creativitE by Erin Bassett

Giveaway: A spot at the Spawn of True Scrap online scrapbooking event

It's time for a giveaway...woo-hoo!

 

How about one spot at the online event: Spawn of True Scrap (a $127 value!!)

This is the second True Scrap event,and it's going to be bigger and better then the first!!

True Scrap events are like going to a scrapbook retreat except you get to stay home and participate in your jammies!  You get amazing classes (17 of them to be exact!) and fun make and takes, chatting with friends and teacher, and more!!  The live event happens October 20-22, but you'll have access to the classes and chat transcripts forever! 

Enter to win your spot by visiting the Spawn of True Scrap site and then leave me a comment below telling me what class you're looking forward to the most.  -There's so many great one's I'm sure you'll have a hard time deciding!

Giveaway open to all...enter by 9/14/2011.

 Comments are now closed.

Sponsor: True Scrap

Pin It! {Pinterest LA Meet Up}

Last Thursday night Pinterest had a L.A. meet-up at Urbanic Paper Botique in Venice.  Such a cute shop!!  Seriously.  A dangerous shop to go into if you're a paper or stationary addict!

 

Here's the first stop when we got there...a name tag table just outside the store.

 

{click photos to enlarge}

And then inside we took some Instax pics and pinned them to a board just like on the Pinterest site.  :)

Out back there was some snacks and beverages....I had some of the ginger crisps in case you were wondering.  Yum!

There were pennat banners made out of baker's twine and magazine papers strung above our heads.

 

As I mentioned before, the store has some cute stuff!  Here's a bit of what's inside the store.

And lastly, thanks Maggie for hanging out with me!  I had so much fun getting to know you better.  :)

 

Holiday Links I love

Since I'm so busy with all the hustle and bustle of Christmas I thought I'd share some links of things that have caught my eye online the past couple of days.

I love what Mel did on this card!!  She has a great tutorial about it on her blog about it too.

 

 

You all saw how I cut fabric with my Cricut Expression for my Christmas banner, but did you know the Slice cuts fabric too?  Check out Little Birdie Secrets and see her cute Christmas towels.

 

 

Loving this modern wreath that Pickles made...there's directions on the site, wink, wink!

 

  

I love how Amy made these holiday napkins with a bleach pen!!  

(photo removed per Amy's request...please stop by her blog to see these, they're great!)

  

Here's a fabulous card Melis made.  It reminded me of Spark!  You have to read what she wrote in this post too, especially you adoptive Moms...brought a tear to my eyes.  ;)

 

 

 And of course I love these gingerbread houses by Not Martha, how could you not!  :)

 

 

Oh, and be sure to stop by When Creativity Knocks for a vintage post card ornament tutorial.
 
 
 

 

Web Finds

Hopping around from site to site I've found these terrific things...

Madebyjulene Paper Cuts - Fabulous works of art....I want them all!!  I don't know how she cuts all of these by hand...amazing! 

 

Ambrosia Girl - Happy Tickets (She's giving away a download for you to print them yourself!)

 

On poppytalk - The Autumn Colour Flickr pool...LOVE!

When Creativity Knocks shows how to make a flower finger pin cushion...handy for those of us that sew.

 

Up Up, The Blog has some great origami flowers up.  I think I need to make some of those!

 

What Katy Did - awesome bag she made with her Yudu... gorgeous!

 

My Blogging Journey

I started blogging August 28, 2005.  -Hard to believe it's been that long.  Almost 4 years..wow!

I decided to start blogging so I could keep a log of my projects I was working on.  After all, when a crafty geek wants to record what's she's working on how else would she do it?  

Since then, I've come to realize that: 

• it's pretty impossible (at least for me) to truly write down type out EVERYTHING I create
• I've met some REALLY cool people through my blog  (I'm still shocked when I meet people in real life & they tell me they read my blog...it's like meeting instant friends.)
• blogging is more fun than I thought it would be
• Keeping in touch with family & friends is an added benefit
• it's nice to have a collection of photos & stories over the years
• reading & following other peoples blogs is fun...who needs books anymore, LOL! (Kidding!  I still love to read books, I just don't devote as much time to it anymore.)
• I love helping people...wither it's telling them about new products or helping them to use the ones they have.  (So keep commenting & emailing me your Yudu questions.)
• I actually like writing....or maybe talking.  -Are they the same?  Different?

Thank you KnitPurlGurl for challenging us to tell our blogging stories.

Blog Hop '09

I wanted to go to BlogHer this year, but since I didn't know how well I'd be doing post spinal surgery I decided not to go....now I kinda wish I would have just got the ticket since I'm doing so well.  But such is life!  So instead, I'm making lemonade and hooking up with the wonderful bloggers at the Blog Hop '09.  

Blog Hop '09 should be REALLY fun...meet new blogger & win prizes.  Hey, this may be even better than going to BlogHer since I can do it in my PJ's if I want to!

Follow Blog Hop '09 on Twitter...and of course you can follow me too!  

Online Photo Editing Classes

I signed up for Jessica Sprague's FREE photo editing class this morning...can't wait for it to begin in July.  If you'd like to take it too remember to enter the code: FREECLASS062009.

I'm also thinking of taking her other photography editing class (which is on sale right now) even though I think I'm pretty proficient in the areas it covers.  I guess I just love learning LOL.  I feel like I always learn something new when I take classes even if I'm familiar with the subject because there is SO much to learn & each teacher shares his/her own slant on things so it gives me a fuller prospective on the subject. 

If you've taken Jessica's photo editing classes before I'd love to hear about your experience.

Yudu'd Paper Bag

I'm so thankful for my friends...especially when they help a girl out in her time of need.  So what way better than to give them a little something to let them know you care...right?  I silk screened the paper bag I gave it to her in with my Yudu screen printer.

I get a lot of emails about how to make designs to use the Yudu.  I personally use Photo Shop Elements or Paint Shop Pro to make my designs, however any photo editing type program could work.  

This is how my design looks when I'm going to print it on the transparency.  I love grungy look'n stuff!  So all the "smudgy" stuff on my finished product is supposed to be there. LOL.

I'd love to know what programs you use to design with.  Drop me an email me or comment below.  :D

Favorite Blog Reads Tonight

Ok, so I just check my blog reader & it says I have 239 blog posts to read....um, it's not gonna happen!  So, here's a sampling of some of the blogs I did read & did enjoy.  -Warning though, their kinda random & not all craft related (as you can tell LOL):

First off, I have to start with "Hurley's" blog (you know, the guy from LOST)...his writing style always cracks me up.  

And then I had to "run" over to Nienie's blog...whenever I see she's posted again I read it.  For those of you that haven't heard her story, both her & her husband were in a nearly fatal plane crash & she was severely burned.  She's a brave lady....today she's posted a photo of her eyes.

Kelly did a great mini-album on the last presidential election.

I love Kerri's story about her son leaving home.  -Her LO is so touching.  PS - she has a link to a MAJOR giveaway for a Silhouette SD on her blog!  Now that would be super to win!!

Ok you shutter-bugs...I LOVE the shot of this dog!  She really caught that dog's personality...love it!

Laine has a great challenge on her blog today...and a photo of Hugh Jackman too in case you need a little eye candy.  I believe what she says is true about what we are drawn to in early childhood. 

There's a Scenic Route sale!!  -LOVE their stuff!!

As a crafty person I LOVE to see how others organize their stuff! 

 Gretchen just finished her room & is showing it off on her blog.

And lastly....SINamon buns (and that's NOT a typo)....yum!  Thanks Alicia for the sweet dreams I'm gonna have now from looking at THAT!  Did I say yum yet???

Fun Links

Want to visit a fun site????  Try Be Funky!  I saw a link to it on Laura's blog & finally tried it out tonight....I think I could get carried away playing there LOL.

That's a photo of my niece going down a slide.

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I got some new jewelry!  I love new jewelry...especially handmade jewelry....and especially when a friend made it.  I met Marfa online a really, really long time ago...in fact, I think she was one of the first "strangers" I ever met online & opened up to & now look at us....friends forever.  Anyway, she opened an Etsy shop & has some great handmade jewelry there...so check it out.  I'll post a photo of me wearing it some time this week (hopefully)...but until then, here's a couple of shots of it that Marfa took.  Oh, and here's her blog if you want to check that out too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Ok, and here's another "keeper" link for you scrapbookers/card makers..."arizona dreamer" posted this on 2Peas the other day & Patter blogged about it, which is how I came to hear about it.  -Any how, it's a site that help you match popular patterned paper to Bazzill paper.  Check out Bazzill Matchmaker.