Christmas Challenge Sample

Here is my sample for the Christmas Challenge. I had a lot of fun with this one. I've been trying to develop my own style for grouping elements... I'm still working on it, but I'm very happy with this attempt.

Recipe Cards

My Recipe cards are finally in! These are from the sweet and savory swap at Scrap Witch. This is the first recipe swap I've participated in, and it definitely paid off. I'm looking forward to trying them out.

For those of you who aren't sure how a swap works: One party agrees to be the hostess, and each participant mails their entries to the hostess. The number of identical cards you must make depends on the number of participants. I made 12 sweet cards and eight savory cards. The hostess then divides the cards and sends one set to each participant. Heather at StormScraps was our lovely hostess for this swap, and a fine job she did too! Everyone did such a lovely job. I can't wait to get them all into an album! If you want to take a closer look, head on over to scrapwitch and check out the galleries.

What to look for in a glue runner...

One of the most important things I've learned about scrapping is never cheap-out on your adhesives. Poor quality adhesive can not only ruin the look of your page, but also usually fails after a few days.

If you are a glue stick user, open the lid and place some on your finger. If your finger slides smoothly across the surface, and doesn't leave big spiderwebs of glue from your finger to the stick, then chances are you have a good glue stick. While a cheap glue stick may do the job, those spiderwebs of glue will leave marks on your page and because your glue is slightly dry, may not adhere very well.

If the glue stick rolls on to your page and leaves lumps, chances are it's time for a replacement. Obviously, try to keep your glue stick capped as much as possible.

As for myself, I am a tape or glue runner user. I have tried many kinds from the cheapest, to the most expensive. Here are some things to watch for:

• Just like all your scrapping supplies, make sure it's acid free


• Look for the word PERMANENT on the label. Some glue runners are just meant for laying out your project before you permanantly stick things down. These will usually let go after a few hours. Some people swear by temporary glue... but I think it's a waste of time to stick things down twice!


• Don't be tempted just because it's a bargain. Go with the tried, tested and true method. Buy one and test it with your scraps. Glue different kinds of papers, cardstock, vellum, foil and what ever other materials you regularily use together to ensure that the adhesive sticks to all of your favourite products. I had to go back and redo some of my earlier layouts all over again because everything fell off. What a mess. There is nothing more frustrating than doing your LO twice.

My favourite brand is Scotch. It applies easily and smoothly. You can run it I've never had the tape rip, break, or tangle. There are many brands out there that are just as good though. So keep testing, and find one thats right for you. If you are going to invest money into anything, it should be a good adhesive.

Christmas Challenge

What makes you Joyful? It seems so many of us get the Christmas Blues, that we don't spend nearly enough time concentrating on what is important in our lives.

Challenge: Scrap a 12 x 12 page with a photo of yourself titled: What makes me Joyful. Obviously, there should be some journaling, and a Christmas theme, but other than that...No boundries!
Due Date: December 25th! Entries can be emailed here:jewels.scrapstash@gmail.com

Pretty Girl

Probably the most important thing I have learned since I started scrapping is NEVER BE AFRAID OF COLOUR! This LO is a sketch challenge that I completed for Scrap Witch in Oct. Normally I would have chosen something plain and boring... probably a dark green or navy... stuck on my buttons and been done with it. But just by changing my background paper to something with interest and lots of colour, the LO is much more exciting. Now to work on my photography...

Back in the blogging world

It's been a looong time, but I'm back. I've learned so much about scrapping in the past few months, I've been bursting to share my new ideas. Thus... the creation of a brand new blog. Scrap Stash will focus primarily on learning. Since we all have our own unique style, there is never a shortage of people to learn from.