachers and what you will learn in each of their classes.

Blending and Beyond by Jana Morton

I'm super-excited about this class!  Blending is afterall one of the core techniques to my own work and it's the reason I quickly transitioned from being a new paper scrapbooker to a digital artist almost 9 years ago. 

In this six week class, Jana will show you how to easily elevate your pages from traditional layouts to beautiful digital FotoART.  There are a total of 6 lessons in which you'll be able to observe Jana's entire creative process from start to finish for a creating each of her 6 layouts.  She will demonstrate 3 of her signature techniques, to include blending, what she refers as *spilling over* and extractions.  Each technique will be repeated once, so you'll get to see the same technique twice in two different layouts, through a series of live webinar and pre-recorded videos.

Here is a never before seen excerpt from one of the Blending and Beyond videos:

You can learn more about this class, read what people are saying about Jana's work and sign up here.

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Exposure by Katrina Kennedy

Katrina's passion is capturing every day ordinary moments, and not only does she know her way around a camera, she also has the knack of being able to teach you how to use one in a very clear and concise manner.  She has helped thousands of students get the most out of their camera's through her classes and on-line workshops.  She is also founder and owner of Capture Your 365 which promotes the value of taking a photo a day.

Exposure is also a 6 week workshop in which you'll learn how to get to grips with manual mode, adopt a better understanding of light and fully grasp the art of exposure, from correct to creative.  Katrina will teach you how to take beautiful photos in every situtation, both typical every day and in challenging lighting conditions.  Lessons are delivered in both pre-recorded video and written .pdf format.

Learn everything about Katrina's rocking class and sign up here.

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MacGyver's Project Remix by Amy Kingsford

Amy Kingsford's new class is paper-based but appeals to me because it "is about looking at what you have in front of you in new and creative ways. It’s about combining your skills, on-hand supplies and new tools and techniques to make dynamic layouts and projects."  This think-outside-the-box approach is my kind of class.  I like to stretch my mind once in a while, view other possibilities and achieve the extra-ordinary from the ordinary.  I kind of think of myself as a Macgyver but with a digital approach.

While this class is primarily intended for the paper or hybrid scrapbooker, I see the think-outside-the-box approach as having possible applications to the digital scrapbooker in the following ways:

• Use up any paper supplies you may still have lying around in hybrid layouts or projects other than scrapbooking  layouts.
• Repurpose everyday household odds and ends (which could then be scanned and extracted using Jana's instructions from Blending and Beyond, for use in digital or hybrid pages).
• Explore the possibilites in hybrid scrapbooking if you are only a digital scrapbooker.
• Take the principles of the MacGyver approach to paper scrapbooking and apply them virtually to digital scrapbooking.

Please note that these are my personal opinions and observations on the class based on my own MacGyver tendencies. You can get the low-down on the actual class content here.

I'm really loving the new Fall line-up at Get It Scrapped this year, which offers some super opportunities to hone your scrapbooking and photography skills, and all from the comfort of you own home.  As a reader of my blog you can use the coupon code 10%OFFVIAANNA  to take an additional 10% off any item in the store through Friday October 7, 2011.

AWESOME.

Spawn of TrueScrap GiveAway

 

My friend Lain Ehmann, famed for her ability to get you scrapbooking a LayOut A Day (LOAD), is hosting another True Scrap event, hence The Spawn of True Scrap, and she's going to let one of you attend for free.

The Spawn of True Scrap is a LIVE on-line event featuring a bundle of classes with some of the top teachers in the industry and it's all happening the weekend of 20-22 October 2011.  Best of all, you can attend right from the comfort of your own home.  This event promises beaucoup inspiration and a chance to hang out with like minded people.  Check out the video and all the details here.

There are a few ways you can enter this GiveAway.  Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

1.  Check out the video on the True Scrap website and tell me what appeals to you most about this event.

2.  Post this GiveAway on Facebook/and or Twitter.

3.  Tell me how many layouts you have created so far this month.

A winner will be select randomly and posted on Wednesday 21 September 2011.

Thanks for playing.

Ella-Bo-Bella-Fi-Fella

That's what we call her.  Not exactly short enough to be a nickname but somehow it has stuck.

Life has been a bit rough for her lately.  We made the decision to keep her back this year, not because she isn't smart.  She just wasn't ready to move up to second grade.  We expected the transition to be difficult, but anticipation is one thing.  Living it is completely different.

Last Monday, was her first day back.  Same class but 14 other students.  Former Kindergartners who didn't know the rules that she had learned last year and all noticeably smaller than her.  It was hard for her and equally as hard for me to watch.  For the first time, among the many tears, I began to question our decision to hold her back.

The week was also complicated with the arrival of  Mama and Papa for a 6 week stay, Dad moving to a new work schedule, landscapers beginning some work in the yard and a heavy workload for me.  We had a lot going on last week, and took the weekend to *breathe*.

Monday rolled around like it always does, and Ella seems to be getting used to a new her new normal. It's good to see her smile again.

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Thank you to everyone who has responded to my Shutterfly post and Photobook question.  I'm a working on a new venture and your input is proving to be invaluable. 

Winners of the 4 books I have to give away will be announced at 2pm MST tomorrow, so there's still time if you haven't already posted.  I appreciate your time.  Thank you.

New Books at Shutterfly

Shutterfly have recently launched some new products, which include new photobooks in new sizes, as well as a soft cover option.

Even better...I have one each of the following to give away:

5x7 with a soft cover
7x9 with a soft cover
8x8 with a soft cover  
8x11 with a hard cover

In the comments section of this post, please answer the following question and let me know your choice book size, and why?

What do you find most difficult about creating photobooks?

Winners will be announced on Wednesday.

hello hello

Wow...This feels new and kind of different to making my first 2009 post.

It's been a while hasn't it?

Things got a little crazy last month, and I didn't quite get around to wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, before I boarded a plane destined for the UK. 

I hope it was a good one.

I'm finally feeling human again after a whirlwind of adventures in England and Scotland and am just working up the muster to start going through the 1000 + photos I have on my external hard drive.

Watch this space....

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A new year always offers the opportunity to implement change.  It's a clean slate, so to speak.  It's not about resolutions, for me, but a chance to tweak my life a little in order to make it better.

I have followed along with Ali Edward's One Little Word for the last few years, and this year my word is:

{revive}

There are so many aspects of my life that need {revive}ing and that will be my focus in 2009.

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I'm participating in the Artslam Diptych Project this month with my good friend Ronalyn Barut. She running a little behind but you can see what we've done so far here.
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Digital Scrapbooking is featured on the Today Show 5 January 2009.  You can see my Tribute photobook on display.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

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I have also becoming a "fan" of Facebook and have found it's far easier to update that or Twitter than I am this blog.  So while I am back to regular posting, if you're interested in the inbetween "stuff", then feel free to add me as a friend.
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It's GOOD to be back!

Penscrappers #2

Round 2 of Wacom's penscrappers is now up.  You can see my pages here and here.