Reminder to all Crop Addict Blog Hop Participants...

Thank you for participating in Crop Addict's Social Media Blog Hop Event earlier this month.

We have a $5 electronic gift certificate waiting for you for participating. In order for you to receive the gift certificate you need to create a shop login, please follow this link to create your shop login so we can send your gift certificate.

Thanks!

Project 12: March 2011 Layout

Already got my March layout done even though the month isn't over yet. But, I knew this upcoming week was going to be pretty uneventful - other than scrapping every night! I pretty much copied this layout exactly...from the overall design down to the little tree and kite. I thought the whole concept of this sketch was fantastic and decided to utilize every bit. This was the first time I paper-pieced a kite for a layout, used my Sheltering Tree Gel-a-Tins stamp set and sanded freehand on Coredinations cardstock. I also like how the orange birds tie into the orange bowling balls in the focal photo. If you want to get involved in the Project 12 challenge, check it out here!

Project 12: February 2011 Layout

Another month of Project 12. I am having so much fun with this challenge and I have decided that I am definitely going back to complete this project at least back to 2008. I had fun with this month's sketch. At first I wasn't quite sure how to adapt the sketch to work with my photos but I think I still managed to keep the layout well-composed and follow the sketch even with a horizontal focal photo. I knew I wanted to use red as a primary color for February because of Valentine's Day but of course not one photo is actually from Valentine's Day. So I threw in some brown, green and variety of other colors to create this upbeat layout. If you aren't participating in Project 12, check it out here! It's never too late to start.

Go Green with Eco-Friendly Scrapbooking Products!

There are so many ways to "go green" and conserve in your scrapbooking - use your scraps, use found items from around the house, use packaging on your pages, etc. But did you know there are scrapbooking companies that are also getting into to the eco-friendly cause by producing papers from recycled materials? And Crop Addict has an entire section in the store devoted soley to these green papers! There's a variety of papers from manufacturers like Die Cuts With A View, Jillibean Soup and Sonburn Designs. Check out some of the layouts that I've created with some of these eco-friendly papers!

Need A Creative Boost?

So when you are stuck in a creative rut, what do you do? Some of us browse online galleries, flip through scrappy magazines or study sketches to inspire us. Well, have you ever thought of trying a new technique? Expanding your creative horizons by trying something new is a great way to get the mojo flowing. So, if you are looking for a new technique to try, check out the Crop Addict Totally Technique Forum. It is chock full of various techniques to try - from DIY flowers, to simple ways to add a finishing detail to your layout, to fun altered art projects, to photo editing tips. And to help you navigate the forum, we even have a technique index (updated monthly) for reference. Here are just a few of my favorite techniques you can find in the Totally Technique Forum...

Colorizing Parts of a Photo using Photoshop Elements (courtesy of croppycatter)

Paint Splatter Technique (courtesy of brandyseitz)

Fabric Flowers (courtesy of buzzkiss)

String Art (courtesy of "Yours Truly" aka daisymeh)

Have fun exploring the Totally Technique forum! Hopefully you'll find some new techniques to try or rediscover some old ones you haven't used in awhile. If you try one of the techniques in the forum, be sure to share your layout here, on the Crop Addict FaceBook page or in the Crop Addict gallery!

Check out the bright and cheery March Crop Addict kit!

Do you need a dose of Spring before the winter weather has officially ended? Well, pick up a Crop Addict March kit; it is such to brighten even the dreariest of days! The March Memorie smonthly scrapbook kit features bright, playful double sided papers from My Little Shoebox and Dream Street. It's ideal for Spring, kids, happy occasions, or just about any photo you have. Perfectly coordinating sheets of Bazzill cardstock come with this kit,including a sheet of dotted Swiss (embossed dots). A set of American Crafts Thickers, Carolee's Creations mini alphabet, monogram stickers, Prima Bloom, and goodies from Jenny Bowlin and Bella Blvd are just a few of the fun items in this kit. Flowers, jotters, photo corners, a clear stamp and ribbon have also been added. This whole kit can be your for only $41! Get yours from the Crop Addict Store now while supplies last!

A super fun kit add-on is also available! It includes two sets of My Little Shoebox overlays, a set of jumbo square snaps and enameled charms and sentiments from Making Memories. This added punch of cheer to the kit can be yours for only $14! Pick yours up in the Crop Addict Store today!

I had such a blast working with this kit. I was able to create seven layouts from this kit, kit option and a few sheets of extra cardstock - and five of the seven layouts are double-page spreads! I created three layouts highlighting special moments from last summer's Vegas vacation, a layout about an 80s-themed birthday party, a layout about a double-date over mojitos, a layout about seeing the Blue Man Group perform and a layout about a friend's bachelorette party. Check them all out below!

Crop Addict 5th Anniversary Blog Hop and Social Media Party!

Welcome to the Crop Addict 5th Anniversary Blog Hop and Social Media Party! To celebrate, we will be sharing lots of inspiration on our blogs, the FaceBook page, Twitter and our forum throughout the weekend. That’s right – the party starts at 6am PST on Friday, March 4th and goes through midnight PST on Sunday, March 6th. We hope you’ll join the fun all weekend long!

So here are the rules to our party. First, there is no limit to the number of entries you can receive into the prize drawing. Therefore, the more you visit all of our sites throughout the weekend and post comments, the more chances you have to win. But, only comments and posts made between 6am PST on Friday, March 4th and midnight PST on Sunday, March 6th count.

So here’s how you earn entries into the prize drawing…

1. Visit the Crop Addict blog and earn one entry for each comment you post there.
2. Visit our Design Team Member’s blogs and earn one entry for each Crop Addict-related blog post you comment on.

• Sophia Allison
• Sandi Johnson
• Monique Liedtke
• Debbie Schroeder
• Megan Smith
• Lisa Spiegel

3. Earn one entry if you become a fan of Crop Addict on FaceBook and post on our FaceBook page that you became a fan.
4. Get one additional entry each time you post on the Facebook Page.
5. Earn one entry if you start following us on Twitter.
6. Get one entry each time you tweet back on Twitter.
7. Get one more entry if you join the Crop Addict forum . To log in follow this link.
8. Get one more entry for each new topic you post on the Crop Addict forum.
9. Earn one entry for every product review in the Crop Addict shop. To log into the shop, follow this link. Please note that the shop has a separate log-in from the forum.
10. Earn one entry if you refer a friend to Crop Addict and they post in the refer-a-friend thread on the Crop Addict forum.

And the amazing prizes are as follows:

• A $5 gift certificate for everyone who plays. In order to receive the electronic gift certificate, you must setup a Crop Addict store account.
• Grand Prize - $100 worth of goodies (international winner will receive a $100 gift certificate)
• Second Prize - $50 worth of goodies (international winner will receive a $50 gift certificate)
• Third Prize - $25 worth of goodies (international winner will receive a $25 gift certificate)