Hi peas. I'm here today to share with you how I organize my photos... and more specifically how I organize and use my photos in relation to Project Life.

I use Lightroom for my photo organization.  Whenever I'm ready I import the photos from my SLR and my iPhone into Lightroom.  (I mix my SLR photos in with my iPhone photos)  I don't have a scheduled time when I do this... just whenever I think of it.  I import my photos into dated folders.  Lightroom does this for me automatically.  Photos from the current month just stay in their dated folders.  Dated folders from previous months go into Monthly folders (when I remember to make them and move them over).  I only store the current year of photos on my iMac.  Previous years are stored on an external harddrive.  I can easily access these in Lightroom when I need too (but obviously for Project Life I don't really need to).  

I add keywords when I remember so I can find things easier.

That's a quick overview of how I store them.  Now... how I use them for Project Life.

I'm pretty current with project life and can easily find which days I'm needing to pull photos from by looking in my Project Life planner.  I go through the photos in those seven folders and mark photos I like or think tell a story so that they go into the Quick Collections folder.  This folder doesn't move your pictures over or anything... it just places a copy of them in there.  Once I've gone through all the daily folders I can open the Quick Collection and see all the photos I've chosen in one glance.  From here I can "unclick" on the ones that I don't think will work, or just eliminate some due to space.

For this particular week (you can find a video of me putting this week together in the Project Life Video Series) I'm only dealing with three days so I don't have a lot of photos.

While I'm here I'm looking at my planner and memorabilia... marking photos down and narrowing things down and making adjustments in my template.  When this is all done I'll have the photos I need, a spot for memorabilia and maybe even a calendar and a week in review card.

From here I edit the images.  Usually I do this right in Lightroom and just brighten them up a bit. Sometimes I drag them into Photoshop and run some actions.  I usually leave iPhone photos alone because I've already edited them in my camera.

I like a border around my photos.  To do this I made some custom cropping measurements right in Lightroom.  I'll resize them with once click into either 2.75x3.75 or 3.75x5.75.  If I want it a square I'll just select 1x1.  This just really changes the ratio of the photo.  When I'm getting ready to print I'll have to enter the correct amount.

I print the photos I'm using for scrapbooking in Photoshop, but I print my photos for Project Life in Lightroom.  This is because I can drag in multiple photos and move and resize them all on as many pages as I want and with ease.  No layers. No new canvases.

I start dragging my photos into the "Print" section.  Here I can quickly add more pages, rotate, resize, and so on.  This is a HUGE timesaver for me.  HUGE!  

Once everything is good to go I hit print.  Usually I'll use three 8.5x11 sheets of photo paper for one week of Project Life.

A quick trip to my paper trimmer and I'm all ready to go.

I'm happy to say I've found a system that works for me.  I have it streamlined enough that getting ready to create a Project Life spread does not seem like a chore.

So, how about you?  How do you organize your photos?

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Stripes...we'll never grow weary of them.  If you like a class pattern you can reach for again and again, you'll love our selection of stripes:

Happy Friday, friends!

Today's edition of Get the Look is inspired by this digital page from Claudiaharvey; we can see why this page has so many views in our gallery!  We love the mix of framed and un-framed photos attached by clothespins alongside tickets, die cuts and accordian folded flowers.  One could easily create this look with the paper supplies we've pooled together here!

Spring Snapshot by Lexi Bridges

In our digital age, it's not often we handle actual strips of film, but we love to scrapbook with this motif as it represents something we hold very dear to us - our pictures!  Our focus in May is on photos and today we're talking about scrapping with filmstrips.  Here are some inspiring ways we're seeing this icon used and some ideas you can try for yourself.

- CREATE CONTRAST and PLAY WITH COLOR.  The weighty black design of a filmstrip makes the perfect bold contrast against the Springy colors we see in Lexi's page.  Contrast creates interest; experiment with different colors and patterns and have fun!

Proof by jennimoc

- DISPLAY A SERIES OF PHOTOS.  A filmstrip is a perfect solution when you can't narrow down the photos you want to scrap.  Jenni directs the attention of the viewer to one photo in a series by placing a die cut circle over it.

Project Life spread by lorybucaria

FILL IT IN WITH GOODIES.  A column of windows just begs to be filled with not only your photos, but stamping, word stickers and other favorite embellishments.  (We actually see filmstrips used this way in many of the examples in today's post.)  We love how Lory incorporated it in her Project Life spread.

In Spr(i)ng by ankekramer

USE IT AS A BORDER The long rectangular shape naturally makes a great line element on a page.  Ankekramer uses it to anchor her photo and embellishments.

Vacation Diaries by Nancy Damiano

LAYER WITH A FILMSTRIP Nancy splits the strip in half and uses it to bridge the sides of her double-page spread.  She's placed it over top of two larger photos, tucked a miniature photo inside, and finally, layered her title over top of it.

Eyebrow Lift Gene by Jill Sprott

REPEAT IT Why not add another when the first one was so fun?  Jill Sprott uses the design principle of repetition to document her daughter's unique talent; not only is this approach pleasing to the eye, but it gives you more opportunities to play with your supplies as you fill in each "window."

Bring on the Sun by Laura ODonnell

Autumn Bliss by helpmeronda

 SET THE SCENE. Fill in your filmstrip with landscape photos or embellishments depicting the "where" in your story like we see in the card above by Laura ODonnell and the seasonal page by helpmeronda.

Ready to add a filmstrip to your next project?  Browse our hand-picked filmstrip favorites here:

Have you used a filmstrip in a project? We'd love to see!  Have a happy Tuesday, friends.

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See more on our May focus of photos by checking out our May Garden Girl project release and our inspiration board on Pinterest.  Play along with this theme for yourself by using the hashtag #2Peasfocusonphotos on Twitter and Instagram for your chance to win a generous prize pack (details here).  Have fun!

We hope you all enjoyed playing along in our National Scrapbook Day challenges!  Congrats to all the winners:

Challenge #1: Focus on Photos - momm

Challenge #2: Member-based sketch - passion4scrappin

Challenge #3: Use 5 tools - ashleyhorton010675

Challenge #4: Member-based color combo - danibuttons3000

Challenge #5: Down with the downloads - shopgirlaudi

Challenge #6: Scrap this list - janetm

Challenge #7: Be Inspired by a Garden Girl - sunshinestate

Challenge #8: Be Inspired by YOU - lonr

Challenge #9: Use the NSD freebie - supertoni

Challenge #10: Refer to your bookmarks or pins - frootfoot

If you're looking for our Pinterest challenge winner, check out the thread here!

Please ensure the address in your Two Peas account is up to date as we will be sending prizes midweek this week.  Thanks again for playing along!

Hello everyone, it´s Janna here. In May, Two Peas in a Bucket is focussing on photos. Therefore I would like to share a short video about my Instagram related photo editing process today. I have a rather strict routine how I am editing my photos - there might be better and/or easier ways, but maybe this helps you a bit with editing your photos :)

You might already know that I am a huge (huuuge) fan of Instagram - for me, it is the best social media tool ever. Why? Because it allows you to get in contact with other (crafty) people very fast and to see snippets of their daily life (you know this saying .. I am not curious, I just like being well informed?! *hehe*). All joking aside, for me it feels as if I get to know people better and it is a great way to share my passion for scrapbooking with crafty people from all around the world.

Here are the links to the photo apps I am using:
Snapseed - free
Pic.Tap.Go. - 0.99$
Instagram - free
Picfx - 1.99$
PicFrame - 0.99$
Whitagram - free

...and what I also love about Instagram is that it encourages me to take more photos. There are lots of great photo challenges on Instagram - photo a day, for example, where you have a theme for each day of the month. This does not only let you take more photos, but to see the world around you with different eyes. Furthermore I am using a lot of my Instagram photos on layouts, please click here to see some of them in my Garden Girl gallery.

I would love to know which apps you are using to edit your photos - do you have any favourites? Any editing apps you can´t live without?
And did Instagram (or any other photo sharing program) increase your scrapbooking?

Have a great day, everyone - wherever you are!
Janna
xo

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

If you like sand beneath your toes and starry skies above you, the summer collection "Atlantic" from Studio Calico is for you.  Trendy anchors and constellations are paired with timeless stars and hearts, while unique patterns show off the fresh color palette of salmon, navy, yellow and aqua.

Blinksoflife shows us how she put this collection to work on her layout Love Laugh Live:

Browse the collection here, and see all that's new in the Two Peas store from here.  Don't forget our stamp sale is this week only, and our NSD challenges are open through Sunday night.  Have a happy, crafty Saturday. :)

Cursive and doodles, script and handwritten accents - we're seeing this trend more and more.  If we can't achieve this look on our own, the pens of artists and designers have done the work for us!

Wilna uses this print from Studio Calico's Sundrifter line as a focal point for her page, reinforcing the story of how her daughter loves to have fun, while Jen Kinkade uses it to help document her love for creating:

In American Craft's My Girl line we see not only sweet kittens and rainbows, but a happy handwritten font.  You'll notice some of the letters are filled in with color, adding to its whimsical design:

Here we see these designs are not just for younger subjects, but for anyone who is drawn to a feminine color palette and style like this Project Life spread by geekgalz. 

Jen Chapin mixes the pre-designed handwritten elements with a die cut, letter stickers, and her own handwriting:

This paper from Maggie Holmes for Crate Paper has been a favorite to many:

A 6x6 page from a paper pad makes the perfect photo mat on this layout by Nary:

Another way to pull in this look is with the use of stamps.  Ali Edwards uses her handwriting in the design of her stamps manufactured by Technique Tuesday.

Here Ali has used the cling stamps to create her own patterned paper.  She's used a darker shade of ink to make her design tone-on-tone, thus keeping the focus on her photo and journaling card.

Are you comfortable with a pen in your hand and want to try this look on your own?  Be inspired by Paperiliitin who created a bold and daring background on her page:

Are you a fan of this trend?  Browse this look and other typography-focused products here!

Also, don't miss our stamp sale happening now!

Our latest member spotlight is all about a scrapbooker who continues to wow us with every layout she shares: Magnette!  Her compositions are always different and interesting, and her attention to detail is inspiring!  Here are just a handful of pages that make us want to drop everything and scrapbook:

Summer Time

This is Us

Delight

The Story

Best Cheesecake Ever

Check out her gallery at Two Peas here, and find her blog here.  Thanks for sharing your work with us, Magnette!

Any Mad Men followers out there?  The popular television drama series set in 1960's New York follows the life of creative director, Don Draper, working for an ad agency off Madison Avenue, as well as the lives of the people in and out of his workplace.  The show's styling and costuming are partly why a few of us here at the Two Peas office enjoy it!  If you like the show too, and are drawn to a retro 60's style, check out these products we have in the store:

Brand new to the store is Basic Grey's Hipster collection.  It combines a masculine color palette with all kinds of fun patterns that have a retro vibe, mixed with playful accents like casette tapes and mustaches.

October Afternoon's 9 to 5 collection looks as though their designers were watching this show while creating it!  And good news - many of these pieces we have on sale right now, some at 50% off.

Here's a look at a mini album Two Peas member jskahn created using this line:

And finally, Glitz Design's Cashmere Dame has bits and pieces you'll love if you enjoy this style.  It too is on sale now.

Check out how Two Peas member Gogo put this collection to work in a mini album here.

That's a wrap for today! Have a great Wednesday. :)

In April there was a lot of talk and chatter about our digital store and news.  All of the last minute final decisions and perfecting of designs.  There was preparation for National Scrapbook Day.  And there was a fun project night with the girls where we worked on our own Project Life albums, collage journals, mini books and more.  Oh, and there was snacking.  Lots of snacking.  

Thanks to everyone who entered our class challenges in April; we love seeing what you do after watching our videos!  Here are the winners of a $10 gift certificate to Two Peas!

213 in 2013: Using bokeh by mcintyam

In the Mood to Scrap: Use handwriting on a layout by mstangr

Adventures of Glitter Girl: Stamp your background by jojosowerby

Scrap Your Stash: Use washi, letter stickers & patterned paper by joannew

Seeing Double: Use folders on a page by janetm

Project Life: Incorporate mask/misting in your Project Life by mollyfrances

And our Trendy Trios prize pack winner: Using gold on a project by cristinac

Interested in playing along with our challenges?  Just play along with any of our video classes here, upload your project and check the challenge checkbox on Step 4 of the upload process.  You'll earn a badge to your profile and automatically be entered to win!

Congrats to Khartwell, you are the winner of our Tool School workshop with Jen Gallacher.  We'll get you access to the class shortly; you'll receive an email welcoming you to the class:

Hi there,

Today I am going to show you how I go about creating a project. I am a teacher by day and have 4 kids at home and if I want to get some scrapbooking done in between preparing lessons, correctings tests and taking care of my kids, I need to plan! I am a HUGE planner. I have planner and calenders all over the house. Planning has also helped me on a creative level. I am more creative because all my ideas are in one place and I have everything ready to go.

Here is the inside of one of my scrapbooking journals. I created it with a layout in mind and when I had some time on my hands I could start working on it immediately.

Sometimes I don't use everything that is noted down but that isn't a big deal. This double spread just helps me get started and then I take it from there. What I love about this process is that if I write a new technique down or a new product I'll be more inclined to use it. Here is the finished layout.

I thought I'd also give you a peek of my scrapbook nook. I have an office space where I work for school and there is a nook where I scrapbook. It will change in two or three years when we redo the whole office space but I really love working there. I have everything at hand's reach which is awesome.You might have noticed that abundance of Swedish furniture ;) and the big pile of layouts that need to be put into albums. It is a fun place to create! 

I hope showing you how I create has given you some ideas and I'd love you hear how you go about creating your projects. Have a fabulous day.

Lilith

We're live!  Join in all the fun from here.

Challenge #1: Focus On Photos

Challenge #2: Member-Based Sketch

Challenge #3: Your Scrappy Tool Belt

Challenge #4: Member-Based Color Combo

Challenge #5: Down with Downloads

Challenge #6: Scrap With This List

Challenge #7: Be Inspired by a Garden Girl

Challenge #8: Be Inspired by YOU!

Challenge #9: Use the NSD Freebie

Challenge #10: Refer to Your Bookmarks (or Pins)

We hope these challenges help fuel your creativity today and this next week!  Just click each challenge for details; you'll be entered to win a generous prize package from the Two Peas warehouse, as well as earn a badge for your Two Peas profile!

Join us this Saturday for one of our favorite days of the year - National Scrapbook Day! The Garden Girls will be hosting chats on the General Scrappin' forum. We've prepared challenges with plenty of opportunities to win prizes. We've got a special sale for you and a series of inspiring Garden Girl projects to share! Find everything from the Classes & Events section beginning at 8 am CST Saturday morning. And finally, collect some shiny badges for your Two Peas profile. 

Here's the chat schedule (all times are Central time): 

9 am Chat with Melissa + Paige 
2 pm Chat with Nancy, Wilna + Lilith 
7 pm Chat with Marcy + Lexi 

See you then! 

p.s. Not able to join us that day? Our challenges will be open all week, and our Spring Clearance will still be going! ;)

You may have noticed there is a new face in the Garden.  We're so pleased to introduce you to the newest of our design team members: Michelle De Leon!  We know you're going to love the dreamy quality to her work, not to mention her gorgeous photography. Here is a little about Michelle:

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About me: My name is Michelle De Leon and I'm  from Alberta, Canada. Recently, I was accepted into a Master's program for Speech-Language Pathology, and I'll be starting in the fall. I discovered the scrapbooking world last year, and I'm so happy to have found a hobby that allows me to be creative while documenting memories!

About my family: I am not married and I do not have kids yet. My boyfriend is finishing up his Master's degree in engineering in a different province, so we've been doing long distance for a few years now. His passion and skill in photography is always an inspiration to me! I also have two pet cockatiels, one of which I've had since third grade.

About my style: This is a tough one to answer! I am still finding out what I like and what works for me, but I tend to go for a feminine, dreamy look. 

My top 5 papercrafting essentials: I think the answer to this question changes from time to time, but right now I'm really enjoying vellum, sequins, badges, neutral patterned paper for backgrounds, and gold mist.

On any given day you might find me: studying during the school year, working during the summer, volunteering, or enjoying low-key quality time with the important people in my life :)

Michelle's first page went up in the Garden with our May release and can be found here.  We love what she did with this topic.  You'll also want to watch for her first video in our Seeing Double series later this month.

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It's so great to learn more about you, Michelle!  Again, welcome!!

You can follow Michelle on her blog, Instagram and on Pinterest.

 

For months we've been brainstorming, sketching, and perfecting the new Two Peas digital.  We've partnered with talented artists and have even created many of the designs you see in-house! We're excited to finally reveal what we've been working hard to bring you. Introducing new printables and cut files:

Each month we'll reveal a new batch of products that coordinate with our theme!  The theme this month is 'Focus On Photos,' with an emphasis on photos-on-the-go like polaroids, instax, etc. You'll want to hurry and scoop these up; our themed designs are limited releases, available just for the month. These are indicated with the "May only" banner in the corner. A few examples:

These are just a handful of the releases; check out the rest of the kits, including our freebies and popular photo action kits, here!

Happy May Day, scrappers! A fresh month means a new batch of projects from the Garden Girls.  This month our focus in the Garden and in the store is on photos!  See how the Garden Girls are using photo-inspired products, as well as what creative things they've done with photos on our Pinterest board here (you may just spy a new face in the Garden as well!).  Check out our inspiration for this topic here.

Sources: 1, 2, & 3

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest, as well as sign up for our newsletters to see more of how we're inspired by photos this month. Play along with us this month by tagging us on your favorite social media platform and using the hashtag #2peasfocusonphotos for your chance to win this prize pack:

We hope you enjoy this month's theme as much as we are!

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Congrats to sassiescrapper - you are last month's hashtag winner!  Thansk for playing along; the prize will be sent to the address in your Two Peas account shortly.

Designer and Garden Girl Jen Gallacher is back with another workshop!  We're so pleased to have her teaching for us again.  Not only does Jen have years of experience as a designer, but as a professional in the industry, she also wears the hat of editor, writer, and blogger.  This experience, combined with her passion for teaching and the amazing projects she has to share, is why we're so thrilled to bring you Tool School!  

Here is a little about the class.  Don't miss entering the giveaway!

We all have them: punches, die cut machines, die cut shapes, and even our most basic tools. And while some of these tools get more use than others, some get completely neglected. Garden Girl Jen Gallacher comes to the rescue with this workshop designed to help you use your tools in creative new ways. The "Tool School" workshop includes over 100 creative ideas for using your tools. (Some basic knowledge of how to use a digital die cut machine, a manual die cut machine, and paper punching are required.)

In addition to the 37 page PDF, Jen has incorporated many of the techniques in each chapter video (120 minutes of video!). Learn how to die cut a shape from Washi Tape. Punch and layer two of the same photo. Hand stitch an embossed pattern. Or staple ribbon to your page. There are so many techniques to choose from! Each video also includes a full start-to-finish layout so you can see how Jen approaches designing with tools into her design process.

Samples include 12x12" and 8 1/2" x 11" layouts and feature seasonal celebrations, family outings, and special memories.

Whether you're looking to purchase and use new tools, or whether you're looking to stretch your tool supplies even further, this fun and exciting workshop will give you plenty of ideas to choose from. Lessons can be completed at your own pace. A private message board forum is also available to ask questions of both Jen and to connect with other participants.  Join in on the fun!

Cost of Class: $12 | Buy now!

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We're giving away a spot to Jen's class!  Just leave a comment below with your Two Peas username letting us know why you'd love to take Tool School.  We'll draw a winner a week from today and announce it here on the blog!

Congrats to Moyle - you are the winner of our blog hop gift certificate winner!  We will get in touch with your shortly on how to claim your credit.  Thanks for hopping everyone!

Hey Peas! Lexi here today to give you a little tour of my scrap space. Some Peas mentioned in a CHA chat that a video tour would be fun so I decided to bring that to you today. Some background info on the room: Until 1.5 months ago I was scrapping on a concrete floor in the world's messiest scrap/storage room. "Hoarders" would not be proud. Or maybe they would. Anyway, it wasn't pretty. We turned our john deere room (an extra room in your basement to drive in your lawnmower for anyone not in the midwest) into a new space for me to scrap and teach. (I homeschool part of the week.) The room had concrete floors, part concrete walls/part unfinished walls, no light to the outside world and an unfinished ceiling.

 Not pretty. I've only been in this space about 6 weeks, but the remodel was well worth it!

And some pictures to go with the video

Lest you think, "Wow. That girl has got it together!" Let's be real- that video is a serious illusion. It took me an entire day to get it to videoing standards.  My room is never, EVER this clean. Ever. On a good day it looks like this

and usually it looks much, much worse. And that's with the floor covered in junk, too. Just keeping it real ;)

Thanks for joining me today and taking a look into my room! Let me know if you have any questions. I would be happy to answer them.  Have a great day! - Lexi

Hello Peas!  Celine here with a fun tutorial to get you out of your confort zone! I have come up with a fun and easy (you’ll see) tutorial for you – I hope this will inspire you and I’m looking forward to seeing what you come up with !

Let’s start!

 First of all, choose the patterned papers you would like to work with. Choose a busy patterned paper for the main background and a ledger one or clear one to mist.

Choose your favorite mists or, at least, the ones that match your patterned papers. If you don’t have lots of mists, then pick the ones you would like to work with and match your patterned papers according to your mists colors.

Now you have to mist ! Don’t be scared, everything is going to be alright ! Try to mist not too close (you’ll get a small circle spot) and not too far (you’ll mist all over the place BUT your layout) : try to mist from at least 8 to 10 inches from your background.

Now mist 3-4 times on your background.

Repeat the same step with different colors, without cleaning the mask, and on different spots on your background.

Now, instead of cleaning your mask, use it as a stamp and clean it on your background! You’ll get amazing, unexpected designs!

 How cool it looks now!

Now your background is ready to be scrapbooked.  Pick a few embellishments you really like, print your pictures and have fun!

Supplies list : Maggie Holmes 12x12 Paper Pad ; Studio Calico Sundrifter First Kiss Mr Huey ; Studio Calico Sundrifter Splash Mr Huey ; Studio Calico Here & There Desert Mr Huey ; Studio Calico Snippets Circles Mask ; Studio Calico Here & There V Mask ; Dear Lizzy 5th & Frolic Accents & Phrases w/ Foil Stickers ; Dear Lizzy 5th & Frolic Die cut Shapes ; Basic Grey Knee Highs & Bows Ties Wooden Flags ; Glitz Design Love you Madly Whatnots ; Glitz Design Love you Madly Giant Rhinestones.

This week: 1) Lilith challenges you to use a grid design, journaling cards, 2 photos and/or pile on the stars. 2) Wilna draws inspiration from her moodboard and puts rub-ons and gesso to work 3) Glitter Girl creates 2 pages from 1 kit 4) Jen plays with washi, paper & letter stickers 5) Jen Gallacher teaches ideas for incorporating clear pieces into your projects 6) Amy Tan mixes manufacturers and gets artsy with her Project Life spread

Also, don't miss the current deals we have going!

25% off Evalicious Stamps - This week only!

Free paper gift with purchase of $10 or more in My Mind's Eye product

As we near the end of our color month focus, we thought we'd give you one last post with inspiration for pulling color in your projects!

1. Check out this helpful color wheel guide by Erica Hernandez from the archives of our Garden section.

2. Try working with a color family like neutrals, brights, pastels, and primaries.  Here's what the Garden Girls did with color families for this month's theme:

Using brights by Melissa Stinson

Using brights by Shannon Tidwell

Using brights by Elizabeth Kartchner

Using pastels by Jen Kinkade

Using pastels by Amy Tan

Using neutrals with Janna Werner

Using neutrals with Lexi Bridges

3.  Be a student of color and take a workshop.  Through the Kaleidescope by Amy Heller is completely focused on this subject.  Amy is an expert on the topic and has a background in art direction.

Art Class by Wilna Furstenberg.  It was released earlier this year and can still be found in our Hot Products section with 30 perfect ratings.  Wilna encourages you to experiment and play; there's an artist in you and she is your biggest cheerleader.  Color is such an important tool for an artist, and Wilna does not disappoint.

Start Here by Lisa Truesdell.  In this mini $12 workshop, you'll get an entire chapter dedicated to being inspired by color.  A perfect choice if you're budget is tight, but you're itching to learn and in need of some motivation.

We hope you feel more equipped to pull together just the right colors to record your memories!

Source: 1 & 2

Blues and purples; the colors of blue skies and sweet lilacs. The last hues we'll be admiring as we near the end of our month of color.  Here's how the Garden Girls used them:

Blue Skies by Kristina Nicolai-White

Kristina plays with a gradient of aqua blue by handcutting arrowheads.  This big-impact design not only leads your eye to her focal point, but imitates the sky in her photo. Brads, wood veneer and tiny arrows make the page complete.

St. Thomas by Nancy Damiano

Nancy pooled together her supplies in blue and filled each oval in her die-cut background with bits of fun.  Notice she's used her enlarged photo almost like another piece of paper; it is the foundation for her title, another photo and additional accents.

Hello Today by Céline Navarro

Céline uses a complimentary color scheme by bringing in bits of gold and yellow to balance her use of purple.  We love the variety of patterns and the neutrals mixed in here.

Bring these cool hues into your own projects!  Is your stash a little bare in this area of the color wheel?  Browse our selection here.

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Check out our Color Inspiration Pinterest board, this month's featured selection, ourInstagram feed and our most recent Garden Girl project release for more on the subject of color.  Play along with us this month and tag #2peascolorfulworld on your favorite social media platform for a chance to win big (details here)

If you like classic navy paired with lemon yellow, teal and kelly green, and if you enjoy a preppy chic style, you'll love the new Oxford Lane collection from My Mind's Eye. Oxford Lane is one of two color families and lines under the larger collection umbrella of Kate & Co.  Here's a look at some of our favorite patterns and designs:

Browse the entire line here, and be sure to check out its sister line with a different color scheme, Cambridge Court.

For the March Garden Girl Gallery the theme was SHAPE UP YOUR SCRAPBOOKING and I (Paige Evans) had so much fun turning the most simple of shapes - the circle - into a fun and detailed focal point on my layout!

Here's how they came to be:

1) Gather your supplies: I chose the My Girl line by American Crafts, a 2 1/8" circle punch, and a ruler that is about 1" wide.

 2) Start punching circles from the patterned paper. It definitely helps to have double-sided papers because both sides will be seen!

 3) Admire your collection of circles!

4) Take a ruler that is about 1" wide and place it in the center of a circle. Bend up the exposed sides of the circle over the ruler. Remove the ruler then press and crease the folded edges. You can either glue the edges down, stitch them down, or leave them popped up a bit for dimension!

 5) Line up the pieces side-by-side in a row.

6) For the next row, tuck the pieces over then under (then repeat) the bottom edge of the first row.

 7) Now you've made a happy and fun border for your layouts, cards, and projects!

 If you get a chance to make a project using this circles technique, I'd love to see, so make sure to leave a comment with a link to your project below! THANKS! - Paige

We admire them on our tables and on pretty patterned paper, but we've seen discussions on the forum, "I'm stuck. What do you do with mason jars?"  Well, today we've rounded up 10 clever and inspiring ideas.  Here's how we've seen this motif show up in our paper projects and in the Two Peas member gallery:

Mini album by suzyplant

1. Fill in your jar with journaling.  List the treats or recipes you love. Your journaling doesn't even have to be food-related; a list of favorite things works too!

Happy Birthday by Jill Sprott

2. See how far you can stretch this supply by altering it.  You don't have to simply stamp or stick it down and call it done. Jill placed a number inside and added a bow.  Then, she stitched lines coming out of it and placed dimensional circles on the end.  Look to your other embellishments for clues on how you can do this; I'm willing to bet Jill's idea stemmed from the birthday balloons on the left. 

Love by mpcapistran

3. Repeat the motif.  Repetition is a design principle that will work every time.  Don't be afraid of overlapping them. Try creating a border like the one above or even a grid design with multiple jars. Mpcapistran's journaling reflects on how love cannot be measured; how appropriate then that the paints, hearts and butterflies are not contained within the jars but are floating out of them.

Just Peachy by stwing2

The Good Stuff by Jill Sprott

4. Use it literally!  If you have a layout about canning or cooking in the kitchen, consider using this as an embellishment.

Farm Girl Mini Album by shellyemcdaniel

5. Use its shape as a base for a mini album.  Shelly's cute country style shone through in this project using October Afternoon's Farm Girl collection.

If I Could Bottle Your Love by KJ Starre

6. Fill the jar with stuff!  We've seen such great ideas from the Peas including confetti, sequins, lightning bugs, stars, hearts, stamps or a combination of various shapes like the layout above.  Shannon Tidwell did an entire video tutorial on using glitter with stamped jars here.

Flower in a Jar by sweetpea778

7. Use the jar as a paper "vase." Create your own flowers like this one or use premade embellishmetns and designs like die cuts, stickers, stamps or florals. Pressed and dried flowers would be neat too!

Ladybug Hello Card by msdixie

8. Create a scene within a jar.  Try stamping, doodling or even using rubons. A winter scene with snow would be beautiful.

Sometimes by SJ

Jar of Memories by cdheeren

9. Use jars as a frame for photos.  They make the most unique homes for photos.

Gift tags by lintsi

Vintage flower jar tags by mypapercrafting

10. Create unique gift tags!  They make a stand-out embellishment to a gift or package.

Inspired to try this for yourself? Browse some of our favorite mason jar designs here!

Welcome to another Gardeners' Digest, our monthly blog hop with the Garden Girls!  Each stop along the way will share sneaks, favorite products, current inspiration and more.  Scroll down for our special giveaway!

When we shared sneaks we asked if you had guesses on next month's theme.  You were right! We're focusing on photos.  Look out for a new batch of projects from the Garden Girls following this theme on May 1st in the Design Team Garden.

We are inspired by the way diturner lifted Céline's tutorial on putting together a two page spread.  We love the way she made it her own and her use of complimentary colors.

1) Wide washi tape 2) New My Minds Eye stamps 3) New Kate & Co collection 4) New Up and Away collection 5) Arrow clips

Would you like to win a $10 gift certificate to Two Peas? Leave a comment if so!  Just mention your Two Peas username with a comment saying what you would spend it on for your chance.  We'll draw and announce a winner a week from today, the 29th.  Good luck!

Next on the hop is Céline Navarro!  Here's a list of the Garden Girls blogging this month:

Céline Navarro

Melissa Stinson

Lilith Eeckels

Amy Tan

Marcy Penner

Lisa Dickinson

Corrie Jones

Jill Sprott

Lexi Bridges

Wilna Furstenberg

Jen Gallacher

Paige Evans

Julie Campbell

Jennifer Kinkade

Laura Craigie

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6

If you like a pattern that can span all styles from playful and childlike to sweet and chic, you will like our polka dot selection.  We find it one of the most irrestitable patterns.

Browse some of our favorite polka dot supplies here!

Sources: 1 & 2

Green.  It's such an easy color to like; we see it in nature, in Spring fashion, and in our papercrafting supplies!  We love its many tones and shades like mint and emerald green (the Pantone color of the year).  Here is how the Garden Girls infused this much-loved hue into their layouts:

Paige has gathered bits of green and built her page layer by layer, starting off with a mint cardstock base, tucking elements under her photos, adding finishing on top of her pictures and layout like a jeweled pin and dots of mist.  We adore the rows of treasures and her custom chevron design. 

Green is Jill's favorite color and we love that she was unfraid of swinging from blue-greens to yellow-greens on this page.  She gives some helpful tips on using a color in a dominant way without it overwhelming your project here.

Kristina created a striking cover for a mini album by playing with paint.  Watch this design come together from start to finish in her In the Mood to Scrap video tutorial here.

Experiment with this color for yourself with the help of our selection here.  We can't wait to see what you come up with!

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Check out our Color Inspiration Pinterest board, this month's featured selection, our Instagram feed and our most recent Garden Girl project release for more on the subject of color.  Play along with us this month and tag #2peascolorfulworld on your favorite social media platform for a chance to win big (details here)

Today's edition of Get the Look is inspired by this delightful page by amandaresende.  We love the painterly look, range of color and details like stitching and layering of patterns.  It's not surprising this page is currently in the top views of the member gallery! Here are a few products we spotted that would help one translate this digital page to a traditional paper layout:

Or shop all our delightfully happy and Spring-y products here!

Nothing says Spring quite like a nice bold nautical theme. It's navy, graphic and timeless. We've been seeing it pop up everywhere in fashion, home decor and jewelry.

It's nice to see that trend in scrapbooking products this season as well. From the bold red, white and blues of Fancy Pant's Down by the Shore to Glitz' Uncharted Waters with its additions of fuschia and gold.

This nautical page uses themed elements to highlight a day ashore on a cruise vacation. The repetition of anchors and flags bring out the 'where' of the page, while the bold turquoise color lets the landscape photo shine. 

Now let's take a look at how fellow Peas are using the nautical theme in some non-conventional ways.

This pirate page by Jossiah uses the same collection on an everyday layout depicting childhood. I love the contrast of feminine flowers and an anchor here.

This popsicle page pulls the red,white and blue elements from the collection while telling a funny family story by BeckyLitz. The banner creates a shelf for the photo and adds whimsy to the layout.

This Nice Catch layout by audreykit uses beautiful layers of the Unchartered Waters collection to highlight a cute fishing shot. I love how she used twine to draw the eye to the title. 

I love how brains32192 documented her thoughts on motherhood in this page using the same collection.  Anchors symbolize stability and strong foundations - what could be more perfect for a page highlighting a mother/daughter relationship.

Whether it's a day at the beach, cruise vacation, silly moments or important bonds, the nautical theme has something for you.

Show us how you've used this trend in your pages. We'd love to take a peek!

It's mid-April and we're gearing up for a new batch of Garden Girl projects to be released May 1st!  Any guesses what next month's theme will be? ;)

You told us you enjoyed seeing the spotlight on a few lifted projects.  Here are some more ways we've seen you take inspiration from the Garden Girls!

Malibustacey puts a spin on Corrie's design and creates a Halloween layout!  Love how she used stars instead of hearts and made a dent in her washi tape stash.

Misssharoninez lifts a page Amy Tan teaches in her Mix It Up workshop, getting mileage out of her collection of stamps.

We love how Lairdoglen was motivated to create a color wheel of embellishments herself after seeing our graphics for this month's color focus.

We adore the way di_turner used Lisa's misting technique and applied it to circles.  She put her own own color scheme to work too!

Kharkov played along in Wilna's challenge to combine 6x6 paper pads with brads.  She's swapped out the squares with a column of circles - beautiful!

Play along with one of this month's class challenges yourself!  You could win a $10 gift certificate to Two Peas when you do.  Have fun!

This week 1) Corrie presents 4 more challenges in our list of 213 creative prompts 2) Janna is inspired by banners of all kinds 3) Glitter Girl presents an extended episode featuring 3 pages 4) Jill digs into her stash of ribbon 5) Laura uses speech bubbles on a layout and card and 6) Melissa shares on the topic of using season/themed and everyday photos in a Project Life spread