{we are} storytellers

{book fair and more}

A last minute holiday weekend promotion from Emily Powers! The perfect quick page album to celebrate every patriotic occasion, Celebrate! I'm Free is yours for free when you spend $5 or more in Emily's shoppe this weekend. ($6.99 value, ends 11:59 pm est 9/2)

Tomorrow we say good-bye to our wonderful guest artist Marcie Reckinger. As she goes, so does her products. Pick up My Backyard Star before Aug 31 or it will be gone, gone, gone, as well as her other goodies.

Have a wonderful weekend and stay tuned next week for details of our Fall Sale coming Sept 4-7!

take care!
{storyteller} deann

{staycation challenge deadline correction}

I apologize for the error yesterday. I posted "Remember to share your hybrid project or digital layout for a chance at our Random Drawing Prize for Week 8! Due August 28, Midnight. Download is above"- I think I copied and pasted last week's.

The actual deadline for Week 9 is September 4th Midnight.
Thanks so much - I so look forward to your creations!!!

{storyteller} Julie Ann

{staycation blogshop week 9}

This week we offer two parts to the challenge and prompt! First, the theme is to add harmony and delight to your home to create a personal paradise.  See the handout for more information. 
DOWNLOAD PROMPT #9
The second part of the challenge is a Round Robin!

What is a Round Robin? In this case, our Round Robin consists of two {storyteller} groups of 4 team members. In each group, person #1 created a layout based on this week's prompt (see Prompt #9 in the download). Next, person #1 shares her layout with person #2. Person #2 creates a layout following the prompt and either scraplifts or finds inspiration from person #1's layout. Person #2 shares her layout with person #3. And the cycle continues.

How do you play? (This is optional.) You have a chance to be part of the Round Robin too. We've enlisted the help of reader JenJ as person #1. Go to our tales forum, and find the thread in the staycation section to sign up to be in the round robin after Jen. Please follow this week's prompt theme for the subject of your staycation layout.

Here are the results of the storytellers' round robin groups:

Group A: Person #1 - Emily Merritt

Credits: Kraftastic by Emily Powers and Emily Merritt; Candied Apple by Emily Merritt and Kate Hadfield; Olive Avenue and Black Tile Alpha by Emily Merritt; My Backyard Superstar by Marcie Reckinger; stitching by Kate Hadfield

Person #2 (inspired by Emily M.) - Natalie
Natalie also used Kraft cardstock, she kept the photos clustered together with circle elements peeking out like Emily did. Her title is also similar to Emily's using the same alpha.

{credits}Emily Powers - Kraftastic Paper, Puddle Jumper

Two Sisters - Label It Alpha, Kabloom, Mark that Date

Emily Merritt - In a Box Alpha, Kraftastic Paper, Olive Avenue, BLack Tile Alpha

Tiff Brady - Yarn Swirls

Marcie Reckinger - Superstar

Kathryn Wilson - Zen Garden

Font - Century Gothic


Person #3 (inspired by Natalie) - Julie Ann
I liked the way Natalie did the title "Before & After" so I kept the word "before" small and the "after" larger. I used some circle type elements such as the flowers and circle scribbles. Near the journaling, I have a cluster of a snip, label, and Chinese (?) characters similar to the cluster near the journaling that Natalie did.

{credits} Zen Garden Kit by Kathryn Wilson and Joanne Brisebois; Double Stamped Alpha by Angela Powers; Love Birds by WST April Kit (red alpha); Glitter action from scrapgirls


Person #4 (inspired by Julie Ann) - Lynette
Lynette says, "Well, it may seem silly, but I was actually inspired by Julie Ann's one crooked paper. I am so obsessed with everything being in line and straight that it is very hard for me to do something that isn't! But I thought this was a great time to force myself to do it! I also liked the "Before & After" theme Julie Ann had going, so very applicable to my entire house right now!"

{credit}  Whimsical Wonderland by Rachel Young, Jaime Young & Tiff Brady, Scrap stash stitches by Two Sisters and White Tile Alpha by Emily Merritt



Group B: Person #1 - Danielle
{credits} everything from Zen Garden by Kathryn Wilson and Joanne Brisebois
font: Segoe script, Segoe Print


Person #2 (inspired by Danielle) - Diane
It is very easy to see how Diane was inspired to do a basic scraplift - mimicing everything from Danielle's layout!  Excellent results!

Credits: Friends Furever Kit by Kathryn Wilson, Scrappy Bling by Emily Powers, Deco Borders by Emily Powers, Playing Outside the Lines by Marcie Reckinger, Butterfly from Zen Garden kit by Joanne Brisebois & Kathryn Wilson, Charm School : 201 by Angela Powers.
Font: Porcelain, Another typewriter, LD Telegram.


Person #3 (inspired by Diane) - Steph
Steph says, "I loved Diane's LO. My favorite part was the magical quality. I attempted to convey this with the stars overlay. I chose a calmer color scheme to convey what Feng Shui means to me.....calmness, serenity and I love having candles burning all the time - very relaxing for me."

{credits}
Whimsical Woodland
by Rachel Young, Jaime Young & Tiff Brady
Art Nation--Imagination Elements
by Emily Powers
Zen Garden
by Kathryn Wilson and Joanne Brisbois
Fonts: Porcelain, Georgia, Century Gothic



Person #4 (inspired by Steph) - Trude

Remember to share your hybrid project or digital layout for a chance at our Random Drawing Prize for Week 8! Due August 28, Midnight. Download is above.

Week 8's Random Drawing Winner:

Gabi aka garynka - Congrats! You win a $10 GC to our boutique

Have a great weekend!

{storyteller} Julie Ann Shahin

{writer's notebook} be more specific

When I taught middle and high school English, I probably should've invested in a couple of simple phrase stamps to use when I was conferencing on papers -- it could have saved me lots and lots of writing. I think the phrase I used more than any other was a simple three-word suggestion: BE MORE SPECIFIC. My students needed constant reminders to use more specific language. It wasn't that they couldn't remember this writing tip; it was more that they got caught up the memory and forgot that not everyone else had experienced the same thing they were writing about. "You were there," I had to remind them frequently, "but your reader wasn't."

Part of learning to BE MORE SPECIFIC is to stop relying on vague language. (If you've got a school-age kid in your household, you know what I mean: "How was school?" "Fine." "Fine? What does fine mean, exactly?") Words like "fun," while an accurate description of several events, doesn't do much in the way of actually describing that event. My idea of fun (curling up on the couch with a great book) and my sister's idea of fun (running a 1/2-marathon before 9 am) are two totally different things. Chances are, if my sister describes something as fun, I'm more likely to describe it as torture. ;)

Mels' layout "Swimming Lesson" is a great example of using specific language -- in this instance, specific verbs -- to create strong journaling. Look at how her listed verbs very accurately and specifically describe the action that is going on in the strip of photos on her layout.

I'm currently working on a layout about our visit to the Museum of Natural History in DC -- in particular, the trip through the butterfly exhibit. I'm going to make a special effort to use as many descriptive ACTION verbs as I can when I journal about the experience.

I hope that you'll make a conscious effort this week to BE MORE SPECIFIC in your own journaling, and then share those layouts with us in the {we are} storyteller's gallery. We'll be hanging out in the forum too, so stop by there and say hi.

write on,
{storyteller} aud

{storytelling}

Talk about another amazing week in the gallery!! Here are a few of my favorites this week!

{page turner tuesday}

never a better time to play with hybrid...

take care,
{storyteller} deann

{Storyteller} Spotlight

It's time we introduce you to all the wonderful {storytellers} around this place!  Each week we will highlight a new {storyteller} for you!  First up is {Storyteller: Angela Powers}, who you also know as a designer around the shop...

^{Angela describes herself as a twenty-something stay at home mom of two beautiful boys, ages 3 and 1.  Her husband and her are about to celebrate thier 5th wedding anniversary in September.  She loves photography, scrapbooking and general crafty stuff, sewing, her macbook, reading to her boys, hanging out at home on the couch with her husband, picnic dinners and anything sweet.  She says, "I am honored to be a part of the inspirational team here at {we are} storytellers."}

Q: How long have you been disigning and how did it all start? A: This past May it was one year.  Emily & I were stititng around my house one day thinking about how great it would be if the two of us could pay for our upcoming family vacation... and so began Two Sisters Designs.  We never really thought it would become something we both loved so much.

Q: How long have you been scrapping (digi and otherwise)? A: I have "scrapped" in some form since I can remember, but it wasn't until I discovered digital scrapbooking two and a half years ago that I really started to preserve our family memories.

Q: Why do you scrap? A: My first priority is to capture our family memories and stories, but I also do it for me.  I love the creative outlet it gives me.  It also gives me a way to do something with the millions of photos I take!

Q: What program do you use for digi-scrapping? A: PSCS2

Q: How long dies it take you to complete a layout? A: Well, that depends.  it can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 6 hours.  Sometimes a layout sits on my desktop for weeks before I am done... sometimes I see it in my head exactly the way I want and am done in an hour.

Q: When you've completed a layout, what do you do with it? A: LOL.  I used to print them out and put them in albums, but after my 3 year old son got a hold of his album during a nap one day and ruined every single page (it still hurts to think about it) I haven't printed in a while.  in a way I am kind of glad it happened... I used to print 12x12 but now, if I ever get my butt in gear and buy some new albums, lol, I will go 8x8.

Q: If you could avoid one household chore the rest of your life, what would it be? A: Oh, geeze, all of them... I hate cleaning.  But the one I hate more than all the rest is dishes... and we have a dishwasher (if that tells you anything, lol)

Q: What is your favorite digi item (something most of your pages are not without)? A: A good alpha.  I can't live without them

Q: What is your favorite product that you've created? A: That is SO hard.  My favorite Two Sisters Products is probably our DressUp! Collection.  My favorite personal item is my Charm School packs.  They were so much fun to make!
(And a sidenote from me, have you seen the new Charm School 201?  They are so much fun!)

Q: What is your layout creating process? A: For layouts, I am almost always inspired by the photo. I let the photo lead me.  I usually do my journaling and title design last.

Q: Can you show us your favorite layout here at WST? A:
Q: What camera do you use? A: A Canon Digital Rebel. My favorite lens is my 85mm, 1.8 but I just got to play with a wide angle lens a few weeks ago and now I am itching to get one!

Q: Do you have any favorite processing tips or actions that you use? A: I pretty much stick with the Totally Rad Actions.  I am drooling over thier new set and trying to save up for them!

Q: What thought or sentiment would you like to put in one million fortune cookies? A: A quote from Albert Einstein: "Learn from yesterday, live for today and hope for tomorow."

And... I thought I would show you my favorite layout of Angela's here at WST!
You can view Angela's gallery here at {We Are} Storytellers. I know you've enjoyed learning more about Angela!  Stay tuned next week when {Storyteller} Laura will highlight another {storyteller} for you!

{what I do for love}

This morning my mom and I went to the mall bright and early in support of a cause that is very near and dear to my heart - the $7 jeans sale at Old Navy.  Were you there?  Were you one of the women that my mom trampled?  I apologize for that, she's an overzealous shopper.  She was the oldest of eight children, if she didn't fight for what she wanted, she got nothing!

Just under a decade ago if someone would have told me that I'd be standing among a sea of people on a Saturday morning, clamoring to get my hands on every pair of boys size 7 (slim!) jeans that I could get my hands on - I would have had a long laugh at their expense.  But that's just what I did, and it never ceases to amaze me how in this chapter of my life I can feel so ultimately fulfilled walking out to my car with 6 pair of jeans ... for $42.  My how times have changed.  I would love to go back to "8 years ago me" and tell her to start documenting her life - and have even HALF the resources available to me that there are now.  Isn't that an age old desire, though?  The advancement of time changes everything - technology changes, products are improved upon, even the sippy cups of 8 years ago look like prehistoric instruments. 

About a year and a half ago one of my closest and dearest friends had a little baby boy - and he's become something of a muse to me.  For one thing, he is one of the most ridiculously photogenic babies I have ever met.  I think he was born to appear in pictures.  Since I have some lingering remorse over the large gaps in my son's scrapbook, I was thrilled when my friend asked me to share information with her about digital scrapbooking.  I was so eager to share everything with her, I still am, and I think one of the greatest joys of this hobby has to lie in passing the love of it on to another person.  I am utterly beside myself with every page she makes, and with every conversation we have where she shares that she learned a new skill or discovered a new product.  In a way I'm jealous that she's getting such an early start, and that she has such a huge community of support and such a wide range of products and technology available to her.  However the flip side of that is that all of these things are also available to ME.  So what better way to smother my own regrets than to contribute my creativity to HER endeavor to preserve the little intricacies of her son's life?  Or my nieces?  Or my fellow scrappers' children?  Or their pets?  Their achievements?  Why stop at my stories when so many others have them to tell, too?  I create pages to preserve memories, but I also create because I love to do it.  I feel very blessed that I can take something that I love to do, and then do it for the people whom I love to LOVE - it's as fulfilling to me as $7 jeans.

{storyteller} peppermint

{staycation blogshop week 8}

Congrats to our Random Drawing Winner for Week 7 - ScrapEvangel aka Terrie! She wins a $10 GC to the WST Boutique.{mostly products from wearestorytellers}

Staycation Prompt #8 Download
How long has it been since you've read a book for pleasure? How about that perfect "beach read?" A beach read is one that is very easy, enteraining, yet hard to put down. This week's theme is to read that book you've been meaning to.  Myself, well, I have read more fiction this summer than I've read in at least four years, all thanks to Stephenie Meyer. I was proud of myself for reading "Eat, Pray, Love" last year, the first novel-type book I had picked up in years. But this year, everyone was talking about the Twilight series of books and then I got hooked!  I finished reading the first three books over the period of two months. Then I actually needed something to do yesterday in order to give my husband some space to get his work done, so I went out and bought the latest Stephenie Meyer book "Breaking Dawn" yesterday afternoon and read over 300 pages last night. I don't know what it is but these books are seriously addictive. In fact, I forgot all about today's blog post until I was ready to hit the sack at 1:30 am.

You might consider starting a book club for your friends' or better yet, for your children and their friends! Just google "how to start a book club" and you'll find lots of tips to get started.

My layout for this week is a hybrid layout featuring stamping. First I planned out where I wanted all my physical products to be on the layout, then I measured the space for the digi part. I did some fun stamping techniques by using a glue pad to make my stamp, then used Fun Flock on the arrow. For the journaling stamp, I used glitter. I used Stayz-on Ink for the photo corner. Hybrid layouts are most fun for me because I love using all my creative knowledge at once. It's a great challenge and I'm always up for a good challenge.

Here's my digi part featuring Marcie Reckinger's Backyard Superstar kit:

Here are inspiration from our storytellers for Prompt #8:

{storyteller} Tracie Radtke's Book: Marley & Me  {all products from wearestorytellers}

{storyteller} Trude's Books: Twilight Series, Elizabeth Peters Peabody Mysteries, & Lewis Black's Autobiography {all products from wearestorytellers}

{storyteller} Danielle's Book: 4 Blondes {all products from wearestorytellers}

Remember to share your hybrid project or digital layout for a chance at our Random Drawing Prize for Week 8! Due August 28, Midnight.  Download is above.

{writer's notebook} thinkING, writING, sharING

First, I wanted to share with you two layouts by crystalbella77, who is the random prize winner of our $10 {wst} gift card. She created two great layouts using the title prompts: one features a question and the other features a phrase taken from her journaling and slightly modified.

This week, I'm really feeling the press of time. Every day at work has involved 4+ hours of travel, in addition to staff meetings that have required so many hours of prep work, material distribution, and follow-up. It's one of those instances where I know I want to carve out some scrapping time (just for the therapy, you know?) but I know I don't have time to create elaborate layouts with extensive journaling.

That's where lists come in. I love lists. Not only are they necessary for my sanity (and that of my family - ha!), but they can really become powerful tools on a layout. A  list, of course, can be comprised of a variety of elements, but for real effectiveness, it's a great idea to use parallel construction. That's one of those grammar terms you probably haven't heard in years. Parallel construction simply means that the grammatical constructs in your sentence need to follow the same form.

For example, if you say, "We are going to swim, to play golf, and skiing on our vacation." you've constructed a sentence that just doesn't work. Your first two verbs are preceded by "to" but then you switch to a gerund (an -ing verb used as a noun) for the third item. With parallel construction, you make sure that all the verbs, for example, have the same form (swimming, golfing and skiing OR to swim, to play golf, and to ski) -- this creates rhythm and even a sense of repetition, which pleases the ear and the eye.

So let's practice creating lists and using parallel construction this week. If you've got a particularly action-filled photo, then create a list of -ing verbs that describe the action in the photo (laughing, jumping, swimming, playing, enjoying, etc). Or if there are a number of objects in your photos, perhaps you'll want to just create a list of nouns, naming those objects, for your journaling. Regardless of the approach you take, make sure to post your layouts in our gallery and then link us up in the forums this week. We'll be looking for your pages!

While you're at it, stop by the store and grab Marcie's fun new Bookfair kit too!