December Kit Design Team Reveal

Today we are taking a last look at the December kit design gallery as we say goodbye to 2009 and hello to 2010.

First we will start with out December Guest Designer, Jamie Harder who created this clean and graphic layout.
"Festival of Trees" by Jamie Harder


Next is this clean and graphic layout by Karen Grunberg. I love the pop of green she added with the Prima packaging.
"Playing Together" by Karen Grunberg


Next is this layout by Kat Glossop using the December sketch. I really love her interpretation here and the little cut out from the 7 Gypsies ephemera.
"All Mine" by Kat Glossop


This layout by Lucy Edson features a vintage picture of herself that she scanned and edited. I lie how she used he red as an accent color here.
"Your Future" by Lucy Edson

This layout by Rachel Hall is so sweet. I love the vintage lace she put around the edge of this round layout.
"Our Christmas Angel" by Rachel Hall


This bold and graphic layout is by Sasha Holloway. I love her layered circles.
"Cool Chick" by Sasha Holloway


I love the concept behind this next layout by Staci Taylor. Her title centered in the middle of all the journaling is really striking.
"My Promise" by Staci Taylor


And last but not least is this really pretty layout by Design Team Coordinator, Tonya Dirk. I love how the red takes center stage in this layout and the piece of the round die cut paper poking out of the top right corner.
"Beauty Aglow" by Tonya Dirk


You can see the rest of the design team projects in the Design Gallery here or pick up one of the few remaining December kits here. Have a happy and safe New Year!

Design Team Challenge with Staci Taylor

Hi everyone! My challenge to you is to incorporate transparencies into a layout. You can use a transparency as a background like I did on this layout:


Or you can use transparencies to back "windows" that you create on your layout like I did in these examples (the first one uses a patterned transparent paper):

Or you can use a transparency to create a layer on your page like I did on this layout:

The possibilities are endless when it comes to using transparencies, and I can't wait to see what you all come up with! Be sure to post your layout in this thread or link us up in the gallery so you can be included in a random drawing for a RAK that I will do at the end of this challenge.

Technique Tuesday with Leeann Pearce-AMM Member

This week we have a Technique Tuesday from an AMM Member, Leeann Pearce. Today she is going to show the quick steps she follows to make these custom denim embellishments.

How to make your own “Denim Cloud and Circle Buttons”

Step 1: Draw a cloud template and trace onto scrap of denim. Draw some circles too.

Step 2: Cut out the shapes. Now you have 2 options to stiffen the fabric:
1- Back shape with a smaller piece of cardstock
2- Give a couple of coats of a gel medium (but not the edges)

Step 3: Once shapes are dry from the medium, stamp a design using bubble wrap and paint.

Step 4: Use your Crop-a-dile and punch holes and set eyelets. Thread with wool and knot. Add detail stitches to the circle buttons using embroidery thread. Now just fray the edges using your fingers.


All finished - now just scrap a layout using your handmade denim buttons.


Here are some detail shots.

Thanks Leeann! These are really cute and a really affordable and green way to scrap. If you would like to see a technique of yours posted her on the blog to share with the AMM community be sure to email instructions and full color pictures to myself or Michelle.

Member Monday with Me-Jenn Findlay!

For this week's Layout of the Week I chose the layout below by Aphra Dee. I really loved the pop of blue with these darker colors and her little boy is just too handsome! Great layout Aphra!

"Naughty or Nice" by Aphra Dee

I sent Aphra, an A Million Memories newbie, a little interview to get to know her a little better, so read on.

1. How long have you been scrapping? What got you started? I started scrapping back in 2001 when my cousin invited me to a Creative Memories crop. I've been an addict ever since.
2. Where do you like to get your inspiration? I am inspired by so many things around me . . . the foyer decorations at Target, my sons' Christmas sweaters, online galleries and blogs, print ads. Whatever catches my eye!
3. What are some of your favorite techniques to use on a project? I love techniques and am always on the hunt for a new one. Right now, I like large embellishments with bright colors and a lot of texture.
4. Do you have any snacks you like to eat or tunes you like to have playing when you scrap? While scrapping I drink LOTS of coffee mixed with whatever flavor coffee creamer has been released for the season. My flavors this week are Peppermint Mocha and Eggnog. Mmmmm!!!
5. Do you have any other hobbies other than scrapping? Not really. When I'm not chasing my two boys and our mini-Daschund or hanging out with my husband, I'm scrapping. However, if Stephanie Meyer writes any new vampire novels, I'll make time to read.

Be sure to stop by Aphra's blog to say hi and check out the rest of her gallery here. You can also leave her some love on this post or directly on this layout here.

Little Something Sunday with Lucy Edson

Is there anything that says the Holidays more than snowflakes?

I took some of my scraps from the December Kit & my Martha Stewart snowflake punch to create this delicate garland. It's simple to stich it right up, too!

Just set your sewing machine with a straight stich & sew through each one, pulling the thread tails to add spacing between the snowflakes. Just try to keep it neat so the threads don't get tangled. And decorate it up for winter!

Happy Holidays!

January Kit Sneak!!

I cannot believe that January i just around the corner. Where ahs this year gone!? Below is a peek of the January kit which features brand new papers from Basic Grey's "Origins" line, Websters, Prima, American Crafts Thickers and more. January is going to be a very good month! You can preorder your kit here or better yet, sign up for a subscription so as not to miss one kit with all the awesome vintage finds Michelle always includes.



Thanks so much for having a look! Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!!!

December Guest Designer-Jamie Harder

Last month we held a guest designer contest and after many wonderful entries, the winner was selected. That winner was Jamie Harder, also known as "jj" on the boards, who lives in Canada. She only just received her kit this past weekend and created these two beautiful layouts. Have a look below.

"The Sweetest Kind of Love" by Jamie Harder


"Seriously Cute" by Jamie Harder


You can check out more of what the design team did with the December kit here. There are a few of the December kit left and you can get yours here. Stay tuned for more from Jamie.

Technique Tuesday with Sasha Holloway

How often do you find yourself with scraps of papers from layouts you have created and they either end up in a drawer or in the trash? Most people create cards, ATC's and or just do different types of mini albums or art journaling. Myself, I love to create mini things like 4x4 layouts and key chains for my kids to play with. I also use scraps as elements on a page. So here I have created a technique for you that will show you just how to utilize those little things in the cutest way possible.

1. You want to pretty much gather all of your small peices of papers that you have remaining and/or you can cut a few of your favorite pieces to form a mini layout. The size we are going to be working with today is 4x4.

2. Go ahead and have your pictures already printed. I took a photo that was naturally slanted in the way that it is due to the way the picture was taken and cropped. So I guess not so natural however it works for the size layout we are working with. But any wallet size photo will work as well.

3. Have your journaling also completed that you will use on your mini if you are not going to handwrite it.

4. I used the Martha Stewart Circle Cutter for all of my circles and either use the outer rims of them or the inner. For this layout we are using the solid cirlce that is FULL and putting that behind the photo that is layered. Once we do that, you will glue that all down, and as you see I use a hot glue gun on all my layouts. (Please note: I do not endorse it I just use it because that is what works for me).

5. At this point it is the layering portion that you can do anyway you choose and however fits your style. I am a freeballer and love little elements and cluster at times, so I chose to do this since we are working with such small space.

6. Ink the edges of your journaling so that it pops a litte more and glue it down per your choice.

7. Photograph the layout and you are done. I hope you enjoyed this simple little project and I cannot wait to see if you all try it.

Member Monday with Kat Glossop!

Welcome to a new week here on the blog , which also means a new Member Monday. This week's Layout of the Week was chosen by design team member, Kat Glossop who chose the layout below by Pearl also known as "paperfections" on the message boards. Kat said, "Pearl’s LO is stunning, the rolled back torn papers, the splash of paint underneath, and the way the photo “hangs” on the page, gorgeous!"

Read on to find out more about Pearl and this layout in this little interview.
1. This layout is gorgeous, so pretty, how long did it take you to do? Do you normally spend a lot of time on a LO? Thank you so much , Kat ! I think this layout probably took one and a half hours to complete. It was created for my DT work for 52sketches52weeks , so it was based on a sketch. I like to pride myself as a fast/speed scrapper so usually I spend not more than an hour on a layout ,if I can help it .

2. There's also a lot of little details there, do you plan out your pages, or just start sticking things down? I had a framework to work with for sure here , using a sketch, but it simply took its own life once I got started. I do tend to go a little shabby chic/ dimensional when working with Webster's Pages papers. Here the sketch I worked with did suggest a three block vertical design but since I wanted to keep to one main background paper , I used a cardstock sticker border to "break up" the background. When I realized the sticker strip was not 12" long , I simply tore into the background paper. Then I used the negative of that sticker as a border again and proceeded to fill up the space in the sticker with Q&Co dimensional pearl stickers. I have to say this was an accidental discovery which worked out well here. To "dress" up the torn paper a little, I added some Prima cadoodles in colors which worked well with the paper here.

3. Is that a painted circle I can see beneath the torn paper?? Your pages seem to be "vintage with a twist", how would you describe your style? To emphasize the torn paper frame further, I painted a shimmerz style paint that I made using a little Gold Perfect Pearl powder and mod podge! I love how the paint was thicker in some parts than others. Perhaps I should totally embrace this "vintage with a twist' style going forward into 2010 !
I love moving between different styles with each page that I create . It really depends on the papers, products and pictures that I have on hand to work with. However the style that I would probably most want to identity with is modern, funky vintage - as seen in the work of Rhonna Farrer or Melody Ross. I love using color and that is the one constant that is in all my work, no matter the style I use.

4. Is there anything you simply can't go without on your pages? Looking at my last 10 creations, it would have to be patterned paper, mists , bling (of some form) ;)

You can check out more of Pearl's inspiring gallery here.

Little Something Sunday with Karen Grunberg

Our dear Karen is back this Sunday to share with us some tips about lighting and photography. This could be a really big help with those holiday photos of say Christmas lights or trees. Just click play below!

Thanks so much for sharing with us Karen!

Our First Member Tutorial-With Meg Giroux!

Today is our first Member Tutorial, which comes from long time AMM member Meg Giroux.

Meg has been working on making some really beautiful winter and Christmas cards so I asked her to share one of her cards in a how-to here on the blog. So read on to find out her process for creating this card.

1) Cut your cardstock paper that is to be your base as 9 w x 5 1/2 h, attach a second piece that is 4 1/4 w x 5 1/4 h to the top.
You may distress it and ink it or just leave it plain, whichever way you are most comfortable with.


2)I cut a piece of lace to run along the bottom, you can use a border punch to do this or just simple ribbon if you like.


3)Cut a vintage image from an old card and attach it to the front of the card (glitter if you would like).


4) Attach your journaling to the card. I like to layer the letters to give the title depth.


Tada! You have now created a beautiful, unique Christmas card to give to a very special person! I would love to see all your creations when you are done. Please upload them to A Million Memories gallery and share with all of us. Happy Creating! Meg

Really cute card Meg and thanks for sharing. You can see more of Meg's cards in her gallery here. If you are interested in having a tutorial of yours featured here on our blog then email myself or Michelle. If your tutorial is featured you will receive a little thank you gift from Michelle.

Some AMM Happenings!

GIFT CERTIFICATES!
First up, did you know that A Million Memories sells gift cards? Yep! That's right! If you are looking for a last minute gift for a friend or are trying to drop hints to your significant other, tell him or her to come on over to AMM and pick up an e-gift card for you!

You can get one in $5 and $10 denominations. Just click here!

You know you are just going to have all the new CHA goods that will be debuting next month!

MEMBER TUTORIALS
The one thing that makes A Million Memories unique to other kit clubs is that the design team shares a lot of project instructions and technique instructions with the members here on the blog as well as in the Freebies Digital Downloads & Project Instructions forum on the boards. We really believe in sharing and encouraging one another to try new things and to be creative.

Now it's your turn! We are looking for you, the AMM members, to share your great tips, techniques, and tutorials with the AMM community here on our blog. If you have a great idea, a technique or a project for which you would like to share some instructions then simply email me or Michelle. Please include pictures as attachments and step by step written instructions. It could be something as grand as an altered item project or as simple as a card or quick technique.

Those that are chosen to be featured on our blog will receive a little thank you gift from Michelle!
We hope you will share your creative mojo with the rest of us!

Current Sale!
To help you save a little money and stock up before the end of the year A Million Memories is having a sale. We need to make room for all the fab new CHA product that will be debuting next month! So take 25% off your total order (excludes monthly kits) including sale items! You can't beat that!

Just enter 2525 at Check out. Just our way of saying Happy Holidays!

PLUS! U.S. orders over $10 will get $5 shipping! So take advantage now!

Alright, that's it from me on the updates. Stop by tomorrow to see the first of our Member Tutorials from Meg Giroux!

December Kit Reveal-The Sketch

Today we are taking a look at our designers' interpretations of our monthly sketch, a new feature to accompany the monthly kits. This month's sketch was designed by Stacy Cohen

December Kit Sketch


First up is this layout by Karen Grunberg. I love how she anchored the photos at the bottom and added so much journaling.
"Your Gift" by Karen Grunberg


Next is this beauty by Lucy Edson. I love the green seam binding that floats through her page and how she replaced a photo with the 7Gypsies ephemera.
"Little Lady" by Lucy Edson


Next is this super adorable layout from Rachel Hall. I love the half of a tree she used to divide the layout down the center and the really pretty layering.
"Trimming the Tree" by Rachel Hall


With this really unique interpretation is Staci Taylor. She grouped a bunch of wallet sized photos in the upper left corner, shifting the center of the layout. So creative.
"Babe With Style" by Staci Taylor


And last but not least is this beautiful layout of Tonya's daughter. I love how she balanced the picture with the cardstock and Jenni Bowlin rubon. And that picture is just to beautiful.
"Ponder" by Tonya Dirk

Check out the rest of the design team gallery here. If you are looking for more of the December you can still pick one up while there are a few left here. See you with a new sketch next month!

Design Team Challenge with Kat Glossop!

My first challenge! I'm going to keep this quite simple, being Christmas I'm sure everyone is super busy. I know I really should stop denying it's just around the corner and get some shopping done! So, for this challenge I'd like to see your pets! Past present, even future (been longing for a puppy??? scrap that!) Here's my take...

Looking forward to meeting your fur (or scale) babies. You have until the 26th, then I'll be drawing out a lucky name for a RAK.

Technique Tuesday with Kat Glossop

I was trying to think of something a little different to do with the adorable American Crafts frames from last month's kit. A friend was playing around with gesso, so I thought, why not!? And fiddled around until I came up with this.


First up I taped down the frames using a very small amount of double sidedtape, just so they wouldn't move too much.


I used a knife to spread the gesso over the frames, filling in all thecracks.


After leaving it for a few minutes, I used some pointed tweezers to pull the frames out.


And after leaving the gesso to dry over night, I sprayed the page with bluespray, wiping off extra paint with a paper towel.


I then doodled and embellished the page - it took a while, but was a lot of fun and I love how it turned out. Just remember to use cardboard as a base,paper is too thin and will curl!

Kat used the American Crafts chipboard frames from the November kit. Email Michelle if you are interested in this kit. I think there were just a couple left.

Member Monday with Lucy Edson

Welcome to a new and almost the last Layout of the Week for 2009. Today we have a layout chosen by Lucy Edson who chose Leeann Pierce's layout. "She Was Shy When She Was Four".


Lucy said, "Leeann's style is such a stand out with the multiple textures and handmade elements she adds, in this layout I loved her layered fringy border with the little flags and the multi photo grouping."


Read the little interview below to learn more about Leann and her style.

Lucy: I love your 'handmade freestyle' style. Do you come from a sewing background into scrapping? Tell us a bit about it.

Leeann: No, sorry no background in sewing, but I did do some in high school. I wasn’t very good at it… lol…. I begged my DH for a sewing machine so I could mend the girls' clothes. "Yeah right!" he said. So anyway I did get that machine and started to teach myself. Sometimes it’s the only way to learn by jumping in with your two feet first!!!! Now I think I’m pretty good only on paper but fabric is a different story. But I will get there and mend the kids clothes. Really I will. Just gotta finish this layout first…lol

Lucy: You use a lot of non-traditional supplies in your scrapping. What is the most extreme you have tried?

Leeann: oooooooh I am yet to fine that “extreme” object now. You have just set me a challenge Lucy!!!! I do often look at my floor…lol. Do you think DH would notice if I peel away a slab of wood grain vinyl...

Lucy: What products are your 'must haves'?

Leeann: Paint, black and white gel pens, “I heart buttons”, a scrap of fabric, sewing machine, anything spottie, circle punches and my Cro-a-dile. I have always been a believer in the quality of your scrapping tools. It’s worth spending a good amount of dollars on! I always look at a tool that can offer me multi functions too! I hate stuff that sit and collects dust!!!

Lucy: Do you spend a lot of time on your layouts? About how long?

Leeann: No because I have to scrap the next one that pops into my brain!!! Sometimes I get on a roll and will scrap 3 to 4 layouts at once. If something doesn’t work on that layout, I move it to the next one!!!! I know I have a lot of handmade stuff on my layouts and you all probably think that must take so long to do. “My secret is” ….. I have a basket of handmade goodies. Why make one when you can make ten. Then all you do is add it to your layout… job done! I also like to share my handmade stuff and will have giveaways and also do little a “How to” on my blog. I’m all about sharing. So to answer the question ……….lol an hour tops!!!!

Thanks, Leeann, for sharing a little of your creative process with us and your wonderful creations! You can check out more of Leann's work on her blog.