Jennifer Fox Designs

My New Adventure

2011-07-16T11:36:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone!!! Have you heard I have a new adventure? I'm a new Trunk Keeper for Matilda Jane Clothing!!! Have you seen these clothes? They are gorgeous for your sweet little girls and fabulous for us grown-ups, as well! The new Fall 2011 line, You and Me, debuts August 1st. You can see the clothes online beginning Aug. 1 and I'll be accepting phone and email orders for my wonderful out-of-town friends that day.

I'm also booking Trunk Shows AND Online Catalog shows for August and September. Those dates are filling up fast, so if you'd like to host your own Trunk Show and find out about all the perks of being a "Jane," send me an email at jenniferf@matildajaneclothing.com today! I'd love to work with you and your friends, so don't hestiate to contact me soon.

Have a wonderful weekend!!
xoxo,
Jennifer

4th of July Fun

2011-07-04T21:00:00.005-04:00

We like the 4th of July. We like to dress up in red, white, and blue. We like parades and parade candy. We like being outside and picnics and fireworks. This year, we missed our normal parade so we decided to go to a different one instead. I'm so happy that we did! We really had an awesome time and met a couple of super nice people that started our day off in a nice way.

Here's Miss C with a flag she's been wanting for weeks now...so glad she got one today!

Ry ready for the parade to start...

Me sitting with Miss C right before parade time. Yep, she's eating a cookie!

My babies, rocking their patriotic colors. If you look closely, you'll see that C's nails are red, blue, and sparkly. Perfection.

Awwwww...cute family pic of all of us right before the parade began. The older gentleman using my iPhone to take the pic was so nice...and it was fun to watch him trying to figure it out! Am I the luckiest girl out there or what?!?

That's all...short and sweet. Of course I'll have to scrap these photos, and when I'll do, I'll come back to share. I just need that perfect Independence Day kit.

I hope you've all had an amazing day!

Swim Day!

2011-06-26T09:51:00.010-04:00

We love to spend hot summer days at the pool. The kids could swim and play all day if we let them. We really like that it's an inexpensive (FREE!) way to get some fun family time together and that it lets us be outside enjoying the gorgeous weather without being too hot.

Here's Miss C showing off a new bathing suit. I couldn't resist this ruffled top. Too cute. She loves it.

Ry has learned the fine art of the cannon ball. He's in and out of the pool over and over practicing. Love it!

Wonder how Ry learned? Check out Shane's super high and crazy splashing cannon ball. Pretty sure it had to hurt, though.

The guys love goofing around. They are so funny to watch! I love that Ry has finally leared to love the water as much as I do. Oh, ok...I have to give diving a shot. But not off the board. That thing's loose and it scares me!

Nice, huh?!? :p After all that diving and swimming, I found my favorite place to be...in the big float with Miss C. This is MY idea of fun at the pool.

It seems the only thing left to do is scrap these pics. I'm thinking of using a multi-photo layout to get them all on one or two pages. Of course, I'll also need a fun summer/pool themed kit. Have any suggestions for me? Want to show off some of your fave summer layouts? I'd love to see them! Just link me up in the comments and I'll leave you some love.

Happy Sunday!

School's Out! Let's Scrap!

2011-06-23T12:21:00.004-04:00

School ended here a couple of weeks ago, and I did remember to take my annual end-of-the-year photo of Ry. However, it's taken me this long to decide to scrap it. I don't know why that is...every year I scrap a beginning and end of school photo, but for some reason it was a bit harder to scrap this time.

I ended up going to a couple of my fave kits. I used At The Bus Stop by Lauren Grier and Smarty Pants by Shawna Clingerman and Julie Billingsley. I used a brand new font from Darcy Baldwin called Me and My Shadow Light. It will be available at SSD this weekend. Here's what I ended up doing:

I love to compare the first day with the last day. It's amazing what a difference a school year makes! Here's Ry on his first day of 2nd grade:

Also, since this was such an unusual year with the school switch in November, I thought it would be fun to compare that, too:

My little guy is growing up...I love it and hate it at the same time! As always, you can find my complete layout credits in my gallery at Sweet Shoppe.

Have you scrapped the end of school for your kids? I'd love to see how you're scrapping these milestones. Link me up to your pages here in the comment section and I'll leave you some gallery love. <3

xoxo

Father's Day

2011-06-21T10:04:00.004-04:00

I love Father's Day. It's so much fun to celebrate what an amazing dad my husband is to our children. They love "Daddy Day" and go out of their way to make daddy happy on this special day. It really is so cute!

The kids and I worked together to make these cute books for daddy. We searched the Family Fun website for just the right thing and the kids really wanted to make these. I just used some scrapbook paper for the covers (glued to cardboard), some stickers for the title, and of course, the adorable stick. The kids didn't want it to be a notepad, as the directions suggest. Instead, they filled each page with little stories and pictures about how much the love daddy. It doesn't get much sweeter than that.

Since I'm back to scrapping more, I wanted to do a Father's Day-ish page for my hubby. I love this photo, and decided to use it. The title, You Make Me Smile, is so true! I used Lauren Grier's newest kit, You Give Me a Reason To Smile, and my fave font ever, Gimme Space by Darcy Baldwin and Lauren Reid. You can find this page in my SSD gallery. :)

I really love being able to use this space to share what I'm doing with all of you and I sure hope you enjoy it, too! Please feel free to leave comments with ideas, suggestions, or inspiration of things you'd like to see here.

See you soon!

Time for a change

2011-06-16T23:00:00.007-04:00

Since the end of my designing days, I haven't been sure what to do with this blog. I love the following I have on here and hate the idea of just leaving the blog unattended and unloved. So, I've decided to blend in my real life and my scrapping here. You'll see layouts from me, I'll talk about the wonderful designers I create for, there will be LOTS of Matilda Jane talk, and even some real life stuff from me. If you're already following me here, I sure hope you'll continue to do so! I will leave the freebies, tutorials, recipes, etc. here just like always. If you're new to the blog...welcome! I hope you'll enjoy it!

Here's a page I created just today, using goodies from Lauren Grier and a fabulous font by Darcy Baldwin:

Hope you all have a fabulous Friday!

xoxo

Jennifer

Tomorrow's the FINAL DAY and EVERYTHING'S $1.00

2011-05-30T16:24:00.003-04:00

Yep, you read that right. My store at the fabulous 9th&Bloom will be closing tomorrow at midnight. As I retire from designing, I want to leave you all with one final, amazing, blow-your-mind sale: EVERYTHING in my store is $1.00.

Insane, right? Once again, I just want to mention how thankful I am to all of my team members, my amazing store owners at 9th&B, my fellow designers, and my customers. It's been an amazing two years and I'm so happy to have been able to share it all with you. THANK YOU!!!

Lots of love,

Memorial Day.....

2011-05-30T10:46:00.002-04:00

Tara here with some thoughts on Memorial Day!

Here in the states we are celebrating Memorial Day. There will be people visiting graves to pay respects, there will be cook outs, there will be patriotic songs played, American flags flown and time spent with family. I hope and pray that all my American friends takes the time to thank a soldier. If you agree with wars or not.....the bottom line is that soldier is putting their life on the line to protect our country. They are brave, patriotic and heroic.

On this Memorial Day, I will also be shopping!!!!! Sales are my very best friend. Jennifer is having the best sale of all! Check this out!!!!!

You better hurry! This is only good for today and tomorrow!!!! After that, all of these beautiful designs will go away! I know, I am sad too. I tend to shop when I am sad, so it works out. :)

These are a few of my favorite kits....

2011-05-27T13:12:00.000-04:00

Since Jennifer is retiring at the end of this month {*tear*}, I thought I'd showcase a couple of my favorite kits of hers.

I love this bundle! Since I have both a boy and a girl, I've gotten a LOT of use out of these kits. They are also available separately.

The other kit I really really love {and it's so hard to pick favorites!} is this one:

It's perfect for scrapping those "off" days that seem to happen every so often.

So, what are you waiting for? Head over to Jennifer's store and take advantage of her fabulous sale!

No More First Looks!

2011-05-26T16:50:00.000-04:00

Obviously, since Jennifer is retiring {so sad!}, there will be no more First Looks from her. With that said, have you checked out her retirement sale, yet? Holy smokes!

Be sure to take advantage of this fabulous sale because when Jen closes her store, the products will be gone for good!

Desktop Freebie

2011-05-25T23:28:00.004-04:00

Hey Scrappers- My apologies for the lateness of my post. We had some storms blow through my area today, and in doing some repair work, they cut a line running to our internet provider, so I had no access most of the day.

This is going to be the final desktop freebie (for now) for Jennifer Fox Designs. I am REALLY hoping she decides to come back after a short break... It sure has been fun working with Jen, and getting to create beautiful layouts using her awesome kits! Make sure that you head over to her shop at 9th&Bloom and get in on her retirement sale.. 65% off everything in her store through May 31st! Make sure you get everything before it is gone for good!!

So without further ado, here is the desktop freebie. I created it using Jen's kit, One of those days.. I love this kit. I love the funky colors, and all the great elements. It is a pretty versatile kit. Make sure you pick this one up!! To download the file please click here

Tidbit Tuesday & More

2011-05-24T13:44:00.000-04:00

Good afternoon all, Kara here with Tuesday's Tidbit. Summer is just around the corner, that means summer break for our kiddo's! You know how it goes, they drive us crazy because they are bored, and so on. A friend of mine pointed out a very cool blog to me. Positively Splendid I LOVE this blog. They have so many cool summer ideas to do with your kids, and so much more. Be sure to stop by the blog and check out all their cool idea. One of my favorites is Sponge Water Bombs totally doing this with my little man as soon as we can.

Just a reminder, Jennifer is having a HUGE retiring sale, on now until May 31st. Be sure to stop by here 9th&B Shoppe and pick up your favorites by Jennifer. We are gonna miss Jennifer, she is such a wonderful lady to work for, and we hope once things calm down she will be back. That is all for today, enjoy your day, and enjoy shopping :p

My Big Announcement: I'm Retiring

2011-05-23T10:26:00.010-04:00

Those are some words I'm shocked to be typing to all of you. I'm still surprised that I'm actually going through with it and retiring from designing. However, due to some personal situations in my family, I'm over-extended, over-stressed, and overwhelmed. This decision isn't one I came to lightly, but it is one that I'm confident in.

I have loved designing for the past 2+ years. I love 9th&Bloom. I love all the fabulous friendships I've made as a result. I love seeing your creations with my products, talking with all of you via this blog, facebook, and twitter. I love this little digiscrap world. That's why I don't plan to leave digiscrapping entirely. At heart, I'm a scrapper first, and I need to get back to that. I'll be around in the forums, and I plan to leave this blog (and all the freebies on it!) intact. Just look for more personal and scrapping posts from me rather than design related team posts. My facebook fan page...I'm still not sure what to do with it, so I just may do nothing for a while. It will be around through May 31 at the very least. My Twitter account will also remain active, though look for me to change user names soon. All in all, I'll still be "around," just in a different capacity.

I suppose you're looking for the good part? Check this out...a super fabulous retirement sale, effective immediately and running through May 31, 2011.

This is a pretty awesome sale, right? These products are leaving for good, so if you need anything, be sure to grab it by May 31st.

Finally, I want to thank my Creative Team...you are the best group of girls and I'm so proud to have been able to work with each and every one of you. I love you all and wish you so much happiness! To 9th&B, Lizzy, Holly, and my fellow designers...I'm going to miss you guys! Thanks so much for having me, believing in me, and understanding why I have to go. You guys are amazing! To my "fans," THANK YOU!!! Thank you for being supportive, for enjoying my products, and for coming along with me on this journey. I appreciate you all and am so blessed to have been part of your scrapping lives. Take care.

xoxo,

Sunday Spotlight

2011-05-22T08:39:00.000-04:00

Happy Sunday fellow bloggers/scrappers. Kara here with today's spotlight. Do you have a best friend? Maybe a brother or a sister who you consider to be your best friend, or maybe your husband is your best friend? Whoever it may be, Jennifer has this great kit to scrap those memories with your BFF. My Best Friend

This kit has pretty much everything you need to create a wonderful layout. Here are a few from some scrappers who used this kit. Be sure to stop by Jennifer's Shoppe at 9th&Bloom to get My best friend for only $6.00! Have a great Sunday!!

Tidbit Tuesday

2011-05-17T07:00:00.000-04:00

Hey Everyone! Tricia here with my very first tidbit Tuesday! I had a thousand ideas running through my head for this post and had a horrible time trying to narrow it down. Finally it just hit me.. duh I have this amazing friend who just happens to make amazing things!! Catherine of Hats by Cat creates not only adorable hats, scarfs, etc for winter BUT also has hairbows, shirts, dresses, etc that are just perfect for summer time!

Not only is she one of the sweetest ladies I've ever got to know; she is excessively talented! She is a doll to work with and gets your order down in a very timely manner. Hope you guys fall in love with her stuff as much as I did!

Have a great Tuesday!

Meal in Minutes Monday!

2011-05-16T11:24:00.003-04:00

Hello! Tara here with a great recipe that will not only be quick but REALLY yummy!

Coconut Chicken Strips with Pina Colata Sauce

1 cup sweetened coconut
½ all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp garlic powder (I doubled this part)
1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch strips
1 egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup melted butter

Mix coconut, flour, salt, pepper and garlic in a shallow, flat-bottom dish. Dip chicken in egg then coat with coconut mixture. Place in shallow baking dish and drizzle with melted butter.

Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes or until chicken is browned and cooked through, turning once.

Dipping sauce :
½ cup sour cream
¼ pina colada mix
¼ cup crushed pineapple
2 Tbsp sugar

Mix ingredients until fully incorporated.

I really hope that you enjoy this recipe! My family really enjoyed it!

Scissors Sunday - Hybrid Rewind

2011-05-15T11:42:00.003-04:00

Hi, all, Sarah here. I was browsing through the Hybrid category on the blog and came across this project that I did last summer. I absolutely love how cute and easy they are to make so I wanted to share them again so that the newer readers will see them, and maybe give them a try.

I found the initial inspiration for these notebooks here. The instructions on how I adapted them for using with digital paper is found here on Jennifer's blog.

If you're new to the blog or new to hybrid be sure to click the hybrid link under the categories header to see all the amazing projects that Jennifer's hybrid team has created and shared with you on her blog. You can also click the other categories that interest you to see the posts on those specific topics.

I hope you have a fantastic Sunday!

Saturday School-Image Inside Text

2011-05-14T07:00:00.002-04:00

Good morning scrappers, Kara here with today's Saturday school. I've been scrapping for 4 or 5 years now and I love learning new things. Last year I learned how to place an image inside my text, and now I'd like to share this with you.

1. Open a new image, make a new layer, and drag and drop a photo onto your canvas.

2. With the Text tool, click on the canvas and type your text. A bold, fat font works best. Pictured is Aharoni Bold, but there are many others that are similar. Here I added a Stroke Layer Style to give the letters a black outline.

3. If your text is on the layer above the image, move it below the image by clicking and dragging the Text layer thumbnail below the image in the Layers Palette.

4. To make the clipping mask, go to Layers>Create Clipping Mask, or type Ctrl-G, or Alt-Click on the line between the two layers in the Layers Palette.

5. Now resize your image to fit in the lettering better. Here I resized and duplicated the layer and moved it over to give more coverage. Remember to add the Stroke Layer Style to the text layer if you want an outline.

*Info from digitalscrapbookplace.com*

Tidbit Tuesday - Meal Planning

2011-05-10T01:00:00.001-04:00

Hi Scrappers! With the start of spring, I get inspired to try to organize, clean, and generally make my life easier... I recently discovered a website called Say Mmm. It is a meal planning website, that combines recipes, and shopping lists, coupons etc all in one place. You can go in, search for a recipe, add it to your menu, and it will add the ingredients to your shopping list. Then you can also search for coupons for the items on your list... I haven't used it much yet (as I just found it) but I can see how this could be a very useful tool. Oh and did I mention that it is free?? They do offer a paid subscription, but their free plan is pretty awesome! What ways have you found to better organize your life? Share with us!!

Scissors Sunday - Hybrid Project

2011-05-08T02:00:00.005-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to all of the Mom's out there. I hope you are enjoying some time with those you love.

For today's Scissors Sunday post I thought I would share a little project I put together this week for my son's teachers in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week. Who doesn't love chocolate, right? As a small token of our gratitude I created a candy bar wrapper using Jennifer's kit: Bloom

along with her contribution to the blog train: iNSD Freebie Alpha

Here's is what I came up with after using some ribbon and flowers I had on hand.....

Enjoy your day!!!

Happy iNSD!!!! Sales, Freebies, Blog Train, and MORE!

2011-05-07T01:00:00.005-04:00

Happy Saturday and Happy iNSD!!! We've already shown you lots of goodies over the past couple of days, and today I'm thrilled to bring you ANOTHER Blog Train!!! This train, sponsered by DSA, will help you collect all the pieces for a mega vacation themed collab, including alphas and templates!

Here is my contribution to the train:

I sure hope you enjoy it! You probably arrived here at my blog from the MScraps blog, and once you leave, you should head over to Traci Reed's blog. If you get lost at any time, go on back to DSA, where you can find the complete list of blog train participants.

Enjoy and Happy iNSD!!!

iNSD Template Freebies

2011-05-06T12:45:00.007-04:00

Happy Friday Scrappers!!! Lori here, and I am so excited to be here to post today! Finally the kickoff to iNSD is finally here! YAY!! This is stop #5 on the 9th&Bloom Blog Hop. From here, you should head to stop #6, Crystal Livesay's blog. If you get lost along the hop, you can head back to the 9th&B forums for the full list.

Jen's CT team came together to create a great layout template pack!! There are 6 layout templates included, as a thank you to all of Jen's fans and followers!!

Make sure you visit 9th & Bloom to get in on all the fun activities they have planned, and also make sure you visit Jen's Facebook Fan page for more fun!

So without further ado, here is your template pack. There are two files to download.

Set 1
Set 2

Hope everyone has a great time this weekend!! Be sure to spend some time at 9th&Bloom. There are so many fabulous things going on over there! You could even WIN your ENTIRE WISH LIST for FREE!!! Head on over and check it out.

Have a happy iNSD, a wonderful weekend, and a Happy Mother's Day!!!

Tara's Spotlight

2011-05-06T00:01:00.002-04:00

Cindy here to bring you today's CT Spotlight. I hope you enjoy getting to know Tara as much as I did. I also hope you enjoy the template she created for you just enough to leave her a comment saying thanks or even a gallery comment her layout is linked :) I hope you have a great Friday and iNSD weekend!

How long have you been digital scrapbooking? This month (March) is my three year anniversary! I was a paper scrapper for many years before that but was having a hard time doing my scrapbooking with a toddler constantly reaching for my scissors and sharp tools. I was introduced to digi by a blogging friend of mine, Nikki (nikkiARNGwife). I dove right in and have never looked back.

Who/What is your inspiration? Mostly my children. I want to make these books as my love notes for them to read in the present and future. I just want to leave behind a legacy.....not only in what I teach them but in memories we share also.

What program do you use? I have been in PhotoShop Elements since day one. I started in version 6 and now have version 9. I have just recently purchased CS5. I have it installed and watched several tutorials. I just haven’t been gutsy enough to try a layout yet! I promise I will soon. It is just hard to get out of my comfort zone.

Mac or PC? Just got my Macbook Pro a few months ago and LOVE it. As they say....Once you go Mac you never go back!

When do you create? I am a night owl. It is usually after everyone is asleep and I can work with no interruptions.

What is your creative environment? I have to have a Coke to drink and snacks on hand. Depending on my mood, I am either listening to my playlist on itunes or watching old girly movies. It has to be movies I have seen a lot so I don’t have to actually “watch” it. I can basically picture it in my head as I work! Movies that are constantly played: Sweet Home Alabama, How to Loose a Guy in 10 Days, any of the Twilight's or Friends episodes on DVD.

Besides scrapbooking, what are some other hobbies you enjoy? I really love to read and I am totally addicted to my Kindle. I also love photography and am trying harder to get better at it.

What is a random fact that not many people know about you? I am pretty much an open book. There is not much NOT known about me. I guess the fact that is hard for people to believe if they don’t know me in real life is the number of kids and grand kids I have. I am only 34.......I have 7 children: 2 step daughters (19 and 17 yo), 4 adopted kids (20,19,18 and 6 yo) and 1 foster son that is 6 months old. My two oldest adopted kids have made me a Nonna to two beautiful girls. One is 20 months old and the other is 12 months. My husband and I have been married for 12 years (June 1998) and have really found our place as a foster/adoptive family.

What is your favorite product by Jennifer? Wow...that is tough. I think my very favorite will have to be In the Air with Nikki Epperson. I am normally not a fan of purple but LOVE the shade in this kit. I have already done three pages with it and will use it again for sure.

This is my favorite layout using In the Air by Jennifer Fox and Nikki Epperson
To leave Tara some love her layout is linked to her gallery :)

and the template Tara made for you
Download here at box.net
and here at mediafire

Are you ready for iNSD? Celebrate with me!!!

2011-05-05T11:15:00.002-04:00

I just love iNSD. I love the games. I love the chats. I love the SALES!!! I'm so excited about my plans for iNSD that I just have to show you now...I can't wait!

There will be so much going on this weekend!!! Be sure you subscribe to my newsletter, are a fan of my facebook page, and subscribe to this blog because I know you won't want to miss out on a thing!

9th&Bloom will be amazing all weekend long. The forums will be hopping, the sales will be AMAZING, and there will be so many free gifts you won't believe it. Make sure to spend some time over there starting now to get in on the fun.

I'll be back to post tomorrow with more info on the festivities at 9th&Bloom, plus a follow-up on my own amazing plans...stay tuned!!!

Rough and Tumble Product Spotlight

2011-05-05T00:01:00.002-04:00

Hello! Cindy here to spotlight Rough and Tumble. Do you have a little (or BIG!!!) boy to scrap? This kit is perfect for you! Jennifer filled this kit with softly grunged colors, tons of metal, and amazing elements, Rough and Tumble has everything you need to scrap page after page of your boys.

Check out these fantastic layouts!

by Cindy

by Tara

by Jenn

by Ella

I hope these layouts have brought just the right picture to mind! We’d love to see what you do with this fabulous kit. Link us up in the comments section so we can leave you some love. I hope you have a great Thursday!

Midweek Freebie

2011-05-04T08:16:00.000-04:00

Is anyone else having a long week so far? How about a fun little freebie to get you over the midweek hump. I decided to create "Just Because" with Jennifer's wonderful kit One Of Those Days and here's what I came up with.

You can get this QP for yourself by clicking here.

Hope you enjoy it and have a wonderful rest of your week!

Tidbit Tuesday

2011-05-03T11:39:00.002-04:00

Hello! Tara here with your Tidbit Tuesday. I don't know about you but I am ALWAYS looking for new recipes. I also happen to love FREE! Amazon has a couple of free ebooks that are cookbooks. You can have them sent to a kindle, PC or phone. How exciting is that? Here are the links....

Slow Cooker Recipes

Meatloaf Recipes

I can't wait to try some new meals from these books! I just wanted to pass on the great deal!

Also, iNSD is coming this weekend! You don't want to miss out on the great things happening at 9th & Bloom!!!! Jennifer is going to have some great things up her sleeve too. You might want to be a fan on her Facebook and visit 9th and Bloom for some fun!

Meals in Minutes - Homemade Sloppy Joes

2011-05-02T01:00:00.001-04:00

Hey Scrappers! Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend, and a great start to the week! I don't know about you, but in our house, Monday's are a little crazy. I have a great go to meal for you!

Turkey Sloppy Joes! Now this recipe is VERY adaptable.. If you don't like a slightly sweet sloppy joe, leave out the brown sugar. These can also be made with ground beef, or chicken..

2 lbs lean ground turkey

1 medium onion chopped fine

1 bottle chili sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

1 small can tomato paste (can use no salt added variety)

2 tbsp cup yellow mustard

2 tbsp brown sugar, packed (or to taste)

2 cloves garlic minced fine

2 tsp. dry gravy mix (brown variety)

1 tsp. vinegar (regular white or cider vinegar)

Add onion, and ground turkey to pan. Crumble ground turkey and cook on medium heat until no longer pink.

Drain off any fat (should be very minimal)

Turn the heat down to low, and add the remaining ingredients, adjusting to how "saucy" you like your sloppy joes. I like mine with a lot of sauce but not runny.

Once all the ingredients are added, stir well and let simmer for 15 - 20 minutes for the flavors to meld, stirring occasionally.

I usually serve this with Crash Hot Potatoes (found on the Pioneer Woman website) Soooo YUMMY!

Also as a quick dessert, you could serve my version of Cookie Monster Ice Cream Sundaes! We have a restaurant here called Cheddars (I believe they are a chain but I am not sure) Anyway, they have this awesome Cookie Monster dessert.. Basically a freshly baked Chocolate Chip cookie with ice cream stuff on top.. Here is my version:

Refrigerated Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (I use the pre made to save time, but if you are a purist, then by all means make them from scratch)

Bake according to package directions.

When they are still hot and fresh out of the oven, place one cookie in the bottom of a cereal sized bowl.

Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Drizzle with hot fudge and a bit of caramel

Top with whipped cream and a cherry.

Now THAT is what I call a fun dinner, and you can have this all on the table in about 40 minutes..

Hope everyone likes the recipes! Have a great rest of the week!!

Photography Tips!~

2011-04-30T19:20:00.005-04:00

Angie here....I am a little late with today's blog post, but better late than never!!! I wanted to share a few tips for taking some fun summer photos~

1. don't take photos in full sun...usually your subject is squinting and the sun is so harsh one side of your subjects face is completely white and one side completely dark
2. try to shoot on ISO 100/200 or 400 for full sun
3. the best time of day is to shoot early morning or late afternoon where you can get fabulous sunlight
4. concentrate your focus on your subjects EYES :)
5. for subjects running through a sprinkler or splashing in a pool use a higher shutter speed of 500 or more....this keeps your subject in focus!
6. don't be afraid to ZOOM in and have your subject's face fill the whole frame! some of these are the best shots I have ever taken!
7. if your camera tries to trigger the flash, turn it off and if you have to use a tripod~
8. find shade and just start shooting until you find just the right spot of light~
9. remember to play play and play with your camera....there is ALWAYS the DELETE button!
10. and ALWAYS try to have a spare battery/batteries, memory card and cleaning cloth handy :)

look at the examples below that I took today of my girls...the sun was VERY harsh it was around noon time so I found a nice shady spot and just started shooting...then I moved in closer! and then I just love that they like to get goofy...so don't worry about everybody looking at the camera, just shoot them in their natural setting, you will be amazed at what you get :)

Little Pretties by Amy--Winner Announced!!!

2011-04-27T21:27:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone! This announcement is coming a bit late, but better late than never! I loved partnering up with the fabulous Amy this month for this fun giveaway. I'm so excited to announce the winner:

Congrats Cheryl!!! Please email me at jenniferfoxdesigns@yahoo.com and I'll get you hooked up with Amy. I hope you enjoy your prize...I KNOW you will!!!

Thanks to everyone for playing and stay tuned for the May Edition of Win It Wednesday, coming soon!

May Desktop Freebie

2011-04-27T09:32:00.003-04:00

Happy Wednesday Scrappers! Lori here with your May Desktop Freebie! This time I used the kit Bloom. This is one of my favorite kits by Jennifer! The colors are wonderful, and really versatile. This kit would be great to scrap all sorts of layouts, but especially great for fun outdoor spring pics for either girls or boys. I created the desktops in both Widescreen (1440x900) and 4:3 Aspect (1024x768) size. Please click here to download.

So if you haven't picked up this great kit yet, you should! Head over to Jennifer's Shop at 9th & Bloom and pick it up today! Hope everyone enjoys the rest of the week!!

Tidbit Tuesday...a little late

2011-04-26T20:35:00.000-04:00

Hi all, Kara here with Tidbit Tuesday, so sorry it's way late, I was discharged from the hospital today and just got home not long ago. So, let's get on to today's tidbit. Recently I have started watching Rachel Ray, and I went to her website and came across Rachel Ray's nonprofit organization YUM-O here I can across here Pantry Basics, I think it's a wonderful list to have for those who love to cook...and even those who do not love cooking..like me :) Here is the link to the pantry basics and more. I've got some shopping to do...what about you?

Meals in Minutes Monday - Taco Soup

2011-04-25T11:27:00.002-04:00

Those that know me personally know my home is no where near a kitchen; there are many things I can be classified as but cook is definitely NOT one of them! I'm mean come on I messed up Jello the other day (Jello?! Who does that?! This kid that's who) However, if there is something I decide I'm completely in love with I learn to make it *granted it's easy that is* and this taco soup from my friend Dave was something I had to have the recipe for! So without further ado my first recipe (and probably last). Enjoy!

Taco Soup

1lb. Hamburger
Chopped Onion (as desired)
1can Ro*Tel Peppers
1can Chili Beans
1can Corn
1can Beef Broth (optional depending on how thick you want your soup)
1can Stewed Tomatoes
1 can Kidney Beans
1pkg. Ranch Dip Powder
1pkg. Taco Seasoning

1. Brown hamburger with the chopped onions
2. Drain Ro*Tel peppers, corn, and kidney beans
3. Dump ALL ingredients into crockpot
4. Cook on low for 8hrs.
5. Thank me later!

I know many people that add cheese, chips, sour cream, etc to the top of their soup also. I have never tried it but it sounds amazing! I hope you all enjoy!

~Tricia

Cuppycakes Candy Bar Wrapper

2011-04-24T14:03:00.004-04:00

Hello everyone! Happy Easter! Sarah here with a fun little printable for you using Jennifer's Cuppycakes kit. This is a super easy project to do. First download the PDF here . Then all you need is a candy bar, a paper trimmer or a pair of scissors and some adhesive (I used double sided tape tabs).

I used matte presentation paper to print the candy bar wrapper out on. Just cut it out, wrap around candy bar and glue. So simple, but what a cute (and oh so tasty) present.

For those who want to create their own candy bar wrapper the dimensions I used were 5.25" wide by 6" long. It's so easy to create a small personal gift for any occasion, with just a few simple steps.

Hope you all enjoy this little printable. Have a great day!

Saturday School - A big To Do about Drop Shadows

2011-04-23T09:56:00.000-04:00

You'll always hear people talking about the importance of drop shadows when it comes to digital scrapbooking. If you're just starting out you may think you know somewhat what that means, or you could be asking yourself "What's the big deal?" The big deal, when it comes to shadowing, is that it makes everything look life-like/3D, and it's more pleasing to the eye.

For example, take this page I did using Jennifer's kit She's my Sister. Before I do any drop shadows, it looks like this:

Yes, it's pretty, and it's still a tribute to my sister, but my shadowed version, here, is much easier to look at and differentiate between the layers:

So how do you go about doing drop shadows? Everyone has their own settings that they like and directions that look real to them, but my biggest suggestion is to open up your drop shadow settings in the layer styles palette (by double-clicking on the layer in the layers palette) and start playing around on an element to learn what the different settings do.

Let's take a look at them - I decided to zoom into the big pink heart above my sister to show you different effects you can achieve.

The fun parts of fiddling with shadows are Distance, Spread and Size. Let's see what happens when we change any of those.

This is my heart with no shadow at all:

If I add the basic drop shadow you get if you click on drop shadow and don't change anything, it looks like this - you'll notice the shadow went up and to the right. It does look more 3D now, but let's play with the settings a bit.

Now, I've changed my shadow direction to 45 because I like it that way better, but here's what happens when you increase the Distance (the first slider). The shadow moves away from the element in the direction you've told it. If you slide the distance over too much, it will make your element look like it's floating on the page (instead of being ON the page).

By adjusting the Spread slider, you can make the shadow appear on both sides of the element - see to the bottom right of the heart here, you can see the shadow where before there was none.

The size slider changes how fuzzy it looks - see here how soft the edges look compared to the previous image, the size slider is about halfway over on this heart.

By adjusting all 3 sliders and watching the results, you can achieve a natural-looking shadow, even without customizing further by choosing color, opacity and warping your shadows. These are the settings I ended up with for my heart:

And there you have a basic guide to drop shadows!

Raining On Sunday Product Spotlight

2011-04-22T00:05:00.000-04:00

Hello! Cindy here to spotlight Raining On Sunday. I love rainy days, especially when I can snuggle up with Cole and watch a movie. Jennifer created this kit with those warm, relaxing days in mind.

This versatile kit is perfect for your boy pages, but also works great for girls and grown-ups! The faded colors, muted textures, and fun elements will make you reach for this kit again and again.

Check out these fantastic layouts!

By Angie

By Ella

By Michelle

By Tara

I hope these layouts have brought just the right picture to mind! We’d love to see what you do with this fabulous kit. Link us up in the comments section so we can leave you some love. I hope you have a great Thursday!

Going, going, and will be gone forever

2011-04-21T00:01:00.000-04:00

That is my grab bag will be :)

This Just For Fun Grab Bag features 5 brand new products. Individually, these items retail for over $14.00!!! Get them now for only $4!!! That's a savings of over 70%!

Just For Fun Grab Bag includes one kit, one pack of coordinating krafty solids, one alpha with lowercase letters, numbers, and punctuation, one set of clipping masks, and a 4 pack of templates. See the detailed images for full size views of all of the products included.

Notes:

Papers are 12 x 12, 300 dpi, .jpg format.
Elements are 300 dpi, .png format.
Drop shadows are for preview purpose only.
My products are S4H/S4O friendly.

and a beautiful layout by one of my CTM's

So what are you waiting for??? Get to shopping you know you wanna :)

Easter is around the corner....

2011-04-19T05:45:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone! Tara here with this weeks Tidbit Tuesday! If you celebrate Easter or not, there are a lot of fun spring things to do with your family. I have found a few websites that have some great projects to do with your family.

Kaboose.com

Family Fun

All Crafts

I can't wait to do a couple of these with my 6 year old son. He will be excited to be a little crafty.

I have to admit......I do love Easter and everything about it. It is as big as Christmas to me. So, needless to say, I tend to go a little overboard. :) We have a lot of traditions around my house when it comes to this holiday. We love to color eggs, do egg hunts, go to church as a family, have a special lunch with family and finding a basket from the Easter bunny.

What are your favorite traditions for Easter? I would love to hear about them. I may need to add a new tradition or two to our Easter. :)

Meals in Minutes 4//18/11

2011-04-18T14:43:00.000-04:00

Good afternoon everyone, Kara here with today recipe. I apologize for it being late. The hospital's internet hates me and keeps kicking me off. So I am hoping I can get this posted before it kicks me of again..lol. Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Macaroni Alla Norma Recipe

1 pound eggplant

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

1 (28-to 32-oz) can whole tomatoes in juice

1 pound elbow macaroni

Parmigiano-Reggiano for sprinkling

Trim eggplant and cut into 2-inch pieces.

Heat oil in a 12-inch non-stick heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Cook eggplant with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, turning occasionally, until browned and softened, about 6 minutes. Add onion and garlic and saute until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and oregano, and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up tomatoes with a wooden spoon, until sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes. Season salt with salt and pepper to taste.

Cook pasta in a large pot of well-salted boiling water. Drain pasta then toss with alla Norma sauce and sprinkle with cheese.

Read more: http://www.kitchendaily.com/recipe/macaroni-alla-norma-142609/#ixzz1Jtxm14Xh

If you try it, be sure to stop by and let us know how you like it! Have a fabulous day!

Scissors Sunday - Hybrid Card

2011-04-17T02:00:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone!! I am Michelle (aka mdel) here to bring you a cute hybrid project that is simple & cute. For this project I used Jennifer's Just For Fun Grab Bag which is in the store now at 9TH & Bloom for a limited time. Here's the preview of the Grab Bag:

With just a few supplies I created this adorable card:

Full credits: Just For Fun Grab Bag by Jennifer Fox Designs, Recollections card stock, Foam Squares from Michael's.
Font: sf Twelve Again.

Hope you have a great week!!!!

Saturday School: Photo Blends

2011-04-16T09:00:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone!!! Its Jenn (jk703) here to stop in for a Saturday tutorial! Can't wait to get started!

First... Have you seen BLOOMFEST?! O Mi Gosh... I went over and didn't know where to look first! Here is Jen's awesome Just For Fun Grab Bag... which by the way, is such a steal! Check it out!

I was asking the girlies on the CT what they themselves wanted to learn, and a suggestion was a photo blend. This type of blend is the one where you will see a photo blended into the background paper! So here we go.... but remember - there are so many ways to do this little technique! This is my own take on it, and a pretty simple one too!

First, open a blank document, a plainish background paper to practice on and a copy of a photo. When I am working on something, I save it with the title Working Copy, this way I know what I am working on, and can title it will all my used products at a final save.

I've used Jen's Grab Bag - Just For Fun Tinted Krafties for my example. The picture is my son crusing around on a small quad, and not crashing! :)

Place your background paper, and then the photo on top. When placing your photo, place it where you would like the main part of the image to remain. Here is how I placed mine:

Now... on the Layers Palette, with the photo selected, you can scroll through the different Blend Modes that are available to you in PS or PSE.

TIP: To "see" what all the blend modes look like with your picture is to do this: Choose the layer that will be blended in the Layers palette. Now, press the Shift key, and use your + and - keys to "scroll" through the different blend modes. How easy and cool is that?!

I really liked the Luminosity blend mode and I also liked the Linear Burn, and Multiply. Look at them all though - each picture will have a different effect determined by the background paper you choose as well as the picture itself. Here is the Luminosity blend mode:

And here is what my Layers Palette looks like - yours should look similar. I also changed the Opacity of my photo so it was a view that I liked. It is at 55%.

After the photo blend mode is complete, you will now "erase" part of your picture. Choose the eraser tool, and make sure it is in Brush Mode. You want to have a soft brush, and you can play with the opacity for your erasing. For my picture, I used an Eraser opacity of about 65% and my brush was about 500 pixels.

Next, you will begin to erase your photo. Go slowly, and first stick to the edges. Gradually go over the harsh square/rectangular edges of your photo. Move closer into the subject and get as close as you like. Make it visually appealing to you! Here is mine:

Guess what!? That is it! You thought it was a lot harder, right!? So did I until I learned how! But wait... you can do more.... Say you want to mix up the look. Duplicate your finished blended photo, and then try additional blending modes and opacities! Here is one that I just plain duplicated the image and put the blend mode on Multiply.

And here is one where I duplicated the blended image, the first layer uses the Luminosity Blend Mode and for the second image, I chose the Color Blend Mode.

There you have it... and easy way to do a quick blend of a photo into a background paper! Hope that you liked it! If you would like to learn a specific technique, just comment here and I be happy to make a tutorial up! I would get to learn something too!

Happy Saturday and Go check out Bloomfest!

Jenn

(jk703/The Typative Scrapper)

New Release and Bloomfest 2011

2011-04-15T00:00:00.004-04:00

Bloomfest 2011 has finally started! Check out the fabulous grab bag that Jennifer has created.

Here's a closer looker at what's included:

CT Inspiration:

Now that's a whole lotta gorgeousness, isn't it? Hurry and get the grab bag now because it will only be available at this low price through April 21st. After that, the grab bag will be split up, and you will have to grab each part separately.

Now, finally, for the winner of this fabulous bag. Thanks to everyone for your comments! I know Jen appreciates all the good things you have to say. I had my trusty friend Mr Random.Org help me choose the winner. Congratulations to #5 -- Jewely Bug! PM Jennifer at 9th&Bloom to collect your prize.

First Look and Win it Now!!!

2011-04-14T00:30:00.000-04:00

Have you heard the news??

You are going to love the grab bag Jennifer created especially for Bloomfest 2011!
It is jam packed with 5 (yes I said 5) products!!! Here is a sneak peek!

Would you like a chance (or chances!) to win? Simply do one or more of the following and be sure to leave each entry in a separate comment for more chances.

1. Follow this blog.
2. Become a fan of Jennifer Fox Designs on Facebook.
3. Subscribe to Jen's newsletter.
4. Follow jfoxdesigns on Twitter.
5. Post about this giveaway on your Facebook page.
6. Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter.

You can get up to 6 entries to win this fabulous kit!!! How fun! This giveaway will close at MIDNIGHT EST tonight (April 14th). Be sure to check back tomorrow to see if you've won and to check out the full reveal. Good luck!

We Love Wednesday: CT Cluster Freebies!

2011-04-13T01:00:00.004-04:00

Happy Wednesday scrappers! Lori here with your We Love it Wednesday... Freebies! Who doesn't love a freebie, right? A few of Jennifer's talented CT members got together and made a cluster freebie pack for everyone! Each cluster is made using a different kit! Hope you all enjoy! Make sure you head over to Jennifer's Store at 9th & Bloom and pick up the matching kits!

Here are the links to download: 4Shared or box.net (Please note: each link contains the same file, so you only have to click one.) Hope everyone has a great rest of the week!!

Tidbit Tuesday PLUS Bloomfest 2011 Announcement!

2011-04-12T02:13:00.002-04:00

Good morning scrappers! I hope Monday treated you well, and Tuesday is starting out great for you! Kara here with Tuesday's Tidbit. Before I get to the real Tuesday Tidbit, I HAVE to share this awesome news with you. Have you heard?

Bloomfest 2011 is coming this Friday to 9th&Bloom!

We have games, amazing prize sponsors, contests, a Grab Bagapalooza, + much more!! Don’t miss out. Pass on the info to your friends as well because we are GIVING AWAY AN ENTIRE STORE COLLAB if you are linked up with our newsletter, facebook fan page, and if you are registered in our forums! WOOOHOOOO!!! See you there!!

Now, for the tidbit. I am not much of a cook, in fact I hate cooking, but I've been watching the Rachel Ray show and have been getting some ideas from her. Recently I came across Rachel Ray's non profit organization called Yum-O! There are so many tips and tricks for yourself, like kitchen no hows and so on. I thought I would share with you the site so you can check it out for yourself. I personally loved Basic Pantry Most of this stuff I did not have, now I know what I need. I hope you'll enjoy this little tidbit.

Shop With La, Win With Me--5 WINNERS!!!

2011-04-11T12:04:00.002-04:00

I'm so happy that you all are stepping up and shopping at Lauren Grier's personal store during her time of need. Every little purchase will help and I know she'll be blown away by your generosity and the outpouring of love in this digiscrap community. I have 5 wonderful winners from my little contest yesterday: Congrats to Suzan, Jessica, Sara, Nettie, and Jovita. Please PM me at 9th&Bloom to claim your prize! Thank you so much to all of you!!!

Meal in Minutes: Dessert Edition Tiramisu Brownies

2011-04-11T05:09:00.002-04:00

What's a meal without dessert, right?

A month or two back, I went to one of my husband's work get-togethers. The hostess had a huge spread of the most delicious foods ever... but my eyes immediately spotted the brownies, all heart-shaped and delicious looking. She must have noticed the drool because she walked over to tell me that they were tiramisu brownies. That ruined it all for me right then and there. I know there are a lot of coffee lovers out there... but I am not one of them. I was disappointed. But they still looked REALLY good. So I sneaked a taste of my husband's brownie. Oh my word. Even with the coffee in them, they were to die for! I had one of my own. (And quite possibly a second but I'll never tell.) And I just had to have the recipe.

Today is your lucky day... because I'm going to share the not-so-secret recipe with you, too. I know you're already drooling. It comes from Taste of Home magazine.

Tiramisu Brownies

Ingredients

12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 cup butter, softened

1-1/3 cups plus 1/4 cup sugar, divided

8 eggs

1 cup cake flour

1/4 cup instant coffee granules or espresso powder

2 cartons (8 ounces each) Mascarpone cheese

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking cocoa

Directions

In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate. Stir until smooth; cool slightly. Beat in butter. Gradually beat in 1-1/3 cups sugar. Add six eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.Combine flour and coffee granules; add to chocolate mixture. Beat on low speed just until combined; set aside.For filling, in a small bowl, beat the cheese, vanilla, remaining sugar and eggs until smooth.Pour 4 cups of chocolate batter into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Spread with filling. Top with remaining batter, spreading evenly to completely cover filling.Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until center is almost set and brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan.Cool on a wire rack. Dust with cocoa. Cut into squares. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 3 dozen.

And a few notes...

*I found the Mascarpone cheese in our specialty cheese section near the deli; it was not in the dairy aisle.

*I forgot to dust with cocoa and they were still yummy.

*To resist the temptation to eat the entire pan in one sitting, cut them up and deliver them to friends, family, coworkers and neighbors. They'll love you for it!

ENJOY!!

I love La and she needs YOUR help! Shop with La, Win With Me!

2011-04-10T12:20:00.005-04:00

Hi there, scrappy friends. One of my fave designers and digi-friends is in the hospital with a serious condition and she needs our help. Most of you know the fabulous Lauren Grier. Many of you also know that she is an AMAZING single mom to the mose precious little boy and that she supports her little family with her digital designs. Well, because she's so ill, she can't design right now. No designing means no new kits which means very little new income for her. We just can't let this happen. I encourage you, no, I BEG you to head over to her PERSONAL store at Scrapfastic Designs and pick up some of her amazing goodies.

I'm so lucky to be a member of her creative team, and my pages using her kits are among my absolute faves of all time. As a designer, I ADORE her Commercial Use items. Really, every single item in her store is amazing, and I promise you'll love whatever you buy.

I'd like to give a little added incentive (I hope!) to shop with her today. Head over to her store and buy a few little things. Then come back here and tell me what you bought. For every 5 people that post here, I'll chose 1 at random to win a $10 GC to my store at 9th&Bloom. No limit on winners. So, you shop with La, you win with me. Now, get busy shopping!

Scissors Sunday - Delight in Life

2011-04-10T11:20:00.005-04:00

Hi all, Sarah here with another quick and easy hybrid project for you. For this post I took Jennifer's new and decidedly emo kit One of Those Days and created an uplifting card. I love the bright pinks and greens in the design and wanted to make something fun and simple to share with you.

I totally love the paint splatters included in the kit and decided these would be my jumping off point. I added one of the paint splatters to my page and also decided to add a strip of the green background paper to mat the paint splatters. I then printed this page onto presentation paper.

Next comes the card. I began by using my ruler tool to divide the page into quadrants (center lines are 4.25" horizontally and 5.5" vertically). I decided on my sentiment and created it using two fonts (Holiday Springs BTN which came with my scrapping software and The Typewriter by Heather Hess). I then eyeballed my placement in each of the top quadrants so that I will be able to create two A2 sized cards (one sheet of 8.5" x 11" cardstock, cut in half and folded creates an A2 card). I printed this on plain white cardstock.

For this project I used these tools. My paper trimmer, a bone folder and double sided adhesive tabs. If you have small square punches you could definitely use these to punch the squares out and make it easier. The bone folder is optional but I find that it helps give my cards a nice crisp folded edge.

To create my decorative accents I began by cutting my green paper into 3/4" squares. Then I cut the paint splatters into 1/2" squares. You can definitely play with the sizes to create a bigger or smaller mat or bigger or smaller accents depending on your tastes. Here's a close up of the finished squares.

And here's the finished cards. These probably took me about 10 minutes to create start to finish so it's a really great way to make a personal card in a short amount of time.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. If you have any questions please post in the comments section. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Winner!!!

2011-04-09T15:34:00.002-04:00

Super sorry for the delay in announcing the winner of my newest kit, One of Those Days. Congrats to you, Alyna!!! Please PM me at 9th&Bloom to get your kit! YAY!!!

New Release Friday!

2011-04-08T12:07:00.000-04:00

Have you ever had one of those days? You know the kind...one minute everything's going along perfectly and the next minute you're surrounded by chaos. If you have kids, or friends, or family, chances are you've had several of those days. This kit, One of Those Days, is perfect for scrapping your normal, everyday life. Generic enough for just about any purpose or occasion, One of Those Days is a kit you'll scrap with again and again.

This is FANTABULOUS! You won't want to miss picking upOne of Those Days Kit today at 9th and Bloom for 30% off on Friday ONLY! Plus you will receive this AWESOME Jennifer Template Free With Purchase, and seriously, you can NEVER have enough templates :)

and to show you this AWESOME kit in action, here are just a few of the LO's that the CT did!

It's Thursday and that means...

2011-04-07T01:06:00.004-04:00

A BRAND NEW FIRST LOOK AND WIN IT BEFORE YOU CAN BUY IT!

Would you like to win this kit before it ever hits the store? Simply leave a comment here telling me something about how you would spend your perfect day and I'll enter you into a drawing to win this kit!

Would you like an extra chance (or chances!) to win? Simply do one or more of the following and be sure to leave each entry in a separate comment for more chances.

1. Follow this blog.
2. Become a fan of Jennifer Fox Designs on Facebook.
3. Subscribe to Jen's newsletter.
4. Follow jfoxdesigns on Twitter.
5. Post about this giveaway on your Facebook page and/or tweet about this giveaway on Twitter.

You can get up to 6 entries to win this fabulous kit!!! How fun! This giveaway will close at MIDNIGHT EST on tonight (April 7th). Be sure to check back tomorrow to see if you've won. Good luck! Read more...

Win It Wednesday--April Edition: Little Pretties by Amy

2011-04-06T15:43:00.007-04:00

Hello, everyone! I'm so excited to bring you our big Win It Wednesday for April. Last month, I gave away a fabulous prize package from Andrea of Delightful Designs, and I know our winner was so thrilled! Recently, one of my digi friends opened her own Etsy store and her products are to die for. I just had to ask her if she'd sponser this month's big Win It Wednesday and she was sweet enough to offer a fabulous prize for one of you. Are you ready for this? Check out Little Pretties by Amy.

Amy makes fun, simple and stylish jewelry and accessories for fun and simply stylish people (accessories make even the simplest outfit AMAZING). Amy's jewelry creations are made from high quality beads and findings. Some of her favorite materials are cabochons, Swarovski crystals and gems, vintage brass, silver, lucite flowers, czech glass, and natural looking stones. Her own personal taste is simple silver and turquoise beads. Amy is a work from home mama (graphic designer) to two little princes and she's addicted to yoga pants and flip flops, good coffee, fun reads, and of course beads.

Take a look a the Claire Necklace. Isn't it just gorgeous? The Claire necklace has a lovely aqua colored resin mum (1 cm) a small silver vintage key charm and a clear swarovski crystal for a bit of sparkle. They hang delicately from a silver snake chain that measures at 14 inches in length.

The Lucy Ring is just my style. This smashing cocktail ring really packs a punch. Silver, gold, copper and black pearls wired and mounted to a silver adjustable ring make for a really fun and dramatic statement piece.

The Mariah Earrings are just beautiful. These gorgeous little champagne colored swarovski crystal earring are sure to add just the right amount of glamour to anything you wear. Each cluster features eight little sparkling crystals, hanging delicately from silver kidney ear wires.

I absolutely love the Jill Bracelet. A mix of natural colored beads decorate this stunning arm candy. Strung onto memory wire that wraps around your arm 2 1/2 times, with beads hanging from each end for extra style. Add a little boho to any look!

I just can't resist her Cute Clips: Foxy Set. This is a set of 4 adorable hair clips (2 matching sets). The pink clips have a heart shaped cabochon with a chic pattern attached to them. The red clips each have a multi-colored stripe circle glittery cabochon attached to them. So cute!

There are so many more fabulous finds at Little Pretties by Amy. Take a look at her Etsy shop and start thinking of what you'd love to have, because she is letting me give away a totally fabulous prize. One lucky winner will win her choice of either a pair of custom earrings OR a custom necklace. It is super simple to enter! All you have to do is leave a comment here telling me what you love in Amy's store.

Would you like an extra chance (or chances!) to win? Simply do one or more of the following and be sure to leave each entry in a separate comment for more chances.

1. Follow this blog.

2. Become a fan of Jennifer Fox Designs on Facebook.

3. Become a fan of Little Pretties by Amy on Facebook.

4. Subscribe to my newsletter. (Link at top of blog)

5. Follow jfoxdesigns on Twitter.

6. Post about this giveaway on your Facebook page and/or tweet about this giveaway on Twitter.

You can get up to 7 entries to win this fabulous prize package from Little Pretties by Amy. How fun! This giveaway will close at MIDNIGHT EST on APRIL 20th. Be sure to check back then to see if you've won. Good luck!

Tidbit Tuesday: Balloon Wreaths

2011-04-05T02:46:00.003-04:00

Hi, Heather (Ther) here for a fun new tutorial that I found online. We have five kids and birthday parties don't always come together but we still want to make sure they feel special on their day. So, we started the tradition of putting up the balloon wreath when it nears their birthday. It is a fun reminder and they love looking at the balloons. I have seriously had so many people stop to figure out what it was and then have to touch it. :) Please go to How Does She? for the tutorial. While you are there be sure to look around because they have some fabulous ideas.

After you are done making your wreath make sure you document all of those birthday traditions that you have. While you are at it make sure you pick up Jennifer and Christy Lyle's Birthday Bash - Boy or Girl or Both. I used the girl version for this layout featuring my wreath.

Hope you enjoyed this new tutorial and check back often for more fun ideas.

Meals in Minutes 4/4/11

2011-04-04T10:59:00.000-04:00

Good Monday morning readers, Kara here with today's recipe. I'm not a huge fan of Rachel Ray, but she does have some great recipe's! Today I want to share one with you, that you can feed a family of 4, for less that $10.00! Awesome right?? Yeah I think so too :) Cheesy Hash brown Chili. Here are the ingredients you will need.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 pound ground beef
Salt and pepper
1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 1-pound bag frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven.

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, chili powder and cumin and cook, stirring, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the tomato paste. Add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat, for 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper.

Add the beans and the tomatoes with their juice and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Transfer to an 8-by-11-inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, combine the potatoes and cheese. Scatter the potato mixture over the chili. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet and bake until the potatoes are cooked through and the chili is bubbling, about 35 minutes.

I think my family will be trying this sometime this week, whenever I decide to go to the store lol. Everything you need can be fond HERE I do hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, please stop by and tell us what you think, if you loved it, hated it, or loved to hate it, we LOVE to hear from you! Have a great day!

Kara.

Saturday School: Tips for Scanning

2011-04-02T09:00:00.001-04:00

Hi Everyone! Jenn (jk703) here to share a few tips with you! So happy it is Saturday! The end of the month is always a lot of work for me so I'm planning to get my scrap on this weekend and relax!

I'm sure that you are like me... you have so many pictures to scrap, but there is a part of you that wants to scrap the past... pictures that are not digital. I've been thinking about putting together an album for my parents about their own parents. I want to record things about my grandparents from THEM, and then share it with my parents. I think it would be a treasure for when they are not around. So, you have all these old pictures - what to do? Buy, borrow or steal... ok, no stealing please... a scanner and get it all hooked up. There are a few guidelines when scanning pictures, memorabilia, negatives or most anything so that you can get the best scans possible.

Top Scanning Tips:

Cleanliness
Keep it clean, the glass, scanner itself, and the area around your scanner. Dirty areas lead to dirt on the scanner glass, which in turn leaves problems with your scanned images. Check the items that you are scanning for dirt, lint, and smudges. This will help when you edit the images later on.

Positioning
Carefully smooth away any creases, and bent areas to prevent a skewed area or distortion of the scanned image. Place your image face down on the glass, and position it as the scanner indicates. Most scanners have a preview button. Run the preview to see what it will look like. Re-position as necessary. You want to look to see if the photo is straight, no smudges or lint, and to make sure that you got the whole image.

Scan Resolution and Storage
You will need to determine what resolution you want to scan your items. The best resolution will depend on how you will use/save the image. Whether they will be printed, saved, or displayed needs to be determined before scanning. A good rule of thumb is to scan your photos at a minimum of 300dpi to really get a decent quality, or 600dpi or greater is even better for storing these images on CD or DVD. Check that you have ample space to store your images... a 4x6 image at 300 dpi is about 5-6 MB.

Edit: After
There are so many things that you can do to photos nowadays, that you should scan the image or item in without making any corrections before or during the scan. The rule of thumb about scanning is that you Scan, Save, Play. Scan your image in, save your image, and then tweak your image. You can adjust brightness, contrast and all the other little edits after it is scanned and saved. Scan in original format.. and color... you can go from color to black and white, but it is much harder to restore the color later on down the road.

Back Up
Save your images, and then back them up in another location other than your hard drive. You will thank yourself the day you start having computer problems. Simple and so effective.

I hope you can go and pull out some old images and scan them in. I'm going to pester my grandparents for pictures of them as kids and growing up, as well as pictures of my parents!
If you have any questions, let me know. I'll be sure to help you out! Have a great Saturday everyone, and thanks for stopping by!

Jenn
(jk703/The Typative Scrapper)

Desktop Freebie!

2011-03-30T16:21:00.000-04:00

Hey Scrappers, Lori here with your Desktop Freebie for April. Where has the time gone? I can't believe we are almost through with March already. Without further delay, let me present you with April's Desktop freebie... I created the desktop using Jen's kit This Woman's Work. This kit has so many springy colors and some truly beautiful elements. If you haven' t picked this kit up already, you need to!!

Click Here to Download

I hope you all enjoy the freebie and thanks for dropping by the blog! Have a wonderful rest of the week!!

Meals In Minutes Monday 3/28/11

2011-03-28T10:31:00.000-04:00

Good morning bloggers, Kara here with another delicious meal for you.

Chicken Parmesan Bundle.

Prep Time 35 mins
Total Time: 1 Hr. 5mins
Total Servings 6

What You'll Need:
4 oz (1/2 of 8oz) PHILADELPHIA cream cheese, softened
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach thawed, well drained.
1- 1/4 cups Kraft Shredded Mozzarella cheese, divied
1- 1/4 cups Kraft grated Parmesan cheese divided
6 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1-1/2 lb) pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
1 egg
10 RITZ crackers crushed
1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce heated

Mix: Cream Cheese, Spinach, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, and 3 TBSP of Parmesan cheese until well blended; spread onto chicken breasts. starting at one short end of chicken breast roll up chicken tightly, secure with toothpicks if desired.

Beat egg in shallow dish mix remaining Parmesan cheese and cracker crumbs in separate shallow dish. Dip chicken in egg, then roll chicken in crumb mixture until evenly coated. Place seam side down in 13x9 baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is done (165) Remove and discard toothpicks if used. Top chicken with spaghetti sauce and remaining mozzarella cheese. ENJOY!

There you go, I hope you enjoy today's MIM, and like always if you try this yummy recipe, stop back, share a picture and tell us how you liked it. Have a great day!

Kara

Saturday School: Option to Edit & Organize - Photo Software

2011-03-26T06:00:00.001-04:00

Hi Everyone! It's Jenn (jk703) here to share some information with you today for saturday School! We are going to go over some software options that are available for photo editing and organization!

I know... you are looking at your scrapbooking stash and wondering if there is something out there to help you find things, sort images, and edit images, making it all pretty and tidy, right?! I bet you even started digital scrapbooking, and thought "This is going to be so much more organized than paper scrapping!" Right!?! HA! Now, you've probably been scrapping for a bit, have a gigantic un-countable amount of un-edited photos and then on top of that an amazing stash of digi supplies!

What to do? What to do? Well.... I'm going to share some software that either is for photo organization, photo editing or has the capabilities included. Depending on your type of computer, budget and what options you are looking for - there is something for everyone!

Picasa is by Google. It is a free download that will allow you a simple way to organize your photos. This option also allows for simple photo editing, such as lighting and color issues. They offer batch uploading, and also allows you to see the photo properties. You can see what settings you had on the camera when you took a certain photo. They support tagging, search filters, and color searches.

Adobe Photoshop Elements is not just for creating, but can be used for the organization of your photos and supplies. This is available on all Windows versions of PSE, and then only on
PSE 9 for Mac versions. The organizer lets you organize your photos with keyword tags, then search and share them. Quick fix allows you to crop, fix red eye, and sharpen - but there is much more. Cost can be from $50 to $100.

Adobe Bridge comes with the certain Adobe programs or Creative Suites. It offers a folder based system of organization. This software would streamline your photo editing, creative workflow, and actually using your photos because it works directly with Photoshop. Allows sorting, filters, batching, color labels, star ratings, and some drag and drop features. Cost: Software comes with certain Adobe software, so the price can vary.

Acdsee is an easy to use photo organizer, editor, and sharing machine. Browse, organize, and manage all your photos and supplies in one location. Create your own categories, keywords, key phrases, and much more. There are also editing tools included, such as exposure correction, red eye fix, and it also includes some creative effects. Cost: $70 - $170.00 depending on the version.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is more of a photo editing software than an organizer. It isn't a file browser like Adobe Bridge, but more of an image management system with heavy duty photo editing. The organization part of Lightroom reminds me of the Photoshop Elements Organizer. You can use keywords, and locate things by color, or type. Cost: $250-$300.

iPhoto is a software that is included in iLife, on Apple computers. This just happens to be how I ended up organizing. The software allows for events, merging, separation as well as keywords, smart albums and search functions. You can create separate photo libraries, such as one for photos and one for digital scrap supplies. This software has really basic photo editing options. Cost: $49 - $79, to purchase iLife software.

Have a great Saturday everyone!
Jenn (jk703/TheTypativeScrapper)

New Release Friday and some WINNERS!

2011-03-25T06:40:00.003-04:00

Hey Scrappers! Lori here to present this weeks New Releases (and some winners too)!

As you know Jennifer teamed up with the fabulous Christy Lyle to create two awesome collabs!

First up we have Birthday Bash - Girl :

Next we have the equally fabulous Birthday Bash - Boy:

Also both of these kits are available in a money saving bundle. Check it out here.

Finally we have some of Jen's super awesome templates! Her templates are super easy to use, and make every layout beautiful, and easy to create!

Scraps to Go Vol 12:

Oh I almost forgot!! We need some winners for these awesome new goodies!!

Chosen by Random.org,

Congratulations to

Justine McD. said...

Adorable! My daughters 2nd birthday is 2 weeks away this would be perfect.
My most memorable birthday...hmmm I guess my 18th. I had a bunch of friends over and it was hubby and I's first 'date' too <3>

March 24, 2011 6:55 PM

You win your choice of either one of the Birthday Bash Kits, PM Jennifer at 9th&B and let her know which one you would like!

Also Congratulations to

Daydreamer, March 18, 2011 1:10 AM

Funny how you want a birthday story. My son is going to be 5 in December and he is already planning his birthday party. Has the cake he wants already picked out. lol... Thanks for the chance. :) Great preview

You win Jennifer's new Scraps to Go Vol. 12!! PM Jennifer at 9th&B to collect your prize!!

Thanks again to everyone who entered!

I have some awesome news for one lucky blog reader! Remember our fabulous Win It Wednesday Giveaway from Delightful Designs??? Check this out:

How exciting! Congrats, Holly!!!

Finally, stop by 9th&Bloom today for an awesome Speed Scrap, hosted by Art Crew Member Caroline!

We hope you all have a fabulous Friday and a wonderful weekend!

First Look and Win it Now!!

2011-03-24T00:01:00.012-04:00

Jennifer has teamed up with the amazing Christy Lyle to bring you two {yes I said two} collabs!! They are both super cute and I think they might be my new favorites! Do you want to win one of these before you can buy it? Just leave a comment here telling me about your most memorable birthday to be entered for a chance to win!

Would you like an extra chance (or chances!) to win? Simply do one or more of the following and be sure to leave each entry in a separate comment for more chances.

1. Follow this blog and Christy's Blog.
2. Become a fan of Jennifer Fox Designs on Facebook.
3. Subscribe to Jen's newsletter.
4. Follow jfoxdesigns on Twitter.
5. Become a fan of Christy Lyle Designs on Facebook.
6. Post about this giveaway on your Facebook page and/or tweet about this giveaway on Twitter.

You can get up to 7 entries to win this fabulous kit!!! How fun! This giveaway will close at MIDNIGHT EST on tonight (March 24). Be sure to check back tomorrow to see if you've won. Good luck!

***If you already commented last week when Jennifer made an "oops" and posted too early, those comments will be counted also.***

3/22 Tidbit Tuesday

2011-03-22T08:17:00.000-04:00

Happy Tuesday bloggers! Kara here with your Tidbit Tuesday. I have a friend on Facebook who makes these really nice bracelets and sells them. I won one at one time and I have been hooked. She goes by Cathy's Creations She has bracelets for all kinds of reasons, for all kinds of causes, to support troops, and so on. Shipping is super fast, and Cathy is super sweet. Head on over to her page on FB, like her and let her know I sent you. You won't be disappointed!! Have a great day :)

Mushroom Cubed Steakes

2011-03-21T08:20:00.000-04:00

Good morning everyone, and Happy Spring!! I know if your weather is anything like my Ohio weather then today will be nice and warm and the rest of the week it's going to be cool and rain, and probably that S word. I'm just ready for sunshine!! Anyway, today I bring you a recipe that I kind of created myself. Here is what you will need.

Couple cans of Cream of Mushroom soup
4-6 Cubed Steaks
Salt & Pepper

Salt and pepper both sides of the steaks, add to your slow cooker, add mushroom soup to the steaks, add some water, just enough to cover the steaks. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours. I always serve with mashed potatoes and veggies. And I use the mushroom soup as gravy. The steaks come out nice and tender. Here is my hubby's plate from the other night, I say he really likes it..lol

I hope you all enjoy this yummy recipe, and if you try it be sure to stop back here and let us know. Have a happy Monday all!
Kara/

Scissors Sunday: Faux Stitching

2011-03-20T12:31:00.001-04:00

Happy Scissors Sunday everyone! Jackie here with a little tidbit about how to get that stitched look to your hybrid projects without ever having to lift a needle or thread. I use it on occasion and I like the way it looks.

I created this card using Jennifer's "My Birthday Boy" kit which is available at 9th and Bloom. For the lighter tan colored strip, I used Jennifer's "My Best Friend" kit. After I printed off the papers and cut them out, I added some white stitching with a white craft marker. You can use any color marker you'd like, of course! I did it completely free hand, but you could use a ruler to keep your lines straight if you want.

A closer view (as you can see they aren't perfect, but I feel it gives a little bit more personality to the card!):

Full credits:

My Birthday Boy, My Best Friend - Jennifer Fox Designs

Stickles, Ribbon from Michaels, Button from Paper Trey Ink, Adhesive

SSSC109

Thanks for stopping by today!

Saturday School - Printing Layouts

2011-03-19T10:30:00.002-04:00

Happy Saturday everyone! Terra here with another Saturday School topic for you. Now that I have created quite a few layouts I have started to research my options for printing. Once you decide the size you want to print (often 12"x12" or 8"x8"), there are generally two options - printing professionally bound photo books or printing single pages and adding them to an album.

Photo books are great for a commemorating a special event or if you are a chronological scrapbooker. I know I would love to create a wedding photo book and a book to celebrate my baby's first year, just to name a few! But for the most part, I am not a chronological scrapbooker so photo books intimidate me and I have been looking for other solutions.

I really like the idea of creating albums similar to the albums that traditional scrapbookers create. They look very durable as printed pages are protected by page protectors and pages can be reorganized whenever necessary. There are a variety of albums on the market with different covers and binding options to suit anyone's needs. There are traditional D-ring binder albums that are simple to use if you add/remove pages frequently. Expandable post-bound albums can be more time consuming to add/remove pages because you have to take the album completely apart to reorganize pages. I have heard that you can make this process easier by replacing the metal posts with a product called snaploads.

Classic 12x12 D-ring binder from We R Memory Keepers

As for vendors, I have heard a lot of good things about Persnickety Prints. I honestly can't remember hearing anything negative about their quality or service. They offer single prints, photo books, calendars and more.They currently have a deal on Facebook for 25% off of 12x12 prints. But hurry, the deal is only available to the first 300 customers.

Of course you may remember that Jennifer did a review on Lulu photo books a little while ago. If you missed it, you can check out her review here. Jennifer was very impressed with her photo book and gave them a great review.

Page from Jennifer's Lulu Photo Book

Shutterfly is another great option for either photo books or prints and if you take the time to look for deals you can often find a coupon on the web for a low priced photo book.

I hope that you have enjoyed this Saturday School post. Let me know what you thought of it in the comments. Do you print photo books or single pages? Have you used other vendors for printing your layouts?

Oopsie!!! (But here's a treat...)

2011-03-18T20:04:00.004-04:00

It turns out that yesterday's sneak peek and win it before you can buy it post were a bit premature. Don't worry, I'm going to hold onto your comments, but the kit won't hit the store until NEXT Friday. Phew! We'll try the whole peek and win it again next Thursday, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, because of my goof, please enjoy 30% off any purchase at my shop at 9th&Bloom now through Wednesday, March 23. Simply use the code jfd_oopsGoOf at checkout to receive 30% off your total order. Enjoy!

First Look & Win It Now!

2011-03-17T22:05:00.000-04:00

Jennifer and a mystery collab partner have two fantastic kits coming to her store tomorrow! If I actually had a clue what awesomeness Jennifer had up her sleeve or who she is collabing with I could tell you all about it. Yet, Jennifer is really sneaky and only a select few know who she's working with and what they're up to. Evil isn't it? I can say however is that it has one awesome girl cupcake and the kits have a birthday boy/girl theme. Cool, huh?

Would you like to win one of these kits before they ever hit the store? Simply leave a comment here telling me something about a birthday and I'll enter you into a drawing to win these kits!

**Post interrupted by Jennifer to show you a little peek. Shhhh...our CTs haven't even seen this yet!**

Would you like an extra chance (or chances!) to win? Simply do one or more of the following and be sure to leave each entry in a separate comment for more chances.

1. Follow this blog and Christy's Blog.
2. Become a fan of Jennifer Fox Designs on Facebook.
3. Subscribe to Jen's newsletter.
4. Follow jfoxdesigns on Twitter.
5. Become a fan of Christy Lyle Designs on Facebook.
6. Post about this giveaway on your Facebook page and/or tweet about this giveaway on Twitter.

You can get up to 7 entries to win this fabulous kit!!! How fun! This giveaway will close at MIDNIGHT EST on tonight (March 17). Be sure to check back tomorrow to see if you've won. Good luck!

Template Pack Giveaway!

2011-03-16T07:00:00.010-04:00

Happy Wednesday digi-scrappers! Trina here with fantastic news for any day of the week, but especially a "Hump-Day." Do you like templates? I hope so, because the JFD CT has created a 6-pack of templates, free to you just for being a fan of Jennifer Fox Designs!

Here is a preview of the freebie:

Download TIFF format - 4Shared OR Mediafire

Download PSD format - 4Shared OR Mediafire

Tidbit Tuesday - Candles

2011-03-15T01:00:00.001-04:00

Hey Scrappers, Lori here with your Tidbit Tuesday. I don't know about you, but I LOVE candles! This past weekend I went to the Yankee Candle store. If you have one of these near you, you HAVE to check it out, and if you don't, you can always shop online! They have what seems like a million different scents, and well honestly they do them so well. I personally hate candles with "fake" scents (apple, strawberry, rose) most candle companies just don't do them justice. But when you smell a Yankee candle it actually smells like the item. My husband bought a Macintosh Apple car freshener. It really smells like apple. I have been an avid shopper at Yankee Candle for years, but this time when we went, the cashier asked me if I had signed up for their email coupons. I hadn't.. So she gave me a little card, to sign up. I went to www.yankeecandle.com/coupons. Signed up for their email coupons, and I instantly got a coupon for $10.00 off my next $25.00 purchase. What an awesome deal!

Meals In Minutes Monday- Chicken Strips!

2011-03-14T10:00:00.027-04:00

Good Monday morning all, Kara here with another yummy recipe that I hope you'll enjoy. Homemade Chicken Strips, here is what you'll need.

6-8(depending on family size) Boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup corn flakes crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup melted butter

In a side dish mix corn flakes, salt and pepper. Cut chicken into 1 inch thick chunks, dip chicken into butter and then roll in the corn flake batter until completely covered. Arrange chicken in a single layer foil lined baking dish, bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve hot or cold with your favorite dipping sauce.

There you go! Something quick and easy, and a real winner and my house. Hope you enjoy, and have a great day!

Scissors Sunday: Card Inspiration

2011-03-13T13:27:00.003-04:00

Hi all, Sarah here. I know I talked about PageMaps CardMaps sketches a couple of months ago but I wanted to mention it again because there is a new set of sketches available for March (not to mention the announcement of a release of a CardMaps book..sooo exciting). I totally love using these sketches for my hybrid inspiration and this month's sketches were no different. Here's a card I made using Jennifer's This Woman's Work and one of the March CardMaps sketches.

This card is a little more complicated and took a little more time than I would normally spend on a card but I think it was totally worth it. I love the way the heart border looks and the stacked flowers are so fun. the only thing I would change about this card is that I wish I had a little bling to put in the middle of the flower but that can easily be added before I'm ready to give the card away.

I find sketches to be a wonderful way to get a little hybrid inspiration going. I'm so glad there are so many great resources available and I'm happy I was able to share one of my favorites with you today.

Alpha Outline: How To

2011-03-12T06:00:00.004-05:00

Hi Everyone! Hope you are having a great Saturday! It's Jenn (jk703) here to share a little tutorial to add a little something to all those fonts you use on your layouts! I'm sure many of you are fontaholics just like me!

Many times on a layout, I will use an alpha for a main word in my title, and then use a font the other words that are in the title. BUT, there are also times when I just use fonts for my whole title. Outlining the font gives it a little oomph and makes it stand out a little. It can look like a sticker, or just give the font an different look.

For my example, I am using He's My Brother kit, and the font is called Smiley Monster, a free scrapbooking font by Kevin and Amanda. An awesome color palette, and lots of fun embellishments!

Ok... let's get started! You should have a layout open in PS or PSE.

Using the Type Tool, choose your font, and type in your title or the words that you will be outlining.

Double check the font, spelling, and placement to make sure it is how you want it to look.

Next, you will right click on the Type Layer in the Layers Palette. Choose Rasterize layer or Simplify Layer, depending on your program.

In the File Menu, click on Edit > Stroke, and the Stroke menu will pop up.

I usually use anywhere between 2 and 8 pixels. If you want a larger stroke outline, you can always adjust the distance between letters to allow for more space.

Another way to change it up is to play with the stroke color, with different colors used to match my layout. In the Stroke menu, the Color box is clickable, and the Select Color Menu will pop up so you can choose any color you want.

Remember, you can play with all the settings here, to see what pops up. If you don't like what you did, click to undo! I first tried a brown outline as seen here.

Next, I tried teal, and last I tried White. White on white is nice, just add a shadow to really show off the edges as if it was a sticker.

There you have it... a nice outline to my title with a font! It looks like a sticker with the edge, and then the added shadow gives it some depth! Hope you enjoyed the tutorial! Thanks for visiting!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Jenn (aka jk703 or The Typative Scrapper)

Win It Wednesday: From Etsy--Delightful Designs

2011-03-09T10:53:00.014-05:00

Hello, everyone! I'm so excited to bring you our big Win It Wednesday for March. Last month, I gave away a fabulous prize package from Corynne's Creations, and I know our winner was so thrilled! This month, I came across the amazing Andrea of Delightful Designs and she was sweet enough to offer a fabulous prize for one of you.

Andrea is a mother of 2 and a proud military wife. She started making tutus for her daughter and her Etsy shop took off from there. Everything she sells is made to order--isn't that awesome?

Delightful Designs offers so many pretty things. I'm in love with the tutus. They are just gorgeous and I love that they're made to order. This Rainbow Apron Style Tutu is amazing. This tutu is perfect for birthdays or just playing in. It is super fluffy, made with yards and yards of soft tulle. Apron style tutus simply tie around the waist and include a flower clip to attach to the center of the bow or to put in your girl's hair.

How adorable would your little love look in the hot pink and yellow apron style tutu? Simply tie it around her waist and attach the flower clip if you choose to! This set also comes with a crochet headband and 2 flower clips. So adorable! All tutu waistbands are made with half elastic, half material to allow for stretching to fit and grow with your little princess, unless otherwise noted in the product description.

I also love the hair accessories at Delightful Designs. These crochet headbands measure 1.5 inches. Add a flower clip and it is the perfect addition to any outfit!

These flower clippies are so cute and are perfect on the headbands. These daisy flowers come with and alligator clip attached to the back.

Did I mention legwarmers? Oh my goodness, I LOVE legwarmers. These super cute legwarmers have multi-colored polka dots and come with a coordinating headband with a removeable flower clip.

There are so many more fabulous finds at Delightful Designs. Take a look at her Etsy shop and start thinking of what you'd love to have, because she is letting me give away the most amazing prize package. One lucky winner will win a tutu set, including tutu, crochet headband with removeable flower clip, and matching legwarmers. It is super simple to enter! All you have to do is leave a comment here telling me what you would do with this prize from Delightful Designs.

Would you like an extra chance (or chances!) to win? Simply do one or more of the following and be sure to leave each entry in a separate comment for more chances.

1. Follow this blog and the Delightful Designs blog.
2. Become a fan of Jennifer Fox Designs on Facebook.
3. Become a fan of Delightful Designs on Facebook.
4. Subscribe to my newsletter. (Link at top of blog)
5. Follow jfoxdesigns on Twitter.
6. Post about this giveaway on your Facebook page and/or tweet about this giveaway on Twitter.

You can get up to 7 entries to win this fabulous prize package from Delightful Designs. How fun! This giveaway will close at MIDNIGHT EST on MARCH 23rd. Be sure to check back then to see if you've won. Good luck!

ps) Andrea wants to give my blog readers a very special offer: an exclusive coupon only for you! This coupon is for 25% off anything in her Etsy shop. Simply use the coupon code JUST4JENSFANS and to receive your discount at checkout. Enjoy!

Tidbit Tuesday - Recipe for Key Lime Pie

2011-03-08T10:53:00.003-05:00

I'm starting to plan my menu for St. Patrick's Day next week and was trying to think of a green dessert. I remembered seeing a Key Lime Pie recipe on Oprah a couple years ago so I decided to look it up and was happy to find the recipe on her website. So in case you are starting to think of what to eat on St. Patrick's Day, I thought I would share the recipe for Mar-a-Lago Key Lime Pie with you today.

Mar-a-Lago Key Lime Pie

Servings: Serves 8

Ingredients

3/4 pound graham crackers
4 Tbsp. granulated sugar
2 sticks melted butter
1/4 tsp. sea salt
4 egg yolks
1 can (14 ounces) condensed milk
2/3 cup fresh Key lime juice
1 lime , grated zest
1 cup heavy or whipping cream , chilled
2 Tbsp. confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

To make graham cracker crust: Preheat the oven to 325°.

Break up the graham crackers, place in a food processor and process to crumbs. Add the melted butter, sugar and salt and pulse until combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan, forming an even layer on the bottom, sides and edge. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the crust to cool.

To make filling: While the crust is resting, in an electric mixer with the wire whisk attachment, whip the egg yolks and lime zest at high speed until fluffy, or 5 to 6 minutes. Gradually add the condensed milk and continue to whip until thick, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Lower the mixer speed and slowly add the lime juice until incorporated.

Pour the mixture into the crust and bake for 15 minutes, or until the filling has just set. Cool on a wire rack, and then refrigerate for 20 minutes.

To make topping: Whip the cream, confectioners' sugar and vanilla until nearly stiff. Evenly spread the whipped cream on top of the pie, and place in the freezer for 20 minutes prior to serving.

Spring Cleaning and More

2011-03-08T01:24:00.001-05:00

Recently, with the warmer weather, I've been really dying to reorganize, redecorate, and just refresh my home. It's not quite warm enough for planting flowers and my garden, so I'm really focusing on inside my house. For a while now, we've been thinking of redoing our entire TV/entertainment center thingie, and I've been spending ages checking out new LCD TV Stands. It's so much fun to browse through this shop and check out new ideas for sprucing up my living room! If you're doing some refreshing at home, tell me about it! And if you have any cool ideas for TV/entertainment areas, let me know!

Monday Meals in Minutes

2011-03-07T10:19:00.003-05:00

Hey Scrappers! Lori here with your Monday Meals in Minutes. I don't know about you, but Monday's at our house are simply crazy! So I need a meal that I can get on the table fast, but that I don't have to baby sit too much either.

Today I am going to share with you one of our favorites...

Spaghetti Pie

Ingredients:

6 ounces spaghetti

2 tablespoons margarine

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 eggs (well beaten)

1 cup cottage cheese (I use fat free)

1 lb lean ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup green pepper (optional, chopped)

1 (8 ounce) can diced tomatoes

6 ounces tomato paste

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon tarragon

1/2 teaspoon garlic

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees

Cook spaghetti as directed on package

While spaghetti is cooking, brown the ground beef, add onion, green peppers. Drain any excess fat

Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, oregano and garlic

When spaghetti is done, drain and add margarine, parmesean cheese and eggs

Mix well

Spray a 9x13 pan with non stick spray and then line the pan with the spaghetti mixture

Spread cottage cheese over spaghetti

Spread meat sauce over spaghetti and cottage cheese

Bake in oven at 350 for 20 minutes. Add mozzarella cheese and bake 5 more minutes.

Serve with garlic bread, and salad.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Enjoy!!

Hybrid Highlight~

2011-03-06T12:02:00.004-05:00

Angie here bringing you a little hybrid goodness this week! I was trying to think of what I could do and decided on making a cute little bookmark. Since I retired, I have gone back to reading more, but I have been using a business card as my bookmark. So I decided to use Jennifer's Memory Keeper kit because I loved the colors and figured it would be perfect for a bookmark. I made it 2x6 inches and it turned out to be the perfect size. So if you are looking for a little teacher gift gift or jut something to say "hi" this is a great way to do it!

Saturday School - Adding a Border to Photos

2011-03-05T05:00:00.002-05:00

Adding a Border to Photos or Elements in PSE

Hey Everyone!! Michelle (aka mdel) here with a tutorial for y'all.
Have you ever wanted to add a border to a photo or element to help
give it a little pop? From time to time I find myself adding an
alpha to one of my layouts only to notice that it is getting
a bit lost on the page. Today I thought I'd share an easy tutorial for adding a border
around a photo, element or alpha.
Let's get started...

To begin, open Photoshop Elements and a photo. I currently use PSE 7.0 but I have used
this technique in PSE 5.0 as well. Make sure your layers palette is visible. If the
palette is not visible go to Window>Layers which will open the layers palette.

Next click on Layer>New>Layer from Background.

You can now give your photo layer a name (doesn't really matter what you choose)
and then click "ok" to close the dialogue box.

Hold down the Control (Ctrl) key and left click your mouse on the photo
layer icon in your layers palette. This will bring up what are referred to
as "marching ants" around the edge of your photo.

Click on Edit>Stroke (Outline) Selection

Once you do this your Stroke dialogue box will pop open. The width box controls
how wide your border will appear on your photo or element. (When adding a border to
a photo I usually use about a 25 px setting. If I am adding a border to an alpha or
element I may make it smaller.) If you click on the color box a window opens
that will allow you to select the color of border you want to use. For photos, I like white or
off white however for elements or alphas you may want to use a color matched to the kit.
I leave my Location checked as "Inside", keep the Blending Mode at Normal and leave the
Opacity at 100. Once this step is complete click "ok" to close the stroke dialogue box.

Upon clicking "ok" you should now see a border around your photo.

You may notice you still have the "marching ants" around your photo. To remove those
click Ctrl+D.

Hope you found this tutorial easy and informative. Happy Scrapping!!

New Release Friday @ 9th&Bloom, Some Winners, and a FREEBIE!

2011-03-04T00:00:00.006-05:00

Jennifer has released two fantastic kits at 9th&Bloom today! Normally, when we see sibling kits, they're all about rivalry. Not these! He's My Brother and She's My Sister really showcase how siblings can feel about each other.

You can also get these kits in a bundle package. Here is a layout Crystal did, using both kits:

Jennifer is also bringing over her Rough and Tumble kit to 9th&Bloom:

Finally, we have two winners!

The winner of She's My Sister:

And the winner of He's My Brother:

Please pm Jennifer at 9th&Bloom, and she'll get you your prize. Congratulations, and thanks so much for all of the comments!

Last but not least, Jennifer has a cute doodled wordart freebie for you. These doodled words work perfectly with the Brother and Sister kits, or with nearly any layout you're working on. Grab them now, and remember, we always love to see what you do with Jen's freebies!

That's all for today. Have a happy Friday and a wonderful weekend!!!

First Look and Win It Now!

2011-03-03T00:00:00.022-05:00

Jennifer has two fantastic kits coming to her store tomorrow! I am in love with them, and I know you will be, too. Would you like to win one of these kits before they ever hit the store? Simply leave a comment here telling me about your siblings {or if you are an only child, if you have a friend who's like a sibling to you} and I'll enter you into a drawing to win these kits!

Would you like an extra chance (or chances!) to win? Simply do one or more of the following and be sure to leave each entry in a separate comment for more chances.

You can get up to 7 entries to win this fabulous kit!!! How fun! This giveaway will close at MIDNIGHT EST on tonight (March 3). Be sure to check back tomorrow to see if you've won. Good luck!

What We Love Wednesday - Apartment Therapy

2011-03-02T00:15:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone, Terra here to share another website that I love with you. I am constantly inspired by interior design trends and one of the websites that I am constantly referring to is Apartment Therapy. The reason that I love it is that there is truly something for everyone. There are sections on trends in home design, technology, children, green living and cooking. I dare you to visit the site and not find something you love.

I love to browse the kids' room tours - I mean how amazing is this Pirate Ship Bedroom?? They even have ideas that can be used as inspiration for hybrid projects - check out the Magnetic Play Set Tutorial. The inspiration is endless!

Tidbit Tuesday

2011-03-01T12:48:00.003-05:00

Hey all! Kat here with a little Tidbit Tuesday for you. I know a lot of us are on the constant roller coaster of "dieting" so I thought I would share one of my favorite recipe sites. SkinnyTaste.com. Seriously, this girl has some AMAZING recipes. I have loved every single one I have tried so far and the flavors are just FABULOUS! So far my favorites are the Barbacoa Beef and the Habanero Lime Rice. Just mouthwatering! So, why don't you head on over, try a recipe or two and let us know what you think!

Until next time......

Finding Recipes.....

2011-03-01T06:00:00.001-05:00

Hello! Tara here to the rescue! (sorry, we have super hero fever here in our house!) If you are anything like me, you are constantly looking for new recipe ideas. Always looking for another way to cook chicken? Or are you looking in the pantry and wondering what you can do with the ingredients on hand? Well, I got some websites for you!

Pioneer Woman has always got some yummies that I can't resist. Here blog on Tasty kitchen is sometimes just what I need to find the next yummy meal.

Next up is All Recipes. This is probably the one I use the most. You can search for recipes by type, ingredients or health content. Also, a great feature is that you can save recipes into your own personal virtual recipe box. It has been very helpful to me and I hope that you will get some benefit from it also.

Moms Who Think is a new site that I have found that has a lot of great recipes. Not only do they have yummy recipes to share but there is also information on healthy leaving, baby names and even hosting parties! This one is a site you will want to bookmark for sure.

Last but not least, Budget 101 is a great resource. It talks about everything from canning foods, making your own dry mixes and coupon strategies. Great site for every person that is wanting to save a little money on the grocery bill but not want to give up a great meal for their family.

I hope those sites help you in discovering new recipes! Happy cooking everyone!

MIM-Italian Pork Chops!

2011-02-28T09:37:00.000-05:00

Good morning/afternoon/evening to you all! It's me again, Kara bringing you a yummy recipe for some pork chops. Here is what you will need..

1 1/2 cups crushed saltine crackers
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon Italian style seasoning
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup melted butter
6-8 bone in or boneless pork chops.

Directions...

Mix crackers, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder in a bowl. Dip pork chops in melted butter, then in cracker mixture, coating all side. Place in 13x9 baking dishes, bake @ 425 for 30-40 mins.

Now, I like to serve with Italian potatoes, what I do it wash and cut a few potatoes into wedges, salt and pepper, and add some of the Italian seasoning, and bake them along with the chops. Serve with vegetable of your choice :) I hope you enjoy this yummy dinner, my family sure does!! Have a great day, and be sure to comment below if you try this recipe!!

Scissors Sunday

2011-02-27T06:00:00.006-05:00

It's Scissors Sunday once again and I'm going to share with you a quick and easy way to make a hybrid card.

You don't always have to cut out each individual layer of paper. Over time I've found that when I cut out each individual layer and added it to the card base, I couldn't even tell that the paper was separate layers instead of one layer with drop shadows. In order to save time and ink, often I will just add a drop shadow with a distance of 0 or 1, and a spread % of 7-10 and a size % of 7-10. I move the sliders up and down to achieve the look I want, which is a very subtle shadow that goes around all edges, as that's how a paper shadow looks on a real printed card.

I added a few layers of paper to the canvas and applied the same drop shadow style. I moved the whole card over along with four of the adorable flowers. My plan was to use only one flower, but sometimes inspiration strikes when I'm cutting and gluing, and I like to have extra pieces to work with if necessary.

I ended up sticking with my original plan of only using one flower. I cut it out and attached it to the card using a 3-D foam adhesive. Then I stamped the "Happy Birthday" sentiment using my Words2Color stamps by The {Stamps} of Life. Then I added some flat-backed adhesive pearls to some pink buttons and attached those on the side of the sentiment.

Using this method allows me to conserve paper and ink while providing a nice layered paper look on my card! Give it a try and then come back and share your gallery link!

We Have a Winner!!!

2011-02-26T17:47:00.002-05:00

Congrats, Kendall! You've won a fabulous prize package of two products of your choice from Corynne's Creations! Please email me at jenniferfoxdesigns@yahoo.com and I'll get you started. How exciting and congrats!

Thanks to everyone for playing along! Keep your eyes open for another fabulous giveaway coming in March. This one's going to be amazing, too!!!

Saturday School - Flipping Elements

2011-02-25T23:48:00.007-05:00

Happy Saturday, everyone! Terra here with a Saturday School tutorial for you on how to flip a page element. It is so easy to manipulate elements to make them work on your layout. It is an easy adjustment, but if you haven't done it before, you may not know where to begin. I have been digital scrapbooking for several months now but only took the time to learn this technique this week and thought I would share it with you. In this example, I am using Photoshop CS5 to flip an arrow in Jennifer's new kit, My Best Friend, available at Ninth and Bloom.

Place the element on your page.
Select the element.
Go to Edit > Transform. There are several options listed, including options to rotate or flip the selected layer. In this case, I selected Flip Horizontal to flip the arrow the opposite direction.
Move the element to place it in any position on the page and you are done.

This is a quick and easy transformation to make to any element in a kit. Now that you know how to flip an element, take some time to play with some of the other ways you can manipulate elements on a layout, such as rotating 90 or 180 degrees.

Have a great weekend!

New Release Friday @ 9th&Bloom and a Winner

2011-02-25T03:00:00.001-05:00

This week, I have a new kit in my shop at 9th&Bloom that celebrates friendship:

I also have a few of my favorite older products making their debut at my shop at 9th&Bloom:

These kits are 20% off through Saturday at my shop at 9th&Bloom. Happy shopping!!!

Finally, I have the winner of yesterday's Win It Before You Can Buy It post. Congrats to:

You've won My Best Friend. Please PM me at 9th&Bloom and I'll get you your prize! Congrats!!!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend full of fun, friends, good times, and scrapping!!!

xoxo

Jennifer

First Look Thursday and Win It Now!

2011-02-24T08:40:00.003-05:00

This week, I have a brand new kit coming to 9th&Bloom. I'm loving the feel of this kit and even scrapped with it! That's HUGE for me! :) Would you like to win this kit before it ever hits the store? Simply leave a comment here telling me something about your best friend and I'll enter you into a drawing to win this kit!

Would you like an extra chance (or chances!) to win? Simply do one or more of the following and be sure to leave each entry in a separate comment for more chances.

1. Follow this blog.

2. Become a fan of Jennifer Fox Designs on Facebook.

3. Subscribe to my newsletter.

4. Follow jfoxdesigns on Twitter.

5. Post about this giveaway on your Facebook page.

6. Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter.

You can get up to 7 entries to win this fabulous kit!!! How fun! This giveaway will close at MIDNIGHT EST on tonight (Feb. 24). Be sure to check back tomorrow to see if you've won. Good luck!

Wednesday March Desktop Freebie

2011-02-23T01:00:00.001-05:00

Hey Scrappers! Lori here with a desktop freebie for March!

Wow, I can't believe that February is almost over! Hope everyone is staying warm out there!

I decided to use the kit Tomorrow's Another Day for this Desktop freebie. It's full of lots of cute elements and light colors, great for spring layouts full of "hope"

Download Here

Hope you all enjoy!!!

Lori

Tidbit Tuesday. Get Organized!

2011-02-22T10:34:00.000-05:00

Hey all! It's me Kara, here again with another useful tidbit for you. I have clutter, and I hate it. I have managed to get more clutter since my son has started school. Do they really have to send that many papers home with him a day?? I love the website www.mommysavers.com Each Tuesday they have what they call Tackle it Tuesday, and it has helped me so much in getting rid of clutter and paper. You can sign up for Tackle it Tuesday and get helpful tips and hits to help you out. SUCH a lifesaver for me, now let's just hope I can keep up with it..LOL. I hope you all have a blessed Tuesday and are staying warm...if you live in a state that has once again been hit by snow,ice,sleet,freezing rain...like me here in Ohio. Don't forget to come back and comment below what you think of www.mommysaver.com and let me know if it's helped you out!!

Kara

Meals in Minutes Monday-Smokey Joes

2011-02-21T11:22:00.000-05:00

Good morning readers!! Kara here with today's meals in minutes. My son loves sloppy joes, and I do too, but sometimes you get tired of the same ole' stuff. Searching the web I can across http://family.go.com They have many healthy,quick and easy recipes. Smokey Joe's are awesome, and I hope you will try them one day and let us know here, how you liked them! (Note: They are a little spicy, so to cut back on that, you could not add the chipotle powder. My son loves spicy things)

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, finely chopped ( I just use garlic powder, it saves me time)
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder (or 1/2 teaspoon canned chipotles)
1 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoon brown sugar
salt to taste
4 hamburger buns

Directions

In a large skillet over high heat, sauté the beef, onions, and garlic until the beef is cooked and browning, and all the liquid has boiled off (around 10 minutes).
Turn the heat down to low, then add the spices and cook, stirring, for a few seconds.
Stir in the remaining ingredients, then partially cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent scorching.
Divide the mixture among the buns and serve.

In the end, this is what you'll have...be sure to have LOT'S of napkins :)

Scissors Sunday - Tiled Card

2011-02-20T12:00:00.000-05:00

Hi all, Sarah here and I want to share one of my absolute favorite techniques to use on a card. I used it fairly often as a rubber stamper and think it works well in the world of hybrid as well.

The card I'm sharing today is really a fairly simple card. I started by opening an 8.5"x11" canvas. First I decided on a background paper. I make my cards A2 size so the purple background here is sized 5.25"x4". I then decided I wanted to use this cute topsy turvy cake as my main image for the card so I layered it on a paper (2.5"x5" in this case but a lot will be dependent on the image you choose) that would contrast with my background paper and the image of the cake (I also wanted to note that I used no shadows on the cake, I wanted to make it look like it was a part of the paper). The last thing I included on my canvas was a word stip that says happy birthday.

Once I printed my project I cut out all the elements, the background paper and the paper with the cake image with my paper trimmer. I just used my fine tipped scissors to cut out the happy birthday sentiment, but you could definitely use a craft knife as well if you are more comfortable with those.

Next I began cutting .5" strips widthwise and then slicing those sections into 1" strips, making sure to lay them out in the correct order as I cut them (note that since my paper was 2.5" there are some .5" squares...I just switched up the sides that the smaller cut was on so that I could do a offset brick look to my image)

I started building in the center, since I had 9 rows I grabbed the first tile in the fifth row, found the center of my background paper and glued it down. I built off of this original tile for the rest of the image.

Here's the card on an A2 card (I love this size since you can make 2 out of a standard sheet of 8.5"x11" cardstock) made with kraft cardstock. I love the tiled look ( i even through in a few extra .5" pieces since my vision of the card changed as I was working on it..I love how it turned out so it's all good) and I think the wordstrip sentiment was just the right touch to finish off the card.

Another way to do a tiled card would be to do squares or rectangles that align, I especially love doing the squares vs the offset tiles for florals and food items because it reminds me of a backsplash in a kitchen that way. This technique also works really well for stamped images and there are lots of great digital stamps out there as well as brush sets you can use to stamp digitally.

Thanks so much for stopping by. If you decide to create a tiled card we'd love to see it. Have a great rest of your Sunday!

Saturday School: Brush Tool Info

2011-02-19T09:00:00.008-05:00

Hi Everyone! Hope your Saturday is going great! I'm here today to share more information about the Brush Tool in Photoshop.... but before I do...

Can you believe the news? Jennifer Fox Designs is now at 9th and Bloom!! Woot! How cool is that!? I hope you've stopped over there, checked out her goodies in the store! You might also want to stop here and see how you can win a chance to join the Creative Team for 3 months! Good Luck!

About the Brush Tool and the Options

First, you need to start a new document, layout or an existing project. You will select the Tool Brush from the tools toolbar. This is what the Brush Tool is, and what other tools are available.

The Options Palette on the top looks like the picture below... and is pretty easy to use. You can change the size of the brush, as well as play with the hardness of the brush that you will use. When you change the number of pixels of a brush, you are changing the Hardness. A higher number on the Hardness slider will make the edges on your brush more defined. A lower number on the Hardness slider will make the edges on your brush less defined.

On the Options palette you can choose the Mode that you want the brush to have, the actual stroke. The Opacity percentage will change the opacity of the brush stroke. Lowering the percentage will make the brush stroke more transparent, while raising the percentage will make it less transparent.

There is also a button for Flow. This allows you to select how much paint will come out of the brush when applied to your document. The higher the flow, the more paint, as well as the lower the flow, the less paint used when you click your mouse.

There is also an Airbrush feature available. This allows paint to come out of the brush the whole time you are moving your mouse.

If that isn't enough to learn... there is a whole nother menu under the brush presets. This is what that menu looks like:

There are a lot of setting here, but many are pretty self explanatory -- as long as you play with them, try them out, and experiment. Here are some of the options in this menu:

Brush Tip Shape -- determines the main shape of the brush.
Shape Dynamics -- allows you to modify the shape of the brush.
Scattering -- this option determines how closely the brush marks are to the stroke. This can add a nice randomness to your stroke.
Texture -- Adding a texture to your brush can really show some depth. Photoshop allows you to apply any of your Texture presets to your brush.
Dual Brush -- Combining two different brushes using the Dual Brush option can really create some fantastic effects - unavailable if you were only using one brush.
Color Dynamics -- this option allows for modification of the color of the stroke. Playing with this will allow you to create some interesting color variations.
Noise -- Creates random noise within your brush shape.
Wet Edges -- If you keep the edges of your brush at the highest opacity, and lowering the inside of your brush's opacity will create a similar look to watercolor, hence the Wet Edges.
Airbrush -- works with Flow, that is on the Menu bar above.
Smoothing -- Smoothes the curves of the stroke.
Protect Texture -- This can allow you to make sure the same texture is used for every brush with a texture.

Brush Tool Shortcuts:

B -- Brush Tool
Shift + B -- Rotate through Brush tools (i.e. Brush, Pencil, etc)
F5 -- Show or hide Brushes palette
[ -- Decrease brush diameter
] -- Increase brush diameter
Shift + [ -- Decrease brush hardness by 25%
Shift + ] -- Increase brush hardness by 25%
, -- Previous brush
. -- Next brush
Option (hold) -- Temporarily switch to Eyedropper tool
Shift + Option (hold) -- Temporarily switch to Color Sampler tool
Command (hold) -- Temporarily switch to Move tool
Command + Option (hold) -- Duplicate and Drag layer
Space (hold) -- Temporarily switch to Hand tool

Now for something quick to teach you a fun way to use the tool! We are going to add some really basic watercoloring to a paper. I've used a piece of paper from Jennifer's Tomorrow's Another Day Kit to show off my example.

First, you will open the paper in a separate document and apply the shadow style you would like. Next... Command and Click on the Notebook Paper, so you see the marching ants.

Click on Layer > New > Group. Then click on Add a Layer Mask, which is this little button

on the layers Palette. Create a new layer above the notepaper.

First, I am going to select the Pencil Tool within the Brush tool, change the opacity to 30% on the menu bar options, and make my brush size about 125 pixels. Drag your cursor over the paper to areas you want to add watercolor to. This is brown added:

Next, I did the same technique, changed up the opacity and brush sizes, and added faint Pink and Green layers. I also played with the blending modes of each color layer. My favorites are Multiply, Linear Dodge, Linear Burn... you have to play with them all! Here is what I ended up with.

Now, think of what you could add... doodles, coffee stains, textures, splatters... so much more! I've only barely touched what the Brush Tool is all about or what it can do! I hope that you might have learned something today!

Thanks for visiting!

Jenn (aka jk703/The Typative Scrapper)