But sometimes I just want to check out, to rest my mind and get lost in another world. Whereas non-fiction stirs me up with ideas and plans, fiction forces me to pause, focus, and finally relax.

Raise your hand if you need to relax, too.

So when Laura Childs asked me if I wanted to check out her latest book with Terrie Farley Moran, Crepe Factor, I didn’t hesitate. I’d read a previous book in her scrapbooking mystery series before, Gilt Trip, and reviewed it for Simple Scrapper.

I knew this cozy mystery would be the perfect romp to celebrate the end of another Refresh retreat.

This morning I found myself in Starbucks after dropping my daughter off at school. I just had to finish and find out who killed Martin Lash, even though I had plenty of work to do.

The book started off with a leisurely energy, but the pace really picked up as the eager and unpredictable heroine got herself into the thick of a murder investigation. She’s the scrapbooking world’s Veronica Mars, sans private investigator license.

“Carmela’s ears were still stinging from the tongue-lashing Babcock had given her last night. Her tummy was in turmoil. Not even a new shipment of handmade paper or the promise of new wax seals could lift her out of her nervous funk.”

The peppering of craft and food details gives the book a “she’s just like me” feel. Plus, having grown up outside of Houston, I was able to read the book with New Orleans accents and understand many of the local traditions mentioned.

Crepe Factor was a casual, fun read that kept me curious until the end.

Giveaway

I’ve got two hardback copies of Crepe Factor, signed by the author, to give away. To enter, leave a comment by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, October 11 sharing a recent fiction book you’ve enjoyed. This post will be updated with the winners, who will also be contacted directly.

The winners are #12 (Cathy) and #26 (Laura Smith).

The post Book Review & Giveaway: Crepe Factor by Laura Childs appeared first on Simple Scrapper.

You wouldn’t know it from the quality though.

+ + +

Right before Emily’s third birthday I had that typical panic. Another year had passed and what does my scrapbooking show for it? I’ve taken a lot of photos, but I’m in progress on so much.

Normally I’m totally OK with that, but this rapidly-approaching milestone had me searching for a simple solution. I wanted to feel caught up, even if I wasn’t.

So I decided it was time to finally try that cool new company, creating two 5.5.x5.5 Instagram photo books.

I love how this size is so holdable, perfect for big and small hands alike. Your images are printed on 100% post-consumer page stock with a matte finish. It’s eco-elegant.

In this size of book there are just a few page style options, but a limitation on choice makes it so easy to create. I put together my first book in less than 30 minutes.

I made two books, Emily at Age 1 and Emily at Age 2. I was able to import images directly from my Instagram account and select which ones I wanted to use.

I love the full bleed images the best and want to do a book with just those and lots of words. Swoon.

There are lots of options for photo books today, but Artifact Uprising gets simple right. So love that!

Photo Book Giveaway & Discount

Use the form below to enter for a chance to win a 5.5×5.5 Instagram photo book of your own. Upon entering, you’ll also receive a special discount on your next purchase at Artifact Uprising. Please enter by 11:59pm MDT on Sunday, September 28 to be eligible for the drawing. Note: Only residents of the lower 48 United States and Washington, DC are eligible.

The giveaway has closed. The winner is Carolyn Drumheller.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, but I paid for my books.

The post Simple Instagram Photo Books with Artifact Uprising appeared first on Simple Scrapper.

Prompts can make journaling so much easier. And really good prompts, they can make it feel like the words just spill out of you.

I believe in using tools to simplify scrapbooking, so I was excited when Angie Lucas asked if I would share her latest workshop at Big Picture Classes with you.

Quizapalooza is a 5-week interactive workshop that makes it simple to share meaningful stories in your scrapbooks, journals, and Project Life albums—or even via your blog or social media channels.

Angie has carefully curated more than 180 questions to help you capture fascinating tidbits about all areas of your life. Class begins this Thursday, September 18!

Free Sample Quizzes

Would you like a taste of Quizapalooza? Angie has a free set of five printable quizzes for you. Use these ideas to uncover story ideas for your next scrapbook layout.

Click here to download.

Workshop Giveaway

For a chance to win a seat in Quizapalooza with Angie Lucas, leave a comment on this post by 5pm CDT on Wednesday, September 17. One participant will be randomly selected and contacted directly with prize claim instructions. This post will also be updated with the winner’s name.

The giveaway has closed. The winner is #22, Carmelle Landreville.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you register using a link in this post, a portion of your payment supports the free content here at Simple Scrapper. If you are the winner and have already registered for Quizapalooza, your payment will be refunded.

The post Workshop Giveaway: Quizapalooza with Angie Lucas appeared first on Simple Scrapper.

Six winners will receive free registration for the event plus one grand prize winner will also receive a free year of membership at Simple Scrapper, a $168 retail value!

How to Participate

Step 1. RVSP to the contest’s Facebook* event.

Step 2. Upload a video or photo of your messy creative workspace (or your computer’s cluttered hard drive) directly to the event wall by 9am CT on Monday, September 8th.

A panel of judges will review the entries and select the winner most in need of clutter-busting to receive our grand prize. (Don’t stress about video quality.) Five additional participants will be randomly-selected to receive seats in the Stash Bash event. Winners will be announced at 1pm. Current members are eligible to participate.

The contest has ended. 

Congratulations to Tinka Rote, who won our grand prize.

The post Win a Year of Membership appeared first on Simple Scrapper.

When I was contacted by Minted, I knew this was a great opportunity to not only fill that spot but to share a beautifully simple product with you. (And there’s another special surprise below!)

I chose a beautiful abstract print by Yao Cheng of Columbus, Ohio that yes, coordinated with my albums.

What I love most is that you can have Minted frame your prints. If you’re like me, you might order a print from somewhere else and then it sits for months until you get around to framing it.

All I needed was a hammer and a nail to go from box to wall!

I ordered the standard level of print and framing. The quality was beautiful, so I can only imagine what the greater investment would offer! It came professionally framed with a gallery wire on the back.

Living in a small town in can be difficult to find wall art locally that I love. I’m no hipster, but am far from a traditionalist. I was excited to see so much artwork in my favorite styles – and from a trusted seller.

The only thing I wish was offered was matting service. I prefer the look of prints in a mat, but the option of a white frame is a nice substitute.

Did you know that Minted even has prints of this popular drawing from Studio Calico’s Matthew Taylor Wilson?

I will definitely shop at Minted again.

Stash Bash Sponsor Announcement

While the Stash Bash event would be fun all by itself, there will be some great prizes to sweeten the deal. In fact, Minted is giving one lucky participant $250 in artwork credit! Make to sure to watch for more Stash Bash sponsor announcements over the next two weeks.

Special Offer for Readers

If you can’t wait to get your hands on a piece of indie artwork from the Minted shop, for a limited time you can follow this link to get free shipping on any large-scale prints sized 18×24 and up. This offer is valid until 11:59pm PT on September 5, 2014.

Disclosure: I was provided an art print by Minted. Opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

The post Beautifully Simple Wall Art from Minted | Stash Bash Sponsor appeared first on Simple Scrapper.

In this post I’m sharing a peek into my album as well as a giveaway for your own INSTAX instant film camera. As a refresher, the only things I brought with me were a pen and a small adhesive roller.

I created the cover last, after returning home. On my last day, I took a photo from my friend’s balcony. I knew it would be the perfect image for the cover, along with a Kelly Purkey stamp and a Studio Calico geotag embellishment.

The pen I brought with me was a Pilot Frixion, a favorite scrapbooking pen when erasability is important. It’s not especially dark, but I loved how it facilitated anxiety-free journaling.

I treated this more like a photo journal than a traditional scrapbook, which also helped me focus on the basics of documenting my experiences and reactions. It was an intentionally casual project and I’m really happy with the result.

The main pocket area houses a variety of INSTAX prints that didn’t otherwise make it into the album. I took around 50 photos of the trip and there are 10 in the pocket. Most of these were either under- or over-exposed, or just weird.

I approached the design of each page from a very minimalist and again, casual, perspective. It was more about getting the photos, words, and a little bit of memorabilia in there than anything else.

I loved all the different page types in the daybook and how they provided nice homes from my photos and my journaling. I really tried to let go and journal everywhere I could. Really enjoyed that!

I did write quite a lot throughout this journal, but not just about what we were doing. The trip itself was fairly relaxed with some dinner, adventures, and a lot of packing for my friend’s big move.

I focused my journaling on our friendship over the past decade as well as stories about her life and parallels with mine. The project became as much about us as it was about the trip itself.

Note: I’m not sharing all of my pages as some are very personal and others are unfinished. I was actually surprised by how much you can get into the daybook. 

I dedicated the last third of the book entirely to our trip to the zoo. This was our biggest (and most exhausting) adventure as we ventured out on a very hot day. Thank goodness for trams and buses!

I was stoked when we spotted a photo book, but then realized we picked the one with the goofy frames. Seriously, I have done that so many times! We paid again and got a traditional photo strip too.

As the end of the album I included a menu from a winery I visited as well as the zoo map. I re-folded the map so that it could be adhered into the album and unfolded in the right orientation. (I’m so clever!)

Toting around an instant film camera added to the touristy fun of my trip. I think it helped me relax and get into the memory making more than I might have otherwise.

Find the FUJIFILM INSTAX on Facebook.

I found there was also a fun side effect of using the INSTAX Mini 8. Everywhere I went, I received comments and questions about it. Was it really instant film? How does it work? Where could they buy it?

One of my friends even bought one right after my trip – and then shared her INSTAX photos on Instagram. How meta!

Giveaway

I’m excited to be able to give away an INSTAX Mini 8 camera to a Simple Scrapper reader. To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this post by 11:59pm CDT on Tuesday, May 20, 2014.

The winner is… #54, Olinda who said:

love your journal!! awesome giveaway, thanks for the chance.

The winner will be contacted directly with prize claim instructions.

Disclosure: Fujifilm provided me with an INSTAX Mini 8 camera and film for my review, but all opinions are 100% my own. 

The post Instax Travel Journal + Giveaway appeared first on Simple Scrapper.

Stacy Julian and I have several things in common:

• We love to scrapbook and share our passion with others.
• We believe scrapbooking doesn’t have to be complicated .
• We know you can enjoy the process even more with support.

We also have a lot of differences. She’s an ENFP and I’m an INTJ. She’s right-brain dominant and I’m left. She follows inspiration and I follow lists. In The Art + Science of Scrapbooking we explore our how our unique traits impact the creative process, looking for growth opportunities along the way. If you’ve not yet registered, here’s a chance to join us on May 15 for free.

Prizes

3 randomly-selected winners will each receive a seat in the workshop that one student called “the absolutely very bestest class experience ever! EVER!!!”

How to Enter

Leave a comment on this post sharing what part of the creative process is most challenging for you to be eligible. Entries must be received by 11:59pm CDT on Wednesday, May 7, 2014.

The winners are…

#55, Tammy D. who said:

Just getting started! I have a terrible time settling on which pictures that I want to scrap as well as finding the “perfect” papers and embellishments!

#116, Margie V. who said:

The most challenging part for me is clean up! LOL!

#138, Tammy R. who said:

The hardest part for me is the layout design. I forget to leave room for a title or journaling. Sometimes I don’t leave room for embellishments or ephemera I really want to include. I like a really full page that still looks cohesive and not busy.

The winners will be contacted directly with prize claim instructions.

P.S. Have you listened to my podcast discussion with Stacy?

The post Giveaway: The Art + Science of Scrapbooking appeared first on Simple Scrapper.

Note: Elisha was one of the incredible contributors to the Everyday Storyteller books, which will be on sale for National Scrapbook Day!

You would never say to a master painter, “What a beautiful work of art—you must have a really nice brush.” It’s the same with photography. A nice camera makes it easier to take good photos, but it’s the photographer (that’s you!), not the tool, that will ultimately produce frame-worthy photos. All you need is a basic knowledge of the elements that work together to create memorable pictures. (Hint: it’s all about light and composition!)

Whether you want to take better everyday photos with that smartphone, or you have a nice new DSLR camera that you’re dabbling with, this interactive online workshop will put you on the path to better photos. In six weeks, you’ll learn to master the rules of composition, make the most of available light, and get more out of your equipment—no matter what kind of camera you’re using.

Would you like to feel more confident in your photo-taking abilities? To find beauty in everyday objects, and see attributes of people you’ve never noticed before? Photography 101 with Elisha Snow will teach you to look at light, shadow, shape, and color differently, and most importantly, to develop a passion for preserving the beauty that surrounds you.

Learn more and register here.

Workshop Giveaway

Leave a comment by 9am CST on Monday, April 21, 2014 for a chance to win a seat in Photography 101. One winner will be selected a random to join us in class.

The lucky winner is: #35… Jamie Leija, who said…

I would love a refresher! Thank you for the chance Jennifer!

The post Workshop Giveaway: Photography 101 with Elisha Snow appeared first on Simple Scrapper.

Thank you to all who entered the workshop giveaway from Big Picture Classes. Please join me in congratulating….

#51, Karen Freeman who said “This class looks superb. Thanks for the chance to win.”

The winner will be contacted directly with prize claim instructions. If you’re not the winner, you can still register to join Elise Blaha Cripe, Annette Haring, and Megan Anderson in Project Life Lessons.

The post Winner | Project Life Workshop Giveaway appeared first on Simple Scrapper.

The thing is, when you bring in new products and formats into the mix it can get a little confusing. You might be wondering how to feel more accomplished with your project or how to fit it into your other scrapbooking activities.

There’s a fun three-week workshop returning to Big Picture Classes (by popular demand) that can help: Project Life Lessons. And of course, I’ve got a giveaway so you have a chance to join for free!

You can set yourself up for memory-keeping success in Project Life Lessons. Three experts have teamed up to share tons of insider secrets for making the most of any Project Life project. Packed with videos, downloads, handouts, and beautiful layout examples, Project Life Lessons includes three times the content you’d find in a typical 3-week workshop.

Elise Blaha Cripe, Annette Haring, and Megan Anderson and will share their tried-and-true tips in the areas of photo management, storytelling, organization, assembly, and more. Whether your approach involves weekly spreads, monthly highlights, or something more custom, you can establish an effective working process that will help you make your albums a better reflection of who you really are and what matters most to you.

Giveaway

Leave a comment by 11:59pm CDT on Wednesday, March 19 for a chance to win a seat in Project Life Lessons. One entry will be randomly selected to receive free registration for the workshop or have her previous purchase refunded!

The post Project Life Workshop Giveaway appeared first on Simple Scrapper.