Sarah Bennett CT Blog

The Sarah Bennett Train departing for the last time

2010-07-28T06:59:00.000-07:00

Our wonderful designer Sarah Bennett has decided to hang up her "designing hat" and is retiring. We wanted to say goodbye to Designs By Sarah Bennett in style! We are conducting a Template Blog Train so all her loyal fans and customers can take one last ride with us! Some of Sarah's CT has put together some beautiful templates for you. Just follow the train and you will have some gorgeous page layouts ready for all of Sarah's sale goodies!

Sarah's beautiful store (except for SM collabs) is 50% off! That is an incredible deal for such high quality products that will soon no longer be available.

So enjoy these FREE templates and then go grab some cute scrap products for a steal in Sarah's shop and you are set for some serious scrapping!

Your first stop on this blog train is Katie, and here is the entire itinerary in case you get a little lost along the way
CT Blog http://designsbysarahbennett.blogspot.com/ <---you are here
Katie: http://scrappingwithkatie.blogspot.com/
Amanda: http://mandasmemories.blogspot.com/
AmyP: http://amyp-unforgettablemoments.blogspot.com/
Britanee: http://britaneesscraps.blogspot.com/
Janine: http://digitalscrappinrocks.blogspot.com/
AmyM: http://melniczenkomusings.blogspot.com/
and then off to Sarah's shop to buy some super cute things at super low prices :)

Here is a little peek of the things you will find in Sarah's shop. Most kits will be just $2.50, and there are some things even less than that. Your total will show up in your shopping cart. Enjoy the Template Blog Train, and have fun shopping!

Spotlighting “My Buddy”

2010-07-23T00:38:00.001-07:00

Hi everybody, this is Kim, and for my post today I thought carefully about which of Sarah’s kits I wanted to talk about. There are truly several of her kits that have become go-to parts of my stash because of the beautiful colors and versatile elements Sarah creates, but definitely the one I have used the most is the adorable “My Buddy” kit.

This is the kit of Sarah’s that I have come back to the most often, not only for layouts made from solely this kit, but also when I am looking around for just the right elements. I love the fresh clean colors in the kit, and the metal elements, especially the frames. I have a little boy, so many of the elements are perfect for scrapping his adventures, but so many other pages have shown up in the gallery using this kit that are NOT about little boys. I have to say, though, that by FAR my most favorite part of this kit is the alpha. Anyone cruising through my gallery would surely notice that I turn to it again and again. Just to show you all the things you can do with this kit, I decided to share some pages here that I have made with it, and then some pages from some other scrappers as well.

Just take a look…

Pages from me using My Buddy

HA…that’s a lot. I clearly love this kit.

Here are some more from the gallery. AMAZING!!

Okay, now THAT is some inspirational variety! Don’t you love the colors and the circles? Imagine all the ways you could use that alpha! Please head over to Sarah’s store and grab My Buddy. It is perfect for so many of your memories!

Wednesday = Fun Day Freebie!!!!

2010-07-21T07:47:00.000-07:00

Hello ladies, and welcome to Fun Day Freebie Wednesday! I (jendavey) have created a super fun freebie for you....

Inspired by Sarah's adorable Clearly Funky Alpha

I have created two cute Titleworks that you can use on any layout you desire!

Download

Can't wait to see how you use these! and I hope you enjoy your Wednesday!!

Inspiration Monday

2010-07-19T13:40:00.000-07:00

Hi guys! Megg here with todays thought of inspiration. I don't know about where you live, but here the last few weeks in Tennessee it's been hot. Sweltering, humid, just down right miserable. So my thought for today on something to scrap, is to think of something that you have overcome, and scrap about it. It could be anything from how we beat the heat, to helping teach a child their ABC's. It's only a journey if you remember where you've come from. That's how you learn. So scrap overcoming something. Here's my page, "Leaps and Bounds" of how my little girl overcame her fear of jumping on the trampoline. It was monumental, let me tell ya.

I used one of my favorite all time Sarah Bennett Kits, Remember Me, and if you click on my page, you can find a link to her store. Post a link to your pages in the comments. Happy Scrapping folks!

Blast from the Past - Wild Oats

2010-07-16T08:30:00.000-07:00

This is such a darling kit, but one that tends to get missed since it is a collaboration with Chelle's Creations and is in Chelle's store. You can find it here. I wanted to share just a few of the layouts in the ScrapMatters gallery featuring this kit.
I will start us off with one of my own. I made this card to send to Operation Write Home. Right now they have challenged cardmakers to make cards for the soldiers to send home to their children. I instantly thought of this kit, and this is what I came up with.Then there is this one by Aussiegirl.This one by .megan.These invites, favors and thank you cards by BrandiRD for a themed party This one by Wimpychompers
And last but not least, this one by ErinMcD.I hope that this has given you a few ideas, be sure to look for it here!

Freebie Wednesday!

2010-07-14T05:59:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Britanee here, bringing you the freebie for Freebie Wednesday. Have you seen Sarah's latest kit, "Old Glory"? It's a new favorite of mine, i'm in love! For the freebie today, I created a QP for everyone.

{download HERE}

If you download it, leave a comment! We'd love to hear from you :)

2010-07-13T16:34:00.000-07:00

I realized something recently that has made me quite happy: I no longer purchase scrapbooking magazines or stand in the magazine aisle leafing through a handful of them in order to find inspiration from other scrapbookers. Instead, I check out the online galleries and am far more inspired than I was when I forked over money for those magazines. How cool is that? Digital scrapbooking has certainly changed a lot in my life - for the better!

Today I'm going to spotlight some of the layouts using Sarah's products that have recently popped up in the galleries. I'm continually amazed at the amount of talent that lives in digiscrappers - you gals are awesome! Check out these layouts, then click on them to leave some love for their creators. Maybe you'll see something that inspires you for your own next layout!

This layout, entitled Family, was created by Trixie Scraps. She used a collab of her own with Sarah called "Sunday Afternoon". I absolutely LOVE the stacked papers and all the layered papers and elements. I especially love the circle and flower along the side of the page. It's a small touch that really adds a unique detail.

The next layout that really grabbed my attention is this one by Cheri called Tires. It's a perfect boy page, and I can't believe how well the elements in Sarah's "Tough Boy" kit mimic the tires in the photos! The composition of the layout and the color scheme are just fantastic.

Finally, take a look at this stunning hybrid card created by Abhall76 called Because of the Brave. WOW! The simple beauty and heartfelt sentiment of the card are incredible. What soldier or soldier's family wouldn't tear up upon receiving this? It's a fantastic use of Sarah's "Old Glory" kit.

Congratulations to all three Gallery Stand Out artists! We all LOVE seeing your work, so keep scrapping and making gorgeous layouts and projects with Sarah's goodies!

Annisa

Take A Peek Thursday

2010-07-08T19:29:00.000-07:00

Take a peek at all the gorgeous SB layouts popping up in the ScrapMatters gallery!

You Make My Heart Sing by kladle using Sarah's Sister Sue kit

Leaps and Bounds by megg26 using Sarah's Remember Me kit

Silly Sleeper by sm_amber and using Sarah's My Buddy kit

Why don't you give some of Sarah's 'older' kits another look?!

It's Freebie Wednesday!

2010-07-07T06:13:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, Janine here with this week's Freebie Wednesday! I hope that those of you that celebrated the 4th of July had a wonderful time. I really loved the collab kit Old Glory done by Designs by Sarah Bennett and Trixie Scraps Designs so I created two cluster frames for you for the freebie this week. I hope you enjoy it, here is a preview of what you will be getting:

Click HERE to download the freebie and please leave a comment here or on 4shared I love to read them!

If you love the freebie you can check out this amazing kit the freebie was made with HERE.

Have a fantastic rest of the week!

Tell Your Story, Part 2

2010-07-05T17:23:00.000-07:00

Awhile back, I did a post here about Telling Your Story (you can find it HERE) so I thought we'd revisit that topic and I'd offer up some new tips about journaling and getting your stories onto your scrapbook pages!

Scrapbook pages can be an excellent way to get the stories of our lives out onto paper but many of us worry that we aren't very good writers and that fact will take away from our pages. I'd like to suggest that you
see it in a different way - how many of us would LOVE to have journaling written by our mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers? Would we even care how 'well' they were written? I'd guess that you answer would be a resounding NO! What we'd care about is that they were telling a story, expressing themselves and helping us to see into their world!

But, since I know that the ability to write well is something that we all worry about when journaling on our pages, I thought I'd throw out some general writing elements and tips that you can use as you journal on your pages.

Point of View - To determine the 'right' point of view for your journaling, ask yourself what the story's message is, why it's important to tell it, and who your audience will be. This will help you determine what you should include in your journaling and what isn't necessary.
Dramatic Question - This is the primary question that you pose at the beginning of your journaling to create tension and draw in the audience. A dramatic question is usually not an actual question but rather an intriguing statement that causes the audience to ask themselves a question. The ultimate goal of this element is to hook your audience and motivate them to continue to read your journaling to the end.
Emotional Content - It is emotional content that everyone can relate to and what ultimately makes a story universal. The ability to include emotion in your journaling will help keep your audience engaged and interested.
"Soundtrack" - Use your patterned papers, photos and elements to establish mood and reinforce the overall message of your journaling.
Economy - Keep your journaling short, sweet and emotionally compelling. This forces you to focus only on writing about that which supports the focus of the story you're telling.

I hope that these tips are helpful to you as you begin to tell your story on your scrapbook pages! I also thought that I'd show you some journaling focused layouts that I found over in the Sarah Bennett Designs gallery over at ScrapMatters in hopes that they inspire you!

Amy's amazing & stunning layout using the Old Glory Collab by Trixie Scraps and Designs by Sarah Bennett

Abhall76's beautiful & fun page using the Sweet Siblings collab by Sarah & Stacy's Backdoor Desisns & Paper Cuts from Sarah

Wow! This fantastic no-photo layout by kmkarayannis just blew me away! She also used Old Glory by Trixie Scraps & Sarah

Another amazing layout - this one by lionsimba using lots of Sarah goodies!

And, last but not least, another fantastic page by AmyP using the Sunday Afternoon Collab by Sarah Bennett and Trixie Scraps

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-02T23:34:00.000-07:00

I just can't get enough of the layouts from the "Old Glory" kit.

Take a look at these and get some inspiration for scrapping your precious pictures your will take this weekend.

Layout by agrievingmommy

Layout by azrood

layout by stanworth

This fabulous calendar page by Abhall76

layout by gonewiththewind

layout by Hoo-rah

Get your kit and add on's here

Night Owl Speed Scrap at ScrapMatters - TONIGHT July 1, 2010

2010-07-01T13:17:00.000-07:00

Hi all! I just wanted to let you all know about the Night Owl Speed Scrap that is going on TONIGHT - July 1, 2010 - at ScrapMatters.

For all those who complete their layout within the designated deadline, Sarah has created a fabulous alpha for your participation prize:

Just so happens that this alpha coordinates perfectly with Sarah's new collab Old Glory...

Hope to see you all there!! We'll have a hoot of a time!!

Standout Layouts from the CT

2010-07-01T07:23:00.000-07:00

Today, I just wanted to highlight 3 recent layouts that hit Standout Galleries this past month.

This beauty was created by agrievingmommy using Sarah's Tough Boy Kit

This one is by Kim, using Old Glory, a collab between Sarah and Trixie Scraps

This one is by agrievingmommy using the same Old Glory kit.

Beautiful work ladies.

I love how awesome Sarah's products are. She is definitely offering a variety of versatile products for all sorts of layouts. Maybe you can get a standout too by using one of her kits.

Template Freebie!!!

2010-06-30T07:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Hump Day, everyone! It's Wednesday already - half way through the week and almost to the weekend! This is extra exciting for me because my family leaves on Friday for a week at the beach. Wahoo! We'll be spending the 4th of July holiday with sand between our toes!

Today I'm giving away a new template that I created. I LOVE templates - they are such awesome tools to get your creative juices flowing, especially if you feel like you're in a scrapping rut and don't even know where to begin. So here is the template I made:

I made the mistake of using a white background - OOPS! It really is a 12x12 template! :)

One of the things I love most about templates is the flexibility they offer. You can flip them, shrink them, move things around, add to them and take away elements and photos. They provide the perfect starting point that scrappers can then jazz up and make unique. Here is a layout I made with the template, adding a few things here and there. I used Sarah's new collab kit "Old Glory" that Megg spotlighted on Monday. LOVE that kit!

You can download the template HERE

I'd LOVE to see the layouts you create with it, so link them up in the comments section, please!

Happy Scrapping and Happy 4th of July to all my American friends!

Annisa (lionsimba)

Old Glory Frame Freebie

2010-06-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday Scrappers! Megg here with today's giveaway. I was thinking about the upcoming holiday this weekend, and of how grateful I am to live in the great country. The freedoms we enjoy, the prosperity we can achieve. It's limitless. So in honor of that I put together a frame cluster freebie using the new collab between Sarah Bennett and Trixie Scraps Designs, Old Glory.

This kit was just released on Friday and is jam packed with different elements and papers sure to be perfect for any celebration you have in mind. I loved the retro vintage feel of it. Very very cool. So click on the link below and you can download. Enjoy! And hope everyone has a great 4th!

Flashback Friday!

2010-06-25T06:46:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Simply Sarah here from Sarah B's CT to bring you a Flashback Friday. I frequently "flashback" using all of Sarah's kits because they are just so versatile. I have one particular favorite, however, that I seem to keep using. It's a fabulous collaboration with 2 other designers, called "Storytime."

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this kit. The colors in it are just fabulous.

Here's 2 different times I have used this fabulous kit:

Credits:
Alpha from My Buddy by Sarah Bennett
Papers and Elements from Storytime by Sarah Bennett, Lil Digi Designs by Jude, & Stacys Backdoor Designs
Stitches from Bad Sewing Machine Stitches by Traci Reed
Kraft Paper from Krafty Papers by Sarah Bennett
Template from Lined Up Template Pack by Sarah Bennett

Credits:
"Storytime" by Sarah Bennett, Lil Digi Bits by Jude, and Stacy's Backdoor Designs
"Scribbley Alpha" by Sarah Bennett"
"Bad Sewing Machine Stitches 12" by Traci Reed

Wanna grab this awesome kit for yourself? HEAD HERE.

Sneaky peek!

2010-06-24T09:24:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Amanda here today to share a sneak peek of the new collab that Sarah has coming to the store tomorrow. I have to tell you I think this may be my favorite kit yet, it is packed full of such wonderful goodies. There are 20 gorgeous papers alone! This one will be one of my go to kits for a long time to come I am sure.

So, are you ready for the peek?

And here is a layout that I made with it. I also used Becky's template from our May CT Blog train.

Be sure to check it out tomorrow. I am sure you will love it as much as we do!

Giveaway Wednesday

2010-06-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! Kendall here to share a little freebie with you on this Giveaway Wednesday. I used Sarah's awesome collab with Stacy's Backdoor Designs, Sweet Siblings, to create a set of stacked papers just for you.

DOWNLOAD HERE

And don't forget to check out Sweet Siblings in the ScrapMatters shop:

Hope you enjoy the freebie and please remember to leave us a comment if you grab it. We love hearing from you!

lost for a title?

2010-06-21T07:56:00.000-07:00

Happy (belated) Father's Day to all those who celebrate it! How was everyone's weekend? Ours was filled with sickness but we're hoping we're all over that for awhile :( Saddest part was I didn't get ONE picture yesterday! Can you believe that? Oh well, I'll have to scrapbook a non-photo LO soon so I don't forget any details! Whenever I scrap, it never fails, I have the hardest time picking a title. Nothing seems right or I overuse certain titles. Do you do that? I'm here today to suggest some titles for you & they come in a pretty easy form....book titles! Have you ever taken a picture & a book title popped in your head? I had that the other day. My daughter sits in the most random places ever to watch her movie. Seriously, you should see half the pictures I've taken of the places I've found her. With these particular pictures, the book "Oh, The Places You'll Go" popped in my head & I had to go for it. It's not your typical title but it works with this situation. Here's my page-

Here's a few other books that we love at our house that could work for titles:

*"Where the Wild Things Are" (just imagine the pictures that could go with this with all our crazy kids....or is mine the only one?)

*"Daddy Kisses"

*"Goodnight Moon" (for all those cute sleeping/bedtime photos)

*"Love You Forever"

*"Mommy Hugs"

*"Cars & Trucks & Things That Go" (perfect for the photos of your little one playing with cars)

*"Pinkalicious" (for all those princess photos)

*"Harold & the Purple Crayon" (substitute your child's name for all those artwork pages....or coloring on the wall...)

*"11 Birthdays" (change the number for however old they're turning)

*"Alexander & the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" (i could use this over & over! how about you?)

*"Million Dollar Throw" (for all those summer games)

Have I got your mind rolling with different book titles? The possibilities are endless! Hope this has helped & if you create any pages, we'd love to see them! Post them to Sarah's gallery at Scrap Matters so we can leave you some love! Have a happy Monday!

Father's Day

2010-06-19T06:55:00.000-07:00

Yep, it's tomorrow! Becca (aka becca372) here...Sarah has a GREAT kit out for scrapping all things "Dad" right now! Her newest collab, with Connie Prince, is an amazing kit! There's actually TWO parts to this kit, one part being in the ScrapMatters newsletter for June (hope you subscribe!) and the other being sold in the store right now! I've been out of town recently, so haven't had time to scrap with it, but the rest of the team has done an amazing job! Here is the main kit, Just Like Dad (it's linked to Connie's store, where it's being sold)...

And here are some amazing things the team (Sarah's and a bit of the SM team) has done with it!

by Britanee

by Katie

by Jen

by Trish

by Annisa

by Denise

by Kim

by Cara

by Amanda

by Janine

by LeeAndra

by Kat

by Stephanie

Whew...that's a lot of goodness! Hope these inspire you to create a layout about an amazing man (big or little!) in your life! Happy Father's Day!

Just a little bit of bragging

2010-06-17T14:41:00.000-07:00

Many of you familiar with the digi-scrap world may be familiar with the Queen of Scrap (QOS) contest that happens in the month of May. This contest is hosted by Scrapmatters. Basically, every contestant is trying to scrap as many layouts in one month as they can. This year there was a bigger emphasis on the quality of layouts and the contestants rose to the occasion. I just wanted to highlight the members of Sarah's CT that participated in the contest and showcase one of their layouts made with Sarah's products in the month of June. (Click on their names to see the complete gallery for the month!)

Janine completed 73 layouts (That is more than 2 per day!)

Jamie completed 68 layouts

Katie completed 66 layouts

Kim completed 60 layouts.

Kendall completed 35 layouts

Amy completed 30 layouts

Li completed 10 layouts

Excluding all the fabulous layouts completed by CT members who didn't participate in the contest, the QOS ladies on Sarah's CT did a grand total of 342 layouts in the month on May alone. Go leave these creative (and quick) ladies some love!

Gallery Standouts!!

2010-06-15T08:46:00.000-07:00

I've combed the galleries looking for some fabulous layouts using Sarah's stuff and just look at all these gorgeous layouts I found!! It was SO hard to chose just a few! Click on the images to leave these ladies some love!

Layout by MelindaH using Sarah's new Just Like Dad collab:

Layout by wagsmom also using Just Like Dad:

Layout by Becca1976 using the Storytime collab:

Layout by lightmistress using the Sunday Afternoon collab:

Layout by Wandam using the Go Green collab:

Patterned Possibilities!

2010-06-14T20:15:00.000-07:00

I am a HUGE fan of patterned paper but for a long time I wasn't sure what exactly to do with it. I tended to shy away from it, particularly if it was bold or bright. I typically used the more subtle papers while wishing that I could figure out how to use the more bold papers that I loved so much. It felt like every time that I tried to use those bolder papers, it ended up distracting from my layout, overpowering the photos or the journaling. I thought we might take a little time today to explore all the possibilities of patterned paper and how to use it more effectively on your pages!

Here are some tips and tricks that I have found helpful to me as I've been working on getting more comfortable using more patterned paper ...

Use bold paper sparingly - This is the most important paper lesson that I've learned. I can use those bolder papers if I use them in proportion to my layout. I use small bits of it to accentuate but not overwhelm the page I'm working on. You don't need much in order to get a lot of payoff because patterned papers tend to go a long way!
Stick with themes - Think about the theme of your paper and use papers that seem to support that theme rather than distract from it. For example, if you are creating a page about the beach, use paper that has a beach/ocean/water theme.
Think through your proportions - If you choose to use a large amount of a bold patterned paper, consider using a large, eye-catching photograph so that the paper doesn't distract from the photo. On the other hand, if your patterned paper is more subtle, you can use smaller photos without overwhelming them. I've heard in a couple of places that a general rule of thumb for this type of proportion is to never use a background patterned paper with a pattern larger than the smallest photographed head in your photos.
Start small - When first beginning to experiment with using patterned paper, try to use a more subtle pattern as a background paper. It gives the page visual interest without detracting from the overall look. As you get more comfortable, you can begin branching out and trying bolder backgrounds on your pages.
Create a patchwork - Try using bolder (and subtle) papers in smaller shapes on your pages to create a patchwork of visual interest. This allows you to use those patterns that you love but in a more manageable way that doesn't overtake your page! Cut them in all sorts of shapes - circles, squares, strips, etc. They become excellent accents for your pages!
Strip It - Use just a strip of your bold patterned paper (try a 2 inch x 12 inch strip for starters) to get that bold paper onto the page without having it compete with the rest of the page!
Use It on No Photo Layouts - Non-photo layouts are PERFECT for using lots of patterned paper! Since there isn't a photo to worry about, you have a lot of flexibility for using bold papers to accentuate your page!

Here are some examples of pages using Sarah's designs that show you how to use the fantastic patterns that Sarah creates in interesting and unique ways! I hope these tips and tricks will help you use patterned paper more effectively on your pages!

For this page, I wanted to use some of the beautiful patterns in the kit while also keeping the focus on the photo of my cute little ones. I found the striped patterned and used it to direct the eye right to the photo so that it ultimately added visual interest without making the page look too crazy! I also used several other patterns in strips below the photo to add a bit more of a pop!

Credits:Sweet Siblings Bundle by Designs by Sarah Bennett & Stacy's Backdoor Designs

For this page, I used a number of different patterned papers but kept them in proportion by using it in small strips as well as using different shapes to line the photograph with ...

Credits:LYLAS by Designs by Sarah Bennett and Template by WM [Squared] (freebie for Template Tuesday at ScrapMatters)

For this page, I really wanted to use the cute patterned papers but I wanted the eye to focus on the cute photo of my son. I decided to use papers but keep a solid paper at the top of those visually so that they would compliment the design but not detract from the photo.

Credits:Sunday Afternoon kit by Trixie Scraps and Designs by Sarah Bennett

I went with the theme idea for this page by using a patterned paper that was thematic and would not distract from the overall feel and story of the page. I think it worked out really nicely. This is one of my favorite no photo pages ...

Credits:Go Green Collab by Sarah Bennett & WM Squared

Friday Flashback Favorite...and a Freebie!!

2010-06-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

Hey all! Becky (hoo-rah) here to bring you today's Friday Flashback Favorite! I have been a huge fan of Sarah's designs for quite some time now, and while I honestly L.O.V.E all her kits one of my most favorite is the beautiful Sister Sue.

The color pallete in this kit is simply divine and the various paper patterns create a sophisticated elegance coupled with a little bit of funky grunge. I love the unique buttons and blowers and use of newsprint, not to mention the touches of metal and acrylic. My words simply cannot do this amazing kit justice, so rather than chat your ear off (figuratively speaking - you know what I mean), I think it would be best to let YOUR creations do the talking. So, here are some layouts I found in the ScrapMatters gallery - all of them were created using the fabulous Sister Sue kit...

Did I not tell you this kit is absolutely gorgeous?! Do you now see why Sister Sue is one of my ALL-TIME favorite kits. I honestly can't get enough of this kit...seeing it just makes me happy! And you want to know what else makes me happy? Free stuff...and since today is Friday, I've created a fun little freebie to help get your weekend started on the right foot.

CLICK HERE to download from 4shared

Enjoy the freebie frame! I hope you have a wonderful day and an even better weekend!!

Wednesday Freebie!

2010-06-09T06:57:00.000-07:00

Hi all! It's Kat (ktanker) here bringing you Wednesday Freebies! I have created a template just for you.

You can grab it here... Template Freebie
Enjoy!

Gettin' Techie - Titles

2010-06-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hi ladies, JenD here to bring you a little digi technique to help make your layouts even more amazing. One of my favorite thing the catches my attention on layouts in the galleries is the TITLE! How they did it, what they used (alpha, font, elles, etc.) and where they put it on the page. So I thought you all would enjoy a little advice on your title work...

Titles can help to break up the pages and add visual interest. They also tend to drive your point home - is your picture fun and exciting, was the family on vacation, and what other emotions are you trying to convey? You can also use them to tie together different pages of a scrapbook, to remind you of dates and other particulars, and so on. The hard point? Creating titles in not an exact science and you really have to reach in and wake up your artist abilities! Let's look at some simple and quick tips for creating and using scrapbooking titles...

1) Try to make your titles simple and to the point, try not to make they over complicated or too long because they will totally take away from the layout itself

2) One word titles are OK! There's no need to write out everything in the title itself, so consider using just one important word. Then leave the rest for your journaling!

3) To make your title really POP, try putting it on different areas of the page rather than just across the top or in the middle. Also using a combination of alphas, fonts, and elements always draws your attention to the title. Tilt it, scatter it, just have fun with it!!

4) and remember sometimes no title at all works too! If you page is amazing without a title then that's ok too! Remember these are YOUR memories!!

Here is a page I created with a FUN title:

Using Go Green collab by Designs by Sarah Bennett and WM[squared] Designs

Here are some other fun alphas that Sarah has that would be great for making fun eye catching titles!!

Scribbly Alpha

Kinda Glassy 2

Cleary Funky

Be Inspired!

2010-06-07T15:06:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I had planned to type up this really great inspirational post for you all...
I started it last week, but never actually put it together the whole way, and now my day is over 1/2way gone and I'm just now posting...(it's been one of those Mondays...)
so to keep it short and sweet...

Now that summer is here, I'm sure your calendar is filling up just as fast as mine is. From holidays to vacation to just daily living in the summertime to barbecues with friends to everything. I always plan to take lots of pictures and document all of this stuff, but sometimes it's just not feasible to take a camera (like swimming pools...who wants to keep track of the camera and keep it from getting wet all while making sure your kids don't drown??) and sometimes I just don't feel like taking a camera. I just want to enjoy the adventure. And sometimes things just happen where I don't have the camera with me, an impromptu event.

We have some friends that have been having barbecues at the park every Sunday when the weather is nice. Yesterday we showed up, and about 15 minutes into it, there was a massive thunderstorm. And it reminded me of how I love summer thunderstorms. I didn't have my camera on me. I already have to remember too many things when I'm out of the house. But I didn't let that stop me from scrapping about it.

So, my tip and inspiration for you all is to don't be afraid of scrapping a page without a picture. You don't need to miss out on all of the wonderful opportunities to scrap a summer page this year. This is my page, feel free to link us up to your pages too!

*my page uses Lined Up Templates, Tough Boy, Wild Oats, Feels Like Home, Basic Alpha and Paper Pack and Drewskie

Sarah Bennett Guest CT last month

2010-06-05T11:23:00.000-07:00

Sarah Bennett's Guest CT last month was fabulous! They produced some great layouts with Sarah's products and did such a good job!

Here is a sample of the great pages they produced in May!
First up is Vickilynn

She used Sweet Siblings a collab between Sarah and Stacy's Backdoor Designs

Next is KScroppyChick

She used the cute Spunky Monkey kit

and here is one from Simona (aka lightmistress)

She used Memories Of You

And Here is a cute one from Melissavt

Her page made using My Buddy

Feel free to stop by their galleries and leave them some love.

Thank you ladies for your wonderful pages!

New Release Friday!

2010-06-04T16:26:00.001-07:00

Hi everybody, this is Kim with a look at Sarah’s new release for today!

Check these out…

Cool, right? A couple of CT members were talking about how they remind them of the shaped scissors used in paper scrapping, and Sarah told us that is exactly what inspired them! The possibilities for customization are endless, check out some examples of what you can do with them from Sarah’s CT.

This page is from Simona (lightmistress), one of our fabulous CT guests this month. She clipped them to her photo for some beautiful formal edging that goes so nicely with that stunning architecture. She also used Sarah’s beautiful brown and blue kit Remember Me for this layout, which is shown below.

This next page is from Britanee (britaneejean) and she used the paper cuts to make the yellow and purple paper strips across the middle of this bright beautiful page! She also used Sarah’s collab kit with Stacy’s Backdoor Designs, Sweet Siblings.

Up third is Annisa’s (lionsimba) layout, on which she cut up the paper strips and placed them in different places. They make adorable borders and tags! A bunch of Sarah’s products are featured on this page, including her Go Green collab with WM[squared] Designs, her Sunday Afternoon collab with Trixie Scraps, and Spunky Monkey!

How about a clever Easter layout? That’s what Amanda (abhall76) made with the Paper Cuts and Sarah’s Easter Blog Freebie Kit, Spunky Monkey and Kinda Glassy 2 Alpha.

Look at this sweet and tender page from Janine (neeny) using the Paper Cuts, the Sunday Afternoon Collab and Sarah’s Krafty Paper Pack.

And finally, here is one from me, also using my new favorite alpha from Sarah’s My Buddy kit and the Sweet Siblings kit.

See, lots of uses, so many different looks! Head over to Sarah’s store and check out all this goodness. Have a great weekend!

Sneak Peek Thursday

2010-06-02T22:26:00.000-07:00

Hey scrappers! It's LeeAndra with your Sneak Peek for the week! [Say that three times fast!] I really think you're gonna dig Sarah's new stuff: so versatile and fun at the same time.

Have your Paypal accounts ready when this goes live Friday morning! Happy scrapping!

Gallery Standouts

2010-06-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, Janine here to bring you some amazing pages made by some fantastically talented ladies using some of Designs by Sarah Bennett's products. They are in no certain order, because they are all amazing please take the time to leave these ladies some love with the links I'm providing for their great work.

First up is a page from lindseylou using Memories of You and Lined up Templates.

I love her layering and all the ribbon and paper strips and that background paper is so soft and sweet perfect for her pictures. Please go HERE to leave her some love for this sweet layout.

Next is a page from scrapmelly using LYLAS and Kinda Glassy Alpha 2.

I love the angled papers on the side, the blocking on the side of the photo and the bracket drawing attention to her journaling. Please go HERE to leave her some love for this fantastic layout.

Next is a layout from Calliclaire using Spunky Monkey.

I love her stitched border the flowers peeking out from her photos and how the colors correspond so well with the colors in her photos as if this kit was made for them! Please go HERE to leave her some love for this great layout.

Last but not least is an amazing two page layout from Merchi using Remember Me. Here is the first part of the two page layout:

I love the blocking and the tilted frame and the flowers drawing the eye to that absolutely adorable photo in this side of the layout, please go HERE to leave love for this side of her two page layout.

Here is the other side of this fantastic two page layout also using Remember Me.

I love the string curled through all the amazing layers the stitching and the angled photos, please click HERE to leave love for this side of her awesome two-pager.

Thank you ladies for sharing your amazing work and showcasing Sarah's products beautifully! Have a great week everyone!

Kit Combining

2010-05-29T13:37:00.001-07:00

It's Saturday - the beginning of what is hopefully a long holiday weekend for most of us! Perhaps we can use some of our extra free time to not only create wonderful memories with our family and friends, but to scrap them.

I was looking through Sarah's store earlier today and was struck by how well many of her kits go together. They are all very distinct and original, but at the same time the individual pieces of the kits work when mixed and matched on layouts. Let me show you what I mean.

Here are two of my all-time favorite kits (not just from Sarah, but from my entire scrap stash!):

They clearly both have very distinct color palettes and themes, but when you mix them together you can create awesome stuff! Here's a layout I made with the tw kits:

I love how it turned out! I also added Sarah's awesome alpha to complete the page:

I can hardly wait to mix these two kits - the colors blend perfectly!

Go check out Sarah's store and see which kits you want to combine to creat perfect layouts every time! There are so many kits to mix and match . . . the possibilities are endless! Enjoy your weekend, and make it scrappy! :)

New Release-Sweet Siblings

2010-05-28T07:41:00.000-07:00

Britanee here with my FIRST EVER blog post for Sarah! Yesterday, Kim posted a great sneak peek with Sarah's new release and i'm here to show you the full kit!

Sarah teamed up with Stacy's Backdoor Designs to create "Sweet Siblings"

It's the cutest kit! Perfect for all those sibling pictures or pictures of everyday family comings & goings. Here's a dose of inspiration from the CT.

Me (Britanee)

Vickilyn

Kim

Janine

Head on over to Sarah's store at Scrap Matters & pick it up today!

Sneak Peak!

2010-05-27T13:58:00.001-07:00

Hi everybody, this is Kim with a SNEAK PEAK!! I have always wanted to make one of these! :)

Tomorrow, Sarah has an adorable collab kit come out that she worked on with Stacy from Stacy’s Backdoor Designs. Wait until you see this cuteness!!

I bet you see something in there you have to have!! Come check it out on Friday!

Favorite Kits

2010-05-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

Jamie here with a flashback to one of my favorite kits from Sarah. MEMORIES OF YOU

Every time I go to make a classy, beautiful page, this kit is the first thing to pop into my mind. I just love the elegant nature and subtle colors (and for someone who LOVES bright colors, that is saying alot! )

My layout I am going to share with you is a topic that I am not usually very comfortable with . . . ME! I actually love this page because it represents such a difficult change in my life. (Plus, when I get further along in my pregnancy, I am going to use it to announce to my IRL friends! SHH! Don't tell!)

Journaling reads: When the bulged disc in my back continued to progressively get worse, I had to give up alot of who I am as an athlete & competitor to find new hobbies & interests. I was sad to part with who I was, but I am excited to find that I enjoy many new things now.

-Wife of an MBA

-CT member

-Yogini

-Swimmer

-Mother of two

-Friend

When was the last time you made a page just about you? Give it a try! Make a page only about you! What style illustrates 'you'? Are you the "Spunky Monkey" or the "Remember me" or the "Sister Sue" type? Sarah is bound to have a kit to fit your style. Check out her store here.

To give you even more incentive, AMY from our CT is hosting an awesome challenge at Scrapmatters! She is challenging us to make a page about what we are passionate about. By participating, you will receive great coupons to use at Sarah's store!

My Buddy Freebie

2010-05-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, Janine here again to offer up a quickpage using the amazing new kit from Designs by Sarah Bennett My Buddy. If you haven't seen this kit it is so much fun and very versatile, here is a preview of the kit itself again:

I had a lot of fun creating with this kit and I made a quickpage out of one of my layouts for you here is a preview of what you will be getting, the image is linked to 4shared please leave a comment if you download I love to read them!

I hope you have a fantastic weekend and week to come, stay tuned for more amazing things coming soon from Designs by Sarah Bennett!

Fan Spotlight

2010-05-18T13:50:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

Kendall here to talk about something very important: all you Designs by Sarah Bennett fans! You all are so important to Sarah and to us CT members, and we absolutely love seeing your creations using Sarah's products. It's been a while since we've done a fan spotlight, so I decided to cruise the gallery in search of some awesome pages featuring Sarah's stuff. Let me tell you, it wasn't hard to find tons of amazing LOs!

I love this sweet heritage page from nicolletteknight using the Sunday Afternoon collab with Trixie Scraps Designs.

Check out the awesome design on this page from lightmistress using Memories of You.

Take a look at this precious LO by Robandkris featuring Spunky Monkey.

I just adore all the blocking on this page by stanworth using the Go Green collab with WM [squared] Designs.

And finally, check out the fantastic design and adorable photo on this LO by KSCroppyChick featuring LYLAS.

Aren't these great?! For more awesome inspiration, check out the Designs by Sarah Bennett gallery at ScrapMatters, and while you're there, be sure to leave these ladies some love! And don't forget to post YOUR pages using Sarah's products. Who knows? Maybe we'll be featuring your page on the next "Fan Spotlight."

Have a fantastic week, everyone, and Happy Scrapping!

New Product at Scrap Matters!!!

2010-05-15T17:46:00.000-07:00

I am SO excited to tell you about the newest kit that Sarah has over at Scrap Matters! WOW! It's incredible!!! You don't want to miss out on this one! What I love about it is how versatile it is ... it can be used for SO many different kinds of pages AND the color scheme is so beautiful! And so .... introducing MY BUDDY!!!

Here are the elements and papers so you can get a good look at what is included ... I'm telling you ... RUN to Sarah's shop over at Scrap Matters to grab this one up. Do you see that alpha??? It's one of my new favorite alphas ... it really does ROCK!

And here are some of the incredible layouts created by Sarah's very talented CT to show you just how incredible this kit is!

Welcome to the Template Blog Train!

2010-05-14T04:01:00.000-07:00

Hi! Welcome to the Designs by Sarah Bennett CT Template Blog Train! I'm glad you are here and have decided to join us! If you aren't all that familiar with Sarah Bennett than you should probably remedy that! She is an amazing designer, and a very sweet person. Go check out her shop at Scrap Matters and prepare to be impressed!

If you make it through this entire Blog Train you will have some amazing templates! Here is a preview of what is in store for you!

I'm so excited! That is such a great assortment of templates in some different types of scrap styles. Can you believe that it is all FREE?!! How cool is that?!! If you happen across a blog along the train that doesn't have their template posted yet, please check back. We are on different time zones so we may not have everything up at the same time.

Remember these ladies worked very hard on these templates when they could have been scrapping! Most if not all of them are playing along in the Queen of Scrap contest at Scrap Matters. Instead of making another layout they were making you a template, so be sure to say thank you in the comments when you come across their blog! They sure would appreciate it. They don't profit in any way from doing this so it sure would make their day to hear from you if you download their templates along the way.

Without further ado here is your first free template!

The PSD and PNG files are included in the same download.
Click >>>HERE<<< to download

Next you will be going to Trish's blog HERE is a link to her blog for another fabulous template. If you get a little turned around on your journey here is a list of all the participants and their blogs...

CT Blog http://designsbysarahbennett.blogspot.com <-------You are here
Trish http://justthe6ofus.net/
Katie http://scrappingwithkatie.blogspot.com
Kim http://karayannisfamily.blogspot.com/
Li http://libeingcrafty.blogspot.com/
Jamie http://jamiesscrapblog.blogspot.com/
AmyM http://melniczenkomusings.blogspot.com/
Kendall http://majorscrapitude.blogspot.com/
Becky http://hodgeypodgeblog.blogspot.com/
Britanee http://britaneesscraps.blogspot.com/
Amanda http://mandasmemories.blogspot.com/
AmyP http://amyp-unforgettablemoments.blogspot.com/

Are you ready for tomorrow's Template Blog Train?

2010-05-13T13:59:00.000-07:00

That is right! Tomorrow we will 12 FREE templates for you via a blog train!

You can hop on board right here starting tomorrow!!

Happy Mother's Day!!! And a Freebie...

2010-05-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

Megg here with a special Mother's Day Freebie for ya. This is probably one of my new favorite kits, and as I was working on a page with it this week, I thought I would make a little sumpin' sumpin' to give out for Mother's Day. Every mother deserves a break, right? Well, scrappers do too, especially after last weekend with all the sales, speed scraps, and such. Enjoy folks!

You can click on the preview to get to the store.

Just click on the layout above to get to the frame freebie download link. Happy Scrappin'!!!

Build A Bloom Freebie!

2010-05-08T06:32:00.000-07:00

It's a quiet week so I thought I'd give ya'll something to enjoy. Well I hope you enjoy it... ha ha... I'm Kat, a CT member for Sarah and I decided to give you a group of blooms. Four of them to be exact. This Build A Bloom mini was offered in Sarah's iNSD Grab Bag but now you can grab it up on your own... it's has LOADS of possibilities!

Click the image to download the freebie!

Hugs! Kat

Shout Out to the Fans...

2010-05-07T07:34:00.000-07:00

Today, I thought we could look through pages from people who love and use Sarah's products...(these were all from the SM gallery)

by Kara using Sister Sue

by iisuzieii using Storytime (Collab with Lil Bits by Jude and Stacy's Backdoor Designs)

by Cyndi146 using Storytime

by Roxygerlie using Spunky Monkey

by MelodyScraps using Memories of You

by MelodyScraps using Storytime

by digiscrappingbetty using Memories of You

by Syapotter using Memories of You

by Jencushing using Sunday Afternoon (collab with Trixie Scraps)

by dbrpc using Sunday Afternoon

by dznyscrapper using Sunday Afternoon

by robbandkris using Go Green (Collab with WM2)

by robbandkris using Spunky Monkey

Thanks for choosing Sarah, and I hope everyone enjoyed their walk through layouts using Sarah products.

Sarah's iNSD Grab Bag!

2010-05-04T14:45:00.001-07:00

Hey DSB fans! Becca (aka becca372) here with you today! So...we all know by now that the ScrapMatters site was...well...shall we say "sporadic" over iNSD weekend. Things seem to be running more smoothly now, though, AND you have the added benefit of the 40% of personal use items sale now running through THURSDAY! Sarah's got some great kits in the store that you can pick up for 40% off!!!!

Now, remember, Sarah's new Grab Bag is NOT part of the 40% off deal, but it's an amazing deal all on it's own! For $3.50, you get a kit, paper pack, alpha, and amazing element pack. Wanna see?

Here's the Grab Bag itself (the image is linked to the store!)

And here's what inside!

LYLAS (love you like a sister)

The paper pack (coordinates with the kit...and gorgeous, fresh colors!)

Totally L.O.V.E. this alpha, Kinda Glassy 2...it's awesome.

And last, the super cool element pack!

I made this with the GB at one of SM's Speed Scraps this weekend (does also use a Jenn Barrette/Fizzy Pop Designs template and an Erica Zane dating element, all available at SM)

Anyway, thanks for stopping by today! Now, go buy this GB, before your time is up!

Coming soon to the scrapping world near you . . .iNSD

2010-04-30T08:01:00.000-07:00

Can you believe I had no idea what LO, CT, and SS stood for last year at this time? (LayOut, Creative Team, Speed Scrap- for those of you were are like me!) Since I am new to the scrapping world, I had no idea of the FUN and FESTIVITIES that will happen this weekend, particularly in honor of iNSD (interNational Scrapbook Day) on Saturday, May 1. Check out this link at Scrapmatters to get to the forum for details on what is going on.

Although I have never experienced it, I am SO excited for the fireside chat in the chat room on Friday night, the TWO speed scraps on Saturday and especially the Grab Bags. My husband knows it is his day with our son so I can scrap and chat online all day long!

As if that wasn't enough DST (Digi-shoppe talk) also has a bunch of activities and freebies as well. Find this fun here.

With all the hullabaloo, Sarah is coming out with a new kit and more. Her grab bag is absolutely fabulous! You won't want to miss it (or the sale price on Saturday!) Snag it here.

On top of ALL of this, Sarah's fantastic products will all be on sale - 40% off until Sunday and 30% off until Tuesday. Check out here stuff at Scrapmatters now!

A Thursday Freebie too??? You lucky scrappers!!

2010-04-29T18:13:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody! This is Kim, and I am so excited to be giving away a freebie I made for the first time! I used the springtastic Go Green Collab Kit from Sarah and WM[squared] Designs to make a desktop freebie that I hope you will like! It was made at 1920x1080 resolution and has space for four pictures. It has been brightening my desktop since the kit came out and I love it! I hope you like it, and don't forget to come over to ScrapMatters for all the upcoming [i]NSD festivities!

(image is linked to 4shared)

May Calendar Freebie

2010-04-28T21:35:00.000-07:00

Hey Scrappers, it's Simply Sarah from Sarah B's CT here with a freebie for ya. I've have you a FREE May 2010 Printable 4x6 calendar. Easy to print on either paper or photo paper. Just pop it in a 4x6 frame and you have instant art. :) The calendar was created with Sunday Afternoon by Designs by Sarah Bennett and Trixie Scraps. Hope you enjoy it! Click HERE to download.

A Little Tutorial!

2010-04-27T05:05:00.000-07:00

Adi here with a little tutorial for you! I use Photoshop CS3 in case anyone wanted to know. Just an FYI for anyone following this, there's an extra layer that I forgot to delete in my layer palette that's blank. Please don't let it confuse you :) This will be our end product:

1. Pick your picture and your word. When choosing the font, keep in mind that blocky ones work best, as well as making it in all caps.
0.0

2. With your picture layer highlighted, use your marquee tool to make a selection around the word. The edge of the selection has to be right up on the word or there will be a space in the end and it won't fit as nicely.

3. Again, with the picture layer highlighted, copy the selection and then delete it.

4. Now paste it so you have an extra layer in your layer palette.

5. With your word layer highlighted, use your magic wand and click on the outside of it, so that the inverse of the word is selected. Highlight the layer with the copy/pasted part of the picture and hit delete.

6. Delete the word layer and Voila!

Happy scrapping! :)

Celebrating Sarah's Collaborations!

2010-04-25T08:59:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Some of my favorite Designs by Sarah Bennett kits happen to be some of her collaborative efforts with other digital designers so I thought we'd take a look at the numerous collaborative kits that she's got in her shop over at Scrap Matters! And, of course, we'll showcase some layouts from each of the collabs to show you just how great they are! I hope you'll go over to the shop and check them out!

#1 - Storytime
Storytime is a fantastic kit that Sarah created with Stacy's Backdoor Designs & Lil' Digi Bits by Jude! It's an amazing kit that focuses on reading and learning. But, what I love most about it is that its extremely versatile!

Layouts using Storytime -

By Amy (aka Buggie185)

Layout by me (Amy aka anrobe)

#2 - World Traveler
World Traveler is a wonderful travel oriented kit that Sarah created with Haynay Designs. This kit is packed with goodies for a variety of pages!

Layout using World Traveler:

Layout by Stacy

#3 - Wild Oats

Wild Oats is such a fun kit that Sarah created with Chele's Creations. I just adore this kit and its cute little animals!

Layouts using Wild Oats -

Layout by Li14

Layout by Amy (Buggie185)

#4 - Go Green

Go Green is probably one of my all time favorite kits so I'm excited to showcase it again. This is a collab between Sarah and Wendy of WM [Squared} Designs. It's such a cool kit - and its got so much versatility! There are TONS of different pages just waiting to be created by this kit!

Layouts using Go Green -

Layout by TrishB

Layout by Kendall

Layout by me (Amy - aka anrobe)

#5 - Sunday Afternoon

Sunday Afternoon is such a fantastic kit that was created by Sarah and Trixie Scraps Designs! It's beautiful and elegant. The papers are so wonderful and the elements are so varied that you can create ALL sorts of pages with this kit!

Layouts using Sunday afternoon -

Layout by ahillo5

Layout by Trish

Layout by me (Amy - aka anrobe)

Thanks so much for spending some time with me, looking at some of Sarah's beautiful collaborative kits! I hope you'll go over to Scrap Matters and check them out!

Another New Challenge

2010-04-24T07:46:00.000-07:00

Amanda here today to make sure you all know about the challenge that our fellow CT member Becky (hoo-rah) is hosting today at Scrap Matters! She has given us an awesome tutorial on making photo vignettes and challenged us all to give it a try. I just had to give it a shot and am really pleased with my results! I will definitely be doing this one again and again. Here are my two color corrected photos I decided to work with.And here is what I did with them.

I am totally loving the way they turned out! I just love how these photo's with Sarah's Sister Sue kit as well. Don't be fooled by the name, this kit has tons of goodies to do masculine layouts with as well. So be sure to hop on over, check out the tutorial and give this a try yourself!
Also uses Fabulously Negative Templates V2 by WM[squared] Designs.

Check out Those Challenges

2010-04-23T17:45:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Kendall here to share with you some fun and awesome stuff going on over at ScrapMatters. I'm talking about CHALLENGES!! Now, if you've never participated in the SM challenges, you're really missing out. They are super fun and inspiring, and best of all, they force you to "scrap outside the box." I know that I often need a little prompt or two to help me think about my pages in a whole new light, and the challenges really help to do that. Oh, did I mention you can earn points toward free SM gift certificates? Well, ya can!! :)

It's not too late to get in on some fab challenges featuring Sarah and her amazing products this month. First up is the ever-popular Tuesday Template Challenge. Sarah is hosting one of these challenges this month, and as an added bonus for participating, you get a FREE template! Good deal, right? Here's the link to the challenge thread at SM, and here's a preview of the awesome template you can download right away to get started.

Isn't it great?! All you have to do is download the template, create a LO, upload your LO to the SM gallery and link it back to the Tuesday Template Challenge thread, and you're done! Easy peasy.

Another great challenge going on right now is the Grand Theft Layout challenge featuring none other than our own Sarah Bennett. Ya see, in addition to being a fantastic designer, Sarah also has some mad scrappin' skills of her own!

Check it our here and then stalk Sarah's gallery until you find a LO you love (which won't be hard. Trust me.), then scraplift it and create your own page based on Sarah's LO. Upload, link, you get the idea, right?

So, what are ya waiting for?! Get yourself over to SM and get started on some challenges! You will have so much fun, improve your scrapping skills, AND earn free and discounted merch! And don't forget that if you decide to participate--which I really hope you do--link us up to your LO in the Comments section of this post so that we can leave ya some love! You have until the end of April to participate in Sarah's challenges, but there are new challenges constantly being posted every month, so there's no excuse not to do it. :) Hope everyone has a great weekend. Happy Scrapping!

Gallery Standout's

2010-04-19T07:35:00.000-07:00

I was surfing through the galleries this morning looking for some inspiration, to do a couple more pages with Sarah's 2 newest Collabs, Sunday Afternoon & Go Green.

It amazes me, how different each person can make a layout, using the same kit. I was inspired and was in awe of these amazing pages.

Especially this Hybrid project that SandyPie did with Sunday Afternoon -Food Gift Card Wallet! Almost makes me want to pick up my scissors and glue and give it a try!

Here is a layout by Pewtertm-Lazy Afternoon, that is just so beautiful. I love the reach out and touch appeal!

These layout's using Go Green and terrific blending by Potsie & Misfitinmn are just gorgeous!

Potsie: Lost in her thoughts

Misfitinmn: Save This

One last layout that caught my eye, was a 2 pager entitled Give A Day by QuiltyMom! Wonderful photos and great detailed journaling!

Please take a moment to leave these wonderfully talented ladies some love! Each photo is linked!

Two Fab New Kits and a Freebie!

2010-04-17T12:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, Janine here to show you the amazing kits that Sarah collaborated on that were released yesterday.

First up is a kit with WM[squared] designs for Earth Day or everyday called Go Green:

Her other collaboration kit that came out yesterday was with the amazing Trixie Scraps Designs and it is just gorgeous and very versatile and it is called Sunday Afternoon.

I'm thrilled to say that I have a freebie for you using some amazing things from the Sunday Afternoon kit, I have created two cluster frames for you just click on the image to take you to 4shared to download. Please leave a little comment if you download I love to read them.

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend, see you soon!

Get ready to drool...

2010-04-14T07:38:00.000-07:00

So, I know it's a recession out there. Maybe this recession has eaten into your ability to buy all the greatest new things. Well, now is the time to dust off your wallet because you are NOT going to want to miss this

are you drooling yet? Sarah and a *secret* designer have teamed up to create a GORGEOUS new kit that is to die for. The color palate is SO yummy and the elements are unique and beautiful. This beauty will be in the store THIS Friday. So get ready to gobble up some goodness.

Happy Birthday Sarah! And a freebie for all...

2010-04-13T08:14:00.000-07:00

Birthdays are a great time to celebrate, and for Sarah's 28th birthday some of the CT have put together a birthday brag book of templates. It's a super easy way to get some braggin done. You can check out the preview and download them at the links below...

PNG's Birthday Brag Book Download

PSD Birthday Brag Book Download

And don't forget about Sarah's sale at her store this week to celebrate as well...

You can click on the link above to go straight to her store for some birthday savings! Happy Birthday Sarah! It's a pleasure being on your CT. We have a lot of fun with ya, and appreciate all of your hard designing work. Have a great day!

Template Freebie!

2010-04-10T07:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Saturday! This weekend is special for me because tomorrow is my birthday. So I decided to give all of YOU a gift to help me celebrate! I created a new template that is perfect for scrapping LOTS of pictures. I often take dozens of photos at events and want to use many of them, but I don't want to make several layouts to do so. So here is a great way to get TWELVE -yes, 12! - photos on one layout and still have it look neat and clean! OR, you can use some of the photo blocks for patterned papers and elements. The possibilities are endless!

Want to see the template? Here it is:

Download HERE

Once you've created something gorgeous with the template, we'd LOVE to see your layout! Post a link to it in the comment section and we'll be sure to leave you lots of love!

Happy Scrapping!

Annisa

Color Challenge with a Template Freebie!!

2010-04-08T12:19:00.000-07:00

Have you ever tried the In Living Color challenge at Scrap Matters? I love it because there are no other guidelines aside from the colors, and yet it still helps me to think outside the box a little bit!

This month's challenge is a bit different than usual. Instead of choosing specific colors, the challenge is to use analogous colors on the color wheel. Analogous colors are the colors that are right next to each other on the color wheel. For example:

Red, orange and yellow.
{If you want a bit more in-depth view of the color wheel you can go HERE.}

Still a bit stumped? I thought it would be fun to show you some of Sarah's kits that would be perfect for this challenge!

Spunky Monkey uses purple, brown (which is desaturated red), and orange:

Tough Boy uses blue and teal:

Memories of You uses blue and green:

Story Time uses lots of red and orange:

Here's the page I made for the challenge, using Spunky Monkey and Sarah's new All Wrapped Up bubble wrap elements.

Now for the fun part! I've made my layout into a template and if you complete this challenge and link your page here in the comments, you can have it! You must have at least one Designs by Sarah Bennett item somewhere on your layout. You may use a whole kit or just one element, it can be a freebie or store bought... doesn't matter! You have until next Friday (April 16th) to leave a comment with a link to your layout.

I can't wait to see your pages!

P.S. You don't have to post your layout at Scrap Matters in the challenge thread there, although you can get points towards free stuff if you do! :)

Happy Easter, with a Freebie!

2010-04-04T10:09:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody, a very Happy Easter to you and your families! Sarah made a really cute Easter mini-kit that she is offering as a freebie at her blog! Put THAT in your Easter basket! It has really cute elements (love that little chick) and some fun papers that would be great for scrapping your Easter pictures.

Use the link above to visit her blog and download it, or use the download links here:
Papers
Elements

Janine made these matching frames for you too!

(image is linked for download)

Please leave comments for Sarah and Janine if you grab the products and we would love to see what you make with them!

Intertwining String

2010-03-30T09:07:00.000-07:00

PS...I don't know why the font is funky in this first paragraph...)

I thought I would talk a little bit about intertwining string. I used to sit and see these wonderful layouts where someone had intertwined their title or something else and wonder how to do it. I've never been one to ask. I tend to forget or just be too lazy, so every so often I would try, and with disastrous results...until one day I had a light bulb moment. I don't know if you've wondered how to do this too. Or maybe you have a better easier way, but this is how I do it, and I hope it will work for you too! (I don't know how to do screen shots, so I just added a bunch of pictures...I hope that helps it be clear)

So, I was looking through Sarah's kits trying to figure out what I wanted to intertwine. I settled on this string thought I'd make a word art from the alpha in Spunky Monkey. You want to pick an interesting string, one with curves and the like. It makes the finished product so much cooler.

Next, you'll want to lay your string on top of your elements (or in this case alphas) so you have an idea of how it will be intertwining.

Now, you want to make a duplicate layer of your string. Make sure you lock them together so that if you need to move the string while you're working on it, they will both move together. Put one of the strings on top of all of your elements and put the other underneath all of your elements. Make sure that only your top layer is selected. Slowly start deleting from the top one. You don't have to be too incredibly careful because if you over delete a little, you have the bottom layer showing through.

In this picture, I've started my deletion. You can see I went over and under letters, but haven't finished the *u* yet.

Next, you want to zoom in and be sure you didn't leave any stragglers on top of your letters. So make your bottom layer invisible and/or add a temporary stroke (you can do that in layer styles, just add a drop shadow, make your drop shadow invisible and instead do a stroke) to your upper layer and you'll be able to see what exactly you deleted and to make sure you've created a quality project. When you like it, get rid of the layer style and click to make the bottom layer viewable again.

Next you want to add realistic shadows. I'm still working on my shadows, but here's what I do when I'm using this technique. First add a shadow to the elements that are getting intertwined (in this case, the letters). Then shadow your bottom layer as you normally would. I like to change my opacity by half. My opacity is typically at 60, so when using this technique I would use 30 for my opacity. Then shadow your top element, also at half the opacity. Sometimes, when you delete the top layer, it will leave you some funky shadows.

I don't know if you can see it well, but I tried to highlight some funky shadows that got left behind because of my shadow angle and deleting some of the string. Now you just have to play with it and use the angle of shadows against itself so that the funky shadow doesn't appear. This part will just take trial and error. There was one section where I couldn't fix the funky shadow and so I just changed that bit of layering with the string.

Voila! A beautiful intertwined work of art, that really doesn't take that much time once you get the hang of it. How do you intertwine elements?

And, since I went to the trouble of making this wordart, I thought I'd give it away. It comes preshadowed at -43 degree angle.

download here

Member Monday - Kendall

2010-03-29T01:00:00.000-07:00

As I new member of Sarah's team, I wanted to highlight another new member. Kendall started uploading to Scrapmatters in the end of November 2009. I remember seeing and being impressed with many of her layouts and that she was able to create SO many in a short time (she already has 111 layouts in her gallery!). I was excited to find her on Sarah's team. Here is a bit more about Kendall.

Where are you from? Born and raised in SC. The town I live in now is about 20 mins. from Augusta, Ga., which is in the news right now because of the Masters golf tournament.

What are a few of your 'favorite things'? My family, my pets, my iPod and music in general, Walt Disney World, dark chocolate, the beach, massages...I could go on! :)

What is your digital scrapbooking background? I tried my hand at paper scrapping, but I hated cutting up my pictures, so that didn't last too long! I started digi-scrapping in November of last year and have become completely and utterly addicted.

How did you get started? Last year, several of my online friends from another website began to post layouts of their Disney trips. I am a sucker for all things Disney and thought it would be so much fun to do an album featuring photos from all my family's trips. I did some research and discovered the Britt-ish Designs blog, and from there learned about ScrapMatters. I haven't looked back since! :)

Where do you get inspiration for your layouts? I get inspiration from lots of different sources. Sometimes, the mood I'm in inspires my LOs. Other times, I'll have a particular photo that I really want to scrap, so I'll build a page around it. Most of the time, I'm inspired by all the wonderful kits out there. I'll see something and think, "Oh, I have the perfect pics for that kit!"

What is something unique or quirky about you? Hmmm...let's see. I tend to memorize things really quickly/easily, especially song lyrics. It's a trait I inherited from my dad.

What is your favorite kit from Designs by Sarah Bennett? Honestly, I love all of Sarah's kits! My favorite that I've had a chance to work with so far has been "Memories of You." It's just such a classy, elegant, all-purpose kit.

What are some of your favorite layouts using Sarah's products? I'd have to say these three are my favorites:

Check out Kendall's fabulous gallery and see what I am talking about!

CU Bubble Wrap Brushes

2010-03-27T08:46:00.001-07:00

Hi everybody! My name is Kim, and as a new member to Sarah’s CT, I am so excited to be making my first post to the CT blog! Today I am going to be talking about one of Sarah’s new releases from 3/26, the CU Bubble Wrap Brushes.

You can install these brushes in Photoshop or Elements by following these steps (Li had to help me out with this because this is the first time I ever installed a brush set!):

Save the file on your computer
With PS or PSE open, click on the brush tool and then open the drop down menu where you choose the brush you are going to use.
Click on the icon that looks like two little arrows pointing right and click “load brushes”.
Now, browse to the folder where you saved the Bubble Wrap file and click on the .abr file for the brush set.
You should now see the brush set as an option in your pull down menu of brushes, it is just that easy! Please let us know if you have any questions about using the brushes by leaving a comment and we will get back to you!

Sarah included .png files so these can be used as stamp type elements also, but if you load them as a brush set the customizing possibilities are endless! Since the are a CU pack, credit is not required but VERY appreciated!
Here is a page I made with the brush set after installing it (They are white on my page). It also uses Sarah’s beautiful Sister Sue Kit and All Wrapped Up, Sarah’s other new release from this week, pictured below:

My page:

So head on over to ScrapMatters and grab these brushes! We can’t wait to see what you make!

Happy Friday and a Freebie!

2010-03-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, Janine here for my first post on the blog as a CT member for Designs by Sarah Bennett! I'm thrilled to announce that Sarah has two amazing new products out today.

I also have a quick page for you that I made using All Wrapped Up and Sarah's awesome kit Tough Boy pictured below.

Here is a preview of the quick page that I have for you today (click on the image below to download), please post a comment if you grab it and make sure to check out all the amazing products shown above from Designs by Sarah Bennett.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and fantastic week ahead!

Member Spotlight Monday

2010-03-22T04:33:00.000-07:00

Hey all! Becky (hoo-rah) here to bring you a CT Member Spotlight on this glorious Monday. As you may have noticed by now, Sarah's creative team has recently grown...and there is so much fantastic talent in the group, I thought it might be fun to get to know the CT members a little bit better. Today, I have decided to highlight a CT member whose work absolutely amazes me - Li (a.k.a. Li14).

Not only is Li a seriously talented scrapper, but her photography work is inspiring. And, she's not afraid to get in front of the camera...unlike yours truly, who avoids being in front of the lens at all costs. I love how happy her layouts are, and how she almost always includes some type of journaling on her page. I didn't know Li before joining Sarah's CT, but I have quickly become a HUGE fan of her wonderful scrapping creations. Now, rather than listening to me gush on and on, here is a little more information about Li...

What is your favorite color? Blue

What word describes you best? Just one word?? People tell me all the time that I'm creative. I don't think I am, though. LOL. Maybe smart...I was always a good student in school.

What's your favorite food? Cheesecake

What traits in others are you attracted to? Kindess, sense of humor

If you were given one super hero power what would you choose? Flying for sure. I would LOVE to be able to fly!

What program do you use to scrap? I use PSE5 but will be switching to CS4 soon!

What kind of camera do you use? Nikon D80

What is your favorite kit from Designs by Sarah Bennett? My favorite kit is probably Remember Me. I just love the colors.

How would you describe your scrapping style? My scrapping style is pretty traditional. I don't often do anything that I couldn't do with real papers, elements, etc.

What are your 3 favorite layouts? Choosing 3 favorite layouts is a hard one! Some of my favorite layouts using Sarah's kits are:

Now seriously, aren't Li's creations FAB.U.LOUS? For some more wonderful inspiration, check out Li's gallery at ScrapMatters...and don't forget to leave her some love while you're there!!

Tell Your Story

2010-03-21T18:03:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I'm a bit late this week with my first post since joining Sarah's CT (sorry!) but I hope you'll forgive me this time. I promise to be more prompt next time.

I thought we'd talk a bit about telling your story this week. I don't know about you but one of the primary reasons that I love to scrapbook is that I love to tell the stories that I think are important to our family. I tend to journal on almost ever page that I do. However, I know, after years of being a part of this community, that a lot of people really struggle with journaling. So, I thought we could focus a little on journaling (or telling your story, if you prefer to think of it that way) this week.

First things first, what is journaling? Well, it's pretty simple. It's really just writing the story of your photos so that you document the story ~ the thing that happened ~ the words that were said ~ the actions that were taken. The who, where, what and when of the event or story that you want to tell. See, I told you it was easy.

Here are a few strategies to get you started if journaling is something that you struggle with ...

1. Just write. Write anything and everything that comes to mind. The nice thing about digital scrapbooking is that nice DELETE button which can erase all your mistakes. Write whatever comes to you and don't feel pressured to be perfect. You can go back later and fix any mistakes. Just start writing. I've heard that creativity is a right brain activity whereas writing and organizing thoughts is a left brain activity. Just getting your words on the page can apparently activate that left brain into helping you get those thoughts out onto paper & organized effectively. The creativity that you access while making your page is more of a right brained activity but the way with words that you need for journaling often comes from the left side of the brain. But, according to the reading I've been doing, just getting yourself to put words out there can activate that left side of the brain.which helps to get you more comfortable with the writing process.

2. Use those details. Pay attention to the details but start your journaling process by getting out the basics - the who, what, where and when. After you get those basics onto the page, you can go back in and fill in the details which add color and texture to your journaling. The detail is what makes the story vivid for those who read your journaling. Tell about the little things that we all have in our life but sometimes forget to include in our scrapbooks - the color of the sky, the cute comment our children make, the birds singing - whatever it is that you take notice of during an event. It can add color to your journaling and give those reading your journaling a sense of what you're trying to convey. It's the details that make the story special. It's the details that people often need to be reminded of ...Just remember, write from your heart and it will always be wonderful to read.

3. Practice, Practice, Practice. Journaling takes practice. It doesn't come easy to everyone but it does get easier with time. Be patient and don't give up. Keep trying. Keep journaling. Keep telling your stories. The more you journal, the more you'll learn about what works for you and what does not work for you. Just stick with it. In the end, telling a story is basically three things - 1. gathering information/details/'the story' 2. putting that information into a logical sequence and 3. working on it until it tells the story you want to tell.

My last tip is an easy one ... pay attention to those who journal well, read their journaling, learn what you like or don't like about their style. This is one of the BEST ways to get yourself more comfortable with journaling.

Here are a few pages, using Sarah's beautiful digital designs that showcase journaling, for you to take a look at and begin thinking about how to journal on your own pages ...

by QuiltyMom, using Memories of You

by jamieh, using Storytime

by becca1976, using Sister Sue

and one by ME using Spunky Monkey

by becca376, using Love You Always

by megg26, using Tough Guy

I hope that you found these beautiful pages inspiring and I hope that you'll take some time to focus on telling your stories! Have a great week everyone!

Freebie Friday

2010-03-19T04:00:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! I'm Melanie aka melrio and I am one of the new members on Sarah's Creative Team. I'm super excited about my first post here and wanted to share my excitement with you by giving you all a free Quick Page this week.

Sarah has a beautiful kit named 'Remember Me' and it is full of wonderful patterned papers and gorgeous elements that work perfectly for all kinds of layouts. Here's the kit:

Remember Me by Sarah Bennett at ScrapMatters

And here's a FREE QP made by me...just for you!

Click here to download the QP

I hope you enjoy the Quick Page and check out Sarah's other beautiful kits at ScrapMatters. Until my next post, I wish you all well.

Sneaky Peeky!

2010-03-18T16:32:00.000-07:00

Hello all...Gabby here for a little treat for all those scrappers who are like me.....impatient! No worries here is a sneak peak of Sarah's kit "Memories of You" that will be released at Scrapmatters this Friday!

This kit is great for just about any layout!

See you later!

Want a chance to win a free kit?

2010-03-17T05:34:00.000-07:00

Good Morning Trish here with a chance for you win Sarah Bennett's Kit

Remember Me

There are two easy ways to win:
*Leave a comment here on this blog post telling us what you love about Sarah Bennett's Designs or this kit.
*Become a fan of Designs by Sarah Bennett on facebook and then come back here and leave a comment on this blog post letting me know that you became a fan.

Do both of these things for TWO chances to win! (Just make sure you leave two separate comments. A maximum of two comments per person, please!)

I will choose a winner randomly and announce it on Monday, March 22nd!

Don't forget the free add on for this kit is still available :)

Click to download

Good Luck and I will see you next week!
Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Super Guest Scrappers!

2010-03-15T21:12:00.000-07:00

Sarah Bennett has some fabulous guests helping her get the word out about her fabulous products this month. I'd like to introduce you to

Lindsey

Melody

Betty

These great scrappers have been a welcome addition to the CT. Here are some of their pages.

Below are some of their pages using the Spunky Monkey kit

available in Sarah's ScrapMatters Shop

Ok check these out...

This one with the cute title and super sweet pic is by Melody

This one with the awesome use of background papers and stitching, the fabulous title work, and a childhood memory is by Betty

On Betty's layout above she also used a splatter from Sarah Bennett's Spunky Monkey add on freebie,

the Lined Up Template Pack

and some products from the cutie pie Sister Sue kit

Lindsey made an adorable layout using Sister Sue (posted above).

We sure appreciate our guests and are fortunate to have them! Their layouts above are linked to their SM gallery so go leave them some love and look for their other fabulous pages with products by Sarah Bennett this month.

Thank you Lindsey, Melody, and Betty!

Remember Me....Re-Release

2010-03-12T07:29:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday everyone...it's JenD here to show off a product that is NEW at ScrapMatters but an old favorite of all our long time fans here at Designs by Sarah Bennett. Remember Me is a great kit for new and old pictures, special occasions or just everyday moments.

And the amazing CT created some great layouts to show you how wonderful and versatile this kit really is:

And all of you are super lucky because Sarah has created an add-on pack that all of you can get for FREE!!

Download

See even more inspiration at Designs by Sarah Bennett gallery....hope to see some of your layouts here too.

Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Re-Releases!

2010-03-08T14:04:00.000-08:00

Sarah Bennett has some new re-released products in her store! Make sure you take a look through her designer gallery and check out all of the new layouts using the following products:

I'm sure you will see something you just have to have!

Feeling Spunky and a Freebie

2010-03-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

Check out what has come out today! Sarah has created Spunky Monkey, and it can be found at Scrap Matters. You can click on the the preview to go straight to her shop.

It is so cute, and our CT has been churning out tons of great pages with it. You can check them out below. Keep going down for a link to a freebie!
From Katie:

From Melanie:

From Kim:

From Annisa:

From Li:

From Kendall:

From Becky:

From Amanda:

From Chelle:

From Janine:

From Amber:

From Kat:

From Jude:

From me:

As you can see, this kit is jam packed full of fun elements, and awesome papers. It was so much fun to see how much was created from this one kit. So diverse. Okay, so here's a link to your freebie. If you click here it will take you straight to the download link. Enjoy!

2010-02-22T12:11:00.001-08:00

Don't forget about Sarah's CT call!! It ends this Friday, so you still have a chance to submit your application!

Some cool new stuff and a FREE template

2010-02-19T05:55:00.000-08:00

Hi everybody!
AmyP here!
I love how creative Sarah Bennett is! She is releasing two really neat products today at ScrapMatters. Check these out...
I am just itching to get my hands on these templates that are brand new in her shop...

Some of the CT already played with these amazing templates

Here is one by Li...

She used the Storytime collab with the new templates

and one by Katie...

she used a Feels Like Home, a kit (that I love) Sarah gave away on her blog

and also one by Megg

she used Remember Me which is currently being sold in Sarah's Funky Playground Designs Shop

Sarah also has a really neat looking alpha new today also!
Take a look at this...

Here is what Megg did with this awesome alpha

She used it along with the Crazy/Beautiful kit in the FPD shop

and Katie used it to add a sparkly date to her Christmas ornament layout

with the cute Backyard Friends kit (currently available at FPD)

We have a FREEBIE for you today also! Our free gift for you today is a template. The template is based off of a layout done with the Storytime kit that Sarah did as a collaboration with Lil' Digi Bits by Jude, and Stacy's Backdoor Design.

Your free template will be based off this layout I made

Here is the preview of the template.

Click the above image or right HERE to download from 4shared. Here is a little peek of a larger view of the template. If you want to add your own shadows just delete the layer style.

I hope you all enjoy your Friday and have a great weekend!

See you back here and around digi-land!

It's Monday....and I've got a FREEBIE!

2010-02-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday...and day after Valentine's Day! This is JenD here to bring you a Happy Monday Freebie. Why? Because we LOVE you!! And we show the love even after Valentines Day here at Sarah Bennett's CT blog!

Have you all seen the awesome new collab kit that Sarah partnered up with Stacy's Backdoor Designs and Lil' Digi Bits by Jude a few weeks ago called Storytime:

I used this kit to make a fun little quick page for all of you to enjoy. I wanted to make something that you could use for any of your sweet pics!

Download

Hope all of you have an awesome week and I hope you enjoy the quickpage!!

CT Call and a SALE!

2010-02-11T21:03:00.000-08:00

Hi all! It's Kat here! I have some great news and more great news! Sarah will be a permanent designer over at Scrap Matters so we are going to need a little extra help. Below is our CT Ad, created using Sarah's part of her collab kit, Story time. Be sure you get your applications in early!

Can there be more? Why yes, actually! Funky Playground Designs has been Sarah's design home until recently and sadly, they are closing their doors. It's good news for you! Sarah is retiring most of the items in her FPD store AND you can only get them until Feb. 28th. They are even 40% off! You can't miss that deal!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-10T06:53:00.000-08:00

I know, I'm a few days early. But if you haven't thought about it yet, this post might be perfect for you. I've never been really good at sending out cards or giving people greetings for various holidays, but I've come to realize that some people live and thrive on celebrating EVERY holiday. So maybe you are like me and now you're thinking, great I didn't send any Valentine's Day cards to grandma and grandpa from their most darlingest beautiful grandchildren. Grandparents can NEVER get enough pictures of their grandchildren (in my experience anyway), so I went ahead and made a Valentine's Day Card for you to just pop in your child's photo. And then you can print and send or even just email the image. It is made using Sarah's gorgeous Love You Always kit.

download here

Storytime Freebie

2010-02-07T09:54:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! Sorry my blog post is a little late. To make it up to you, I'm sharing a small piece of Storytime! I hope you enjoy this cute freebie. Just click on the preview to download.
You can grab the entire kit at Scrap Matters. The image is linked.

Hybrid Word Box with Storytime

2010-02-01T06:09:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone, Jude here to show you a little hybrid project I've been working on. My daughter is just learning to read and has a list of words from school. She was quite taken with the idea of a special box to keep word cards in and I immediately thought of the perfect kit to use to make it!

Storytime is a collab that I thoroughly enjoyed working with Sarah and Stacy on and the rich, bright colours were exactly what I needed for this project :

Kit : Storytime by Designs by Sarah Bennett, Lil' Digi Bits by Jude and Stacy's Back Door Designs
Alpha : Neutral Alpha by Lil' Digi Bits by Jude (painstakingly cut out by me!)
Hybrid Template : 6 x 4 Recipe Box Template by Mari Koegelenberg

And if that's enough to inspire you to try hybrid (and believe me, if I can do it - anyone can!), ScrapMatters is running a Hybrid Boot Camp which starts today! I'm hopefully going to be playing along as I'm kinda making it up right now and hints and tips would be great!

Better Late Than Never!

2010-01-31T06:15:00.000-08:00

Oh, my goodness! I am such a slacker, I was supposed to be here on Friday to give you the scoop on Sarah goodness...and I totally flaked! Ever had one of those weeks where everything went not-quite-right? That's been mine! Oh, well...moving on...

The other reason I cannot believe I didn't post is because Sarah has an amazing new kit out this week! It's a collab with a couple of her wonderful CT girls, Jude and Stacy, who also happen to be wonderful designers in their own right (Lil' Digi Bits by Jude and Stacy's Back Door Designs). And oh, my goodness, this kit is too cute! Storytime is a fantastic kit, and I am already trying to plan out ways to use it in March, for Reading Month!

Want to see it? Here it is (image is linked)!

AND Sarah is giving away an awesome bonus alpha on her own blog (and there are links to freebie add-ons at Jude and Stacy's blogs there too!)!!!! Go pick them all up now!

Gallery Standouts!

2010-01-27T11:15:00.000-08:00

I love looking through the galleries and seeing the wonderful layouts people make with Sarah's kits. It's amazing how different all the layouts are and how many ways her kits can be used! They truly are SO very versatile!

Here are two layouts that really got my attention. The first one is called "Boys & Toys = Joy" by TrishB. I love the photo, the white space, and especially how the elements were placed around the adorable boy and his toy. Awesome! (Image is linkied to the layout so you can leave TrishB some love.)

TrishB used the fabulous kit called "Everyday Special":

The second layout that stood out to me is called "Dad" by kimbytx. I just adore the series of photos and how the elements are clustered. Perfection! (Again, the image is linked to kimbytx's gallery.)

Kimbytx used Sarah's gorgeous kit called "Love You Always":

We LOVE to see the fantastic layouts that you use with Sarah's kits, so don't be shy! Post them in the galleries! You never know . . . maybe you'll see one of your layouts spotlighted here, too!

Happy Scrapping,

Annisa

Love is in the air! (Freebie!)

2010-01-22T13:18:00.001-08:00

Have you been enjoying Sarah's new Love You Always kit? I know we've already had a few posts about it, but it's just so gorgeous, we can't get enough! I put together a coordinating frame cluster freebie for you to snag. The elements in this kit are prefect for layering and clustering!

{Click preview to download.}

Enjoy! :)

Some Beautiful Love (a freebie too)

2010-01-20T02:56:00.000-08:00

You just have to see the amazing things that can be done with Sarah Bennett's newest kit!
Love you Always Be prepared to be astounded

It is such a gorgeous kit, and look at all these beautiful pages by Sarah's CT

By Katie

By Megan

By Jude

By Megg

By Li

By Stacy

By Annisa

By Kat

By Jen

By Erin

Isn't it amazing what you can do with this kit!?

If you haven't had the chance to pick up this kit yet you can find it >>>here<<< in Sarah's Scrap Matters store.

To those who posted in last weeks give-a-way that Kat hosted, if you haven't done so yet, then don't forget to email us for your prize!

Congrats to the three recipients of the fifty percent off prize!

AnnetteOK
Mara
Jacinda
And the recipient of the Love You Always kit for FREE is: Christina (comment Post number 2)
email the address provided by Kat or the CT Blog email address DesignsBySarahBennettCTblog at gmail dot com

Now on to a freebie for all of you.
I thought Annisa's layout "Love Notes" was so darling that I had to turn it into a template. If you'd like this darling template it is yours!
Here is her CUTE layout...

and here is the free template I made based on her layout.

If you'd like this freebie click here or on the little image below

If you grab the template, don't forget to leave a comment. We LOVE hearing from you!!

I hope you all are having a great day, and get some scrapping done!

You're A Winner!

2010-01-16T08:35:00.000-08:00

We have a winner! The person with comment #2 has won a FREE copy of this great new kit by Sarah Bennett.

But guess WHAT, if you made a comment, you get this kit at 50% off!! Sarah is giving out 3 more coupons letting you buy this great new kit at HALF the price. We'll need your email address, so if you don't have it attached to your user name, then send me an email at kat.tankersley@gmail.com and I'll get your coupon to you! You can buy this great new kit over at Sarah's Scrap Matters store! Thanks for leaving us your guesses! Great job!

Sneak Peek just for you!

2010-01-13T00:00:00.000-08:00

We've got a little treat for you! Have you heard the news? Sarah Bennett is now a permanent member of the Scrap Matters Design Team and she has a new release for you! Can you guess the theme of the kit? If you can, post it in a comment and we'll randomly choose a winner to receive a coupon towards your purchase!

This great kit will release on FRIDAY, January 15th at Scrap Matters. Be sure you stop by and pick your copy. Have a great Wednesday!

Alphas!

2010-01-11T07:29:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but sometimes the alpha can make or break a layout. Most times I prefer to use the alpha that came with the kit. (Sometimes I'm absolutely lost if a kit DOESN'T come with an alpha). Sarah has done these *extra* alphas that are perfect for a plethora of different layouts and most go with just about everything and help convey the perfect mood: fun, elegance, simple, fancy...

You'd be hardpressed to NOT find the perfect alpha in this collection. And I'm sure there will be more great alphas coming our way.