Making Memories

Colorboard Challenge

We love taking family vacations and who doesn’t? I think some of our most memorable vacations are just fun family road trips. With 6 kids the car rides can get a little crazy but that’s half the fun to think of games to play, songs to sing and sites to stop at along the way. I love these photos because this is our reality…. our family road trips….Noah sleeping, kids in the back watching videos or singing along to the family iPod, Ben driving and me… enjoying the family time together.

I would love to see how you document YOUR family vacations. What is your favorite part? Is it the ride? Is it the destination? Get those family vacations pictures out and scrapbook them and when you are done, upload your pages here. I can’t wait to see how you spend your family vacation time together!

Have fun.
Christy

Let's Make It A Cheeky Day?

Today we wanted to give away some of MM's newest Cheeky collection, which we are so excited about. 

So, to do so we want you to comment and tell us what colors you most often use when you scrapbook.  Are you one who keeps up with all the color trends and incorporates them into your work or are you more of a classic color scrapper?  What specific colors do you use most often?

It's really that simple.  Just leave us a comment and we'll post 5 winners who will receive the Cheeky collection on Monday. 

Happy Wednesday!

Tulsa Fun

Who knew that it would be 110 degrees in Tulsa?  My daughter Brittany (Pook) and I traveded to Oklahoma this weekend to teach some classes at the CK Convention. We left on Thursday (heightened security day, of course) and despite what we heard all day on the news, it was my fastest time through airport security lines…about 5 minutes! When we were renting our rental car Thursday night, I jumped at the chance to rent a convertible (if was between that and a SUV). I was thinking it would be great to have a convertible to cruise around in when we weren’t teaching. As it turned out, it was sooooooo hot that we had to wait until after dark, on the last night of our trip, when we were returning from the Will Roger’s University preserve to put the top down!!!. Evidently, they were having a heat wave.

The classes and the students are always fun at these events and the women of Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri (and all the other places that the students were from) are no exception. They are warm, friendly, enthusiastic and in general, wonderful to be around!

As usual, Pook had done her research about where we could go after teaching so that we could exercise/sightsee on foot! Never mind that it felt like a furnace outside…we walked. About 6 miles along the Arkansas River walk on Friday (I got blisters even though at home I walk that distance almost every day) and as you will see from the pictures….because she is so much faster than I am (and I’m not slow, honest) I only see Pook’s backside when we are on these power walks. It is a spectacular area! The next day when we were in the preserve, walking the trails, we came around a corner and were startled to see two deer’s, in the middle we decided that they were cardboard cutouts and laughed at ourselves for thinking that these were real….when they got up and walked away!

Tulsa was fabulous, both the area and the people….thank you for your hospitality…the heat, I’m not so crazy about! Until next time.

Gail

What’s Your Favorite MM Product Currently?

We asked this question to our design team members and this is what they said:

Joanna Bolick – Cheeky Board Clips

I can’t get enough of the MM Cheeky board clips (my new favorite) and the Valentine’s day tags (my old favorite).

Erin Terrell – MM’s New Halloween Program

I am not a huge Halloween fan, but I do ADORE the new Making Memories Halloween line. It’s too cute for words, and I’ve been inspired to create a Halloween album…something I’ve never imagined doing before. Last year Daisy went trick-or-treating at my boyfriend’s mom’s house (there’s a mouthful), and *seriously* I have never seen anyone more excited over Halloween. And I’m talking about Mrs. Clarkson, not Daisy. She decorated her entire front porch and yard, and had created individual baggies of candy for all of the trick-or-treaters. She showed Daisy the best Halloween ever, so the least I can do is give her a fun album of memories as a small thank-you. The stickers, rub-ons, and pre-made album make this a fast and easy project!

Keisha Campbell –Crystal Brads

I’m always reaching for crystal brads – l love them!

Maggie Holmes – Letter Stickers

MM has so many letter stickers - different type styles, different colors, etc. that I can usually find some to match any type of layout I am working on. And, my favorite thing to do with them is to mix and match them with other letter stickers or rub-ons to create my titles.

Lynne Montgomery – Blossoms

My current favorite product is not a newer product, it’s an old favorite.  It's the Blossoms.  I seem to put them on everything.  On this page I’ve used them with a different twist.  I gave them a little paint to blend with my page and also backed them with coordinating patterned paper to make them stand out a bit more and look a little more substantial.  I love the new mini ones and extra large ones too!!

Christy Tomlinson – Textured Tape

I currently love the textured tape.  It’s such an easy embellishment to use on just about anything. 

So, what's your current MM favorite?

 

 

 

 

What's Shipping in August

The waiting is over.    Some of your favorite new releases are preparing to ship to your local retailer.  In August, look for the following products to start arriving at your favorite scrapbook store -

Are you Cheeky?™ - Create happy, playful and sassy projects with Abby or Emery – our two newest fully coordinated lines of paper, shimmer stickers, pebble stickers, clips, textured tapes, ribbons and more. 

Punch perfect slots for ribbon and paper weaving, or create a notch for a photo corner using either your Instant Setter™ or Making Memories® hammer with our new Slot Punching Tool.

Our incredibly realistic paper flowers now come in two new sizes.  Jumbo Blossoms™ are available in packs with both 2” and 3” flowers and jumbo crystal brads for connecting.  While the Mini Blossom packs contain 50 mixed flowers and 30 mini brads.

9”x 9” albums are the perfect size to feature two 4”x6” photos on each page.  Our latest albums are available in 5 new shades of faux leather – lavender, navy, sky blue, manila and meadow.

Making tags in bulk?  Our Tag Maker™ rims are now available in single size packs.   Watch for packs of 12 rims in both the large and medium sizes in tag, square and circle shapes. 

More products will begin shipping the end of August, so be sure to check back to find out how to be the first to get it all.   

Since my boys both started school last week, I feel like summer is quickly coming to an end and I feel the sudden need to take more pictures and document all of the things I love about summer.

It's the little things that I want to remember - the boys eating popsicles on the front porch (and me telling them to eat quickly before the popsicles melt because it is so hot here), how much fun they have going to the driving range with their dad,  and how cute they look when they come home with their faces all red and their hair all wet and sweaty!

The one thing I knew I had to document was a picture of Nathan's little piggie toes in his flip flops! I know I am partial but I just think that it is the cutest thing ever!! He learned to walk this summer and just the sound of him walking around in his flip flops brings a smile to my face!

My challenge to you this week is to stop and think about the little things of summer - the things that you might not normally think to document or photograph. What makes summer special or unique for your family. What things about summer make you happy? Take some pictures of those things and make a scrapbook page, or 2 or 10 so that you will never forget.

I used the MM colorboard frame and the MM orange felt ribbon to add some fun summer color to my page. I wanted it to be bright and fun but I still wanted my photo to take center stage so I used small amounts of each color set against the white background. Then I used the MM rub-on alphabets for my title and again I love how it stands out on the white background.

Have fun with this one and I can't wait to see what makes summer fun and meaningful for each of you! Be sure to upload your layouts when you are done! You have one week to upload your layouts and then we will put everyone's name in a bowl and draw one person to receive some MM summer products!!

Happy Summer!!!

Hugs

Maggie

Magazine Inspiration

I am forever and a day tearing ads and pages out of magazines and catalogs to use as inspiration on my layouts. No junk mail can be recycled until it has passed through my final inspection! Usually, I try to hold off on tearing pages out of my husband’s magazines until AFTER he’s read them, but sometimes he’s not so lucky!

I tear out pages for a variety of reasons, the main ones being:
color scheme
the arrangement of the type
a specific font
the photo

I’ve included 3 pages here that I’ve recently torn out and put into my inspiration “pile” that will hopefully make its way into a notebook soon.

The first is a section opener from Real Simple magazine, and I loved the vibrant color scheme as well as the little photo on the front side of the boat.

The second is the cover from a recent Land of Nod catalog. I’m not quite sure how this page will make its way onto my layout but I liked the mix of the alphabet and drawings.

The third is an advertisement from Entertainment Weekly. I tore this page out to remind myself to try and take a similar photo of my husband and son while we’re at the beach in a few weeks (most likely without the large sunglasses...)

So tell me, how does your junk mail influence you??

Joanna

A Tip for Organization

Keeping a scrapbook area clean and organized is next to impossible…I do try, but never feel truly organized. There are so many new products out, and I never seem to use up the old stuff I already own! I have to admit, my easiest method for organizing is to neatly stack everything into a cardboard box. :o)

   

However, every now and then (when I decide I’m tired of walking through a maze of cardboard boxes), I try to find a ‘place’ for my stuff. One thing I’ve discovered about myself is that if I don’t see something, chances are good I won’t use it. Because of that personality quirk, I’ve discovered that the MM modular storage works really well for me.

I love that everything is so easy to access and that I can swap out photos (or fortunes from fortune cookies!) and have a fun display board.

I try to keep my favorite products tucked in the mesh baskets so I always have something fun within reach. Whenever I get a new product in that I know I’ll use a LOT—I immediately fill a basket. So this week when I got a package of the MM Cheeky Jigsaw shapes—into the basket they went!!

Now I’ll be sure to use them on my pages because I’ll see them every time I’m at my desk.

What are your favorite storage tips?  erin t.

We want to hear from you…

You are invited to join a new Making Memories customer advisory panel. This panel is like a feedback board where scrapbookers like you tell us how you feel about Making Memories products, marketing, designs and ideas.

To apply, go to www.scrapbookpanel.com and click "join the panel". If you're selected as a panelist, we'll send you a 6-minute survey every week or two via email. And to thank you, you will receive a free Making Memories goodie box every month for as long as you actively participate on the panel.

It's easy and fun to participate, you get free Making Memories products and you can help Making Memories improve through your feedback.   

Make sure to sign up!

Chipboard Challenge

If you frequent the scrapbooking message boards and blogs, you’ve probably heard about the big convention “CHA” that just took place in Chicago. Everyone is talking about it, because that’s where the new product is shown!  We’ve even had a few sneak peeks of new Making Memories product here on our blog. One of my favorite new lines we’ve released is the Cheeky line of coordinating papers, clips, chipboard, and stickers. The Cheeky Jigsaw Shapes are my favorite!! Look for them in a store near you (or online) in the middle of August.  In anticipation for the Chipboard shapes, let’s do a chipboard challenge.  Use any of the MM jigsaw or chipboard that you have.  Upload your page when you are done. 

Here is a layout where I’ve used a sprinkling of them to add color and texture to my page.

Supplies:

MM Cheeky Jigsaw Shapes

MM Velvet Sayings: Summer

MM Cardstock: 9x9 Textured: Sherbet (light blue)

MM Ribbon for Cards: Red Wagon

MM Rub-Ons: Alphabets: Circus: Valentine

MM Rub-Ons: Images: Love

MM Rub-Ons: Wordage: Teens

Font: Arial

Other cardstock: Bazzil (dark blue)

Instructions:

1. Trim background to 9x9 and print journaling directly on page (arial font)
2. Layer on light blue cardstock with rounded edges and ribbon trim along bottom
3. Print B&W photo with border and text (leave room to add chipboard heart in the text)
4. Place photo on page and add rub-ons and velvet stickers
5. Add Cheeky Jigsaw Shapes and you’re finished!