Cara

Happy New Year 2009

I just know that 2009 is going to be amazing! I have so many wonderful things to be thankful for! My family is so awesome and I am truly blessed. My year will begin with our family cruise! We are leavin in the morning gathering family members as we travel from Massachusetts to Florida to board Carnival Triumph and head for the Caribbean! How much better can it get? I am so excited! And when I return all tanned and rested I start right away kicking off the education projects featuring the Whisper and Croptopia U! My classes and focus for 2009 ...all about the memories and getting pages into albums. It is all about you! Happy New Year!! Blessings and hugs to you all. Cara

Oh where oh where has your kit club gone?

I know some of you have stopped by looking for my kit club. You read about us in Scrapbooks etc and you thought ...huh ...sounds like an interesting club. Maybe I should check it out. Well here you are and it doesn't look like any club you have ever seen. Where is the shopping cart? How much does it cost? Do I sign up month by month or what?

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Nope, none of that here. I am different than any other club you have ever seen. Here is a spot to stop by and find some fun tricks, some ideas and tips and projects. No subscription, no money, no commitment...just poke around and see what you might find.

I will be teaching some great Back to Basics scrapbook classes called Croptopia U at Croptopia Getaways in several great locations in 2009 and my classes will be appearing on Big Picture Scrapbooking in early 2009 too. But in the meantime, you can find some weekly downloads and hints and helpful ideas here in the blog. You can sign up and will receive email notices when I post here. Check out the posts over the next few weeks and see what you think. This is the best kind of club...the free kind!

TAGS!!! What is my tag saying?

As you probably know, my kit club focused on board books and wordbooks. I know many of you have taken classes with me or made a book using the tricks and tips in my monthly Are You Board kit club. But as I told you a few weeks ago, my Croptopia U educational events are helping you get your photos into your albums. I heard many of you struggle with that. So today I wanted to talk about some of the fun techniques that we learned to use in boardbooks or wordbooks and show you how to use them on your layouts too! The layouts that you work on can have some of the features that you loved from Are You Board.

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TAGS Remember how easy it was to journal on a tag? Small space, not so scary! Especially if you add lines to write on! Download Journaling Tags print out on 8 1/2 x 11 cardstock (where do you get that? Here is one of my favorites! Office Supply Store )

Cut these tags out and they are ready to journal and add to your layouts. Remember part of the fun of tag journaling is that you can add ALL the details that you want to remember but do not necessarily want everyone to read. You know ... all the juicy, sappy or silly, embarrassing details about the memory!

So print out the tags, cut them out. Be sure to use your chalk inks on the edges of these tags. Want to print on the cardstock you are using in your layout or even the patterned paper? Sure! Just cut the 12x12 to 8 1/2 x11 and feed through your printer! And just where should I put them? They can simply be added to the layout as you would a journaling section or an added embellishment. But if it is a tag you would like to keep hidden...but you still want to access it while your pages are in the top loaded page protectors... use your photo mat as a pocket, leave the top of the mat unattached and your tag will slide right in behind the photo. Tie a longer ribbon to the top of the tag and let it run straight up to the top of the layout. I will be adding more tricks to hide your tags this week. Be sure to check back often. Tags are the best!

Thinking about Croptopia U but not sure?

So you have heard all about it, it sounds like fun but you are not sure what you are doing in 2009? I know it is hard to plan that far in advance. Maybe you are thinking you might want to come to Croptopia U but you are not sure if you can do the whole weekend or even the full day... You can attend Croptopia U ...only the class and then head out for lunch on your own. At least you will reserve your place in class and if your schedule frees up so that you can join us for the weekend, even better. I wanted you to know that it is not an all or nothing event. Please be sure to ask if you have any questions. Make sure you look at the free weekly downloads and print out the idea sheets. HUgs, Cara

Great news! A special Croptopia U event in Mystic Connecticut

The day passes are all sold out for Croptopia Getaways Mystic Event but a special day event just for Croptopia U students has been added! I know...I am so excited! It will be special just Croptopia U students. Join me on Saturday morning at 9am for our Croptopia U 3 hour workshop and then stay until Midnight to crop to your hearts content! Finish your workshop projects, work on your albums or anything you wish! You will have full access to the Croptopia Getaways resources including the Vendor Marketplace and Creation Station. Lunch and Dinner will be included as well as a designated cropping space in the Education Room (separate from the main cropping room) and a Croptopia U goodie bag. As a bonus, I will be available to you throughout the day. (this is a special package designed to accommodate our Croptopia U students who are looking for additional cropping time.) To register Click Here!

Specials have their own section!

I am offering free download ideas that can be added to your Whisper...what?! You don't have one yet?!! Better find the Croptopia U coming to your neighborhood. Each week during the Reindeer Round Up I will be posting a free project sheet to print out. I have added instructions to help you put together in a similar format as my Whisper so you can see how easy it is to bring along. Look in the topics on the left, scroll down to the specials section and you will be able to find them all there. Register for Croptopia Getaways and Croptopia U and you will be entered in a drawing for free weekend package as well as free tuition! Hugs, Cara