Making Memories

Independence Day

Happy July 4th!

 

Scrapbooking Tip from Cindy

Today Cindy wanted to share her scrapbooking tip with you.

I love pop dots. I love the way that a little dimension can add so much to your page. They add subtle shadows and you can layer things better as well as slide ribbons underneath and around.

Don’t be afraid to freehand draw something. I laid out the title word on my page and penciled out an arrow around it. It doesn’t have to be perfect and it adds a little bit of your own style to the layout.

Also, don’t be afraid to have white space. White space is the blank area between type, pictures and graphic regions. If you use it properly, it will draw the eye to the areas you most want people to look at.

Jayme's Visit to South Africa

Jayme had the opportunity to travel to South Africa to teach at a scrapbooking convention. She learned so much and I wanted to share it with you.

What is one thing you learned while in South Africa that changed your life or your perspective?
I think the one thing that really enhanced my perspective was the diversity of people, cultures, and economic situations in South Africa.  I was humbled seeing the numerous "shacks" right next to nicer homes. I was able to understand the different influences that make up this country. It was interesting to hear about and see different tribes of the indigenous people and the many different languages – 11 official languages in South Africa.  It is amazing and awe-inspiring to me to be reminded of the diversity in our world and how we are influenced by our surroundings. 

What types of inspiration did you find in South Africa?
The inspirational aspect of this journey was amazing.   Looking back, in one word, I would say color.  From the multi-colored bathhouses in Kalk Bay to the brightly colored home fronts in the Malay Quarters of Cape Town, color was a big player. I was also surprised and inspired by the Malaysian and Dutch influences in architecture, decor and art.  I was also very inspired by all the wonderful people I met!  I couldn't have experienced a more kinder, wonderful group of people in which to work with and also the women I met at the conventions.  They were all so gracious and made me feel at home. There was also so much inspiration to be found during the three days of safari and in our stay at Kichaka Lodge. It was breathtaking – the experience.  I was inspired on so many levels.

What was your favorite adventure while in South Africa?
My favorite adventure had to be our three days of safari at Kichaka Lodge.  We had several different game drives and on each drive we saw the most amazing creatures. I kept thinking about the movie "The Lion King" and the circle of life and how this reserve maintains a perfect balance as described by our ranger Francois.  For all of the 25,000 acres of reserve, there were just six lions.  I was surprised that there would not be more, but soon understood as he talked about the balance and the circle of life.  Songs from "The Lion King" were constantly in my head throughout the drives!  The lodge, the food and service was another amazing experience all of it's own.  I felt like royalty and I doubt I will ever have such an experience again in this lifetime.  I am so grateful!

Describe the relationships you created with the people of South Africa?
Glenda, Gary, Kyle, Debbie, Aunty Val, and of course Tim and Mario, were so wonderful to spend time with!  Glenda is such a gracious host and seriously made me feel like part of the family.  They all did!  Traveling by myself, I was a bit nervous being so far from home and being five months pregnant.  But all of that went away once I met all of these wonderful people.  I learned and experienced so much just by watching them and getting to know them.  Some of the most genuine, kind and loving people I have ever met.

Three Winners

We have three lucky winners. Congratulations to the following people who will be receiving a special prize.

If you are one of the winner, please email me at jweston@makingmemories.com so we can send your prize.

Time for a Giveaway

We are finally done cleaning (sigh of relief)..... and now we are ready to do a giveaway. Today we have three giveaways. Post a comment and tell me why you deserve it.  I will pick three lucky winners tomorrow.

Good luck.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Making Memories has been super busy lately. CHA - a craft and hobby show - is just around the corner. For Making Memories this means we are busy getting ready for this show. For you it means lots of new products to enjoy. We are also in the process of doing a lot of spring (actually summer) cleaning. As soon as we are done we will share some goodies with you. Stay tuned. We will do at least one giveaway today.

Happy Monday.

Tara's Pages

Last Friday I told you how Making Memories' graphic design team has a scrapbook day. They do this so they can use the products they help design and so they can get inspiration. Today I wanted to give you a scrapbooking tip from Tara.

The last touch that Tara puts on her pages is journaling. Tara likes to journal, but she does not always want everyone to be able to read it. She creates a lot of pockets and hidden journaling spots on her pages to keep it hidden.

Journaling is very important to Tara. She uses her own handwriting, not because she loves it, but because it's easier and she wants her children to be able to see it in the future. Her journaling varies depending upon the type of page she creates. Normally she describes the situation and always includes the date. However, when she makes layouts for her daughter Gwen (who is adorable by the way), she adds an extra personal touch because she wants Gwen to know how much she loves her.

So, if you are like Tara and do not want everyone to read your journaling, try creating little pockets on your layout to keep it hidden.

Another Making Memories' Baby

We are so excited that Jodi from customer service is expecting her first baby. Her new little guy is set to debut in July, which is just around the corner. We celebrated with her by having a homemade ice cream party. It was fun to socialize, talk about babies, and watch her open gifts.

Help us wish her the very best.

 

Meal Planner from Wendy

Wendy Anderson, one of Making Memories' designers, created this menu planner.

I'm SO excited to put this into use in my house - I hate deciding what to make for dinner every night and my kids are so picky -- this will help all of us.  I've been letting each of the kids take a week and decide what they want for dinners, but this will make the process easier for all of us - and so much more organized!

For my meal planner, I used Making Memories' kraft/black 3-ring album (8 1/2 x 11").

The cover is self-explanatory.  I used the Vinyl Sticker Black Dot (Slice Cordless Design Cutter Specialty paper), along with the Just Chillin' Slice design card to cut out the word "meal."  The other words are Making Memories'  black shimmer alpha stickers.

 

To create the divider pages, I simply cut patterned paper from Making Memories 5th Avenue collection, to 9 1/4" x 11" and punched holes to fit in the binder.  Next, I cut tabs out of black cardstock with the Studio Essentials Slice design card.  I labeled each tab by placing tiny alpha stickers (white on black) along the edge.  I staggered the tabs so they are all readable from the front.

In the MENU section, I created a weekly meal planner on my computer.  I printed out several sheets to keep in the binder.  At the beginning of each week I'll fill out the meal plan (hopefully with the help of my family).  I'll keep "old" meal plans saved in the back of this section for future reference.

In the SHOPPING section, I created a shopping list on my computer.  Again, I printed several sheets to keep in the binder.  As we're deciding on the meals we'd like to eat, we'll create a shopping list to go along with it.  It'll be easy to take this list to the grocery store and buy everything we need for the entire week in one trip - a dream come true! :) If you are interested in seeing my shopping list, visit my blog so you can download my template.

The FAVES section has a page for each family member.  I asked each person to create a list of things they like to eat.  This will help in the planning process as well.  I'll jot down items as we go - new things we try that someone likes, meals that are a hit with ALL of the family members, etc.

The RECIPES section will be a new home to the recipes I use over and over - and also a place to save new recipes I am anxious to try.

The COUPONS section will be a place where I can keep all of those random coupons - hopefully keeping them organized will help me remember to use them before they expire.  This can also help with meal planning - matching up items I can buy for less with meals we like.

I'm excited to start a new routine of meal planning with my family, and this binder is the perfect way to stay organized and streamline the entire process!

I hope you like it. Post a comment and let me know if your family has a good system for organizing meal time.

Wendy

What's for Dinner?

I don't know about you, but trying to figure out what to have for dinner can be a challenge.  I wish I could magically wave a wand and have delicious food appear on the table that my kids would eat. Have you ever tried doing that? Maybe my magic wand just does not work.

We have an idea that will help make the process of dinner easier for you and your family. We are going to share this idea tomorrow. Today, we want you to share your dinner ideas.

Post a comment and let us know WHAT'S FOR DINNER. And if you want to go the extra mile, post the recipe. :) Make sure to check back tomorrow so we can help you put it all together.