Good morning, all!

Valentine's Day is just over two weeks away, so this is a perfect time to make some mini cards. I love the 3x3 card size because you can get 8 cards out of one sheet of 12x12 cardstock. Economical and super tiny cute. :)

CHALLENGE: Create a small/mini card. Simply upload a creation for this challenge to the TwoPeas gallery, select this Finally Friday video when you upload your image, and your creation will be linked up the challenge and appear at the bottom of this week's Finally Friday page.

Watch video below | Watch at YouTube

 I loved all your beautiful "colored in" images. So much fun!! The winner of yesterday's community challenge is . . .

skrappergirl

Please make sure your address is up to date in order to receive your prize!!

Good morning! Jen Gallacher here on this very early morning.

Today's Community Challenge is to "color an image." You may take any image--stamped, digital, ding bat, hand drawn--and then color it in.

I chose a darling stamp, which I then colored in with colored pencils and chalk to create a quick and easy card. You may use pencils, crayons, markers, watercolors, or even digital coloring to complete this challenge.

Once you've colored your image and completed your project (a card, layout, bookmark, project all work for this challenge), take a photo of it or scan it and upload it to the gallery. Make SURE to select the correct challenge box.

One winner will be selected for a prize from one of our sponsors. The contest ends tonight at midnight MST, and I will post a winner tomorrow morning.

You can see some supplies that will help you complete this challenge below.

Here is my take on this challenge:

Supplies:

* You're the Best clear stamp

* Sweet Owls clear stamp

 * Flower of the Month digital stamp

* Snowy Day digital stamp

* Vintage Men digital stamp

* Scallop Sentiment Border Punch

* 3 Flowers Lucy Bird Snag'Em stamp

* Cutie Lucy Bird Snag 'Em stamp

(photo of a little embroidered quilt, a skirt I'm making for Campbell, and an adorable owl bag my good friend gave to me. I love the color pallette here!)

The change in seasons brings out the 'handmade' bug in me. Fall makes me feel like knitting (although if I'm being honest, I usually pass off my 1/2 completed projects to my mom to finish) and recently quilting--I've been bitten hard by the fabric bug! I also get inspired while blog-hopping to try this or that at my craft table.

This week's photography challenge is 'handmade'.

What does that mean to you?? I think this could go in SO many directions. I'm excited to see what you have up your handmade sleeves, peas!

Please join in the challenge this week and show me your interpretation of handmade!

 Be sure to click the photography challenge' box as you upload your photo--I want to see what you've done!

Stacey :)

Good morning, all!

For this week's Finally Friday card, I wanted to do two things: use Origins patterned papers from BasicGrey, and try cutting an intricate design with my digital cutter. For the intricate design, I chose one of the more loopy and thin designs from the Card Words Designer Cuts digital kit. Anyhow, the pairing of the Origins paper and a white sentiment was perfect!

I decided to use a black card base because I wanted the white sentiment to stand out even more. TIP for using black cardstock: Black cardstock can look very flat and boring. Create interest by adding a texture with embossing (heated or dry). Sometimes you can also make it more interesting with a different shape of card. I did this with clear embossing the Designer Woodgrain stamp from Hero Arts.

CHALLENGE: Create a card using black cardstock, or create a thank you card. :) Simply upload a creation for this challenge to the TwoPeas gallery, select this Finally Friday video when you upload your image, and your creation will be linked up the challenge and appear at the bottom of the FF page.

Anyhow, enjoy!

Watch video below | Watch at YouTube

The Weekly Challenge can be found here. 

This week the challenge is to use older product.  I decided to go 'older'.  Most of it is still in the store, and the last I checked it's on sale!  Can't beat that!!

On my layout I made 5 party hats out of patterned paper and then added fun embellishments to each.  I didn't use a template, I cut them all freehand so they'd be a little different.  One the top of each hat I added a different topper....the first is a flower sticker, second strips of ribbon stapled together, third a looped felt piece, fourth is a strip of paper with long fringe cut into it and then rolled up, and the last one is just layered circles with a brad.  

Supplies:

A LOT.

Am I going to buy $380 of scrapbooking supplies?

No, I like being married.  

But the way I shop it to put everything I am interested in into my cart.

On the day I order, I edit.  

I edit A LOT.

But this isn't that day and there is, apparently, a lot that has caught my eye recently.

How I shop: I mostly shop from Garden Girl LO's, Gallery LO's and the "New Product" section.  BUt I also check out the sales to nab stuff - especially off season items.  I like seeing the new products.  However, I LOVE seeing how people use products.  I think that is why I like it so much that people can link the products they use to their seeds.

Kraft Cardstock - like white and black cardstock - this is a staple for me.  I will mostly likely bump that number up to 20 sheets before I order.  I always try to get some basics each time I order like cardstock or adhesive.

I collect the #3 (3 kids and all) so this will go in my collection I have in a shadow box.

Maya Road albums - you really can't beat the quality or the price!

The Slice - UGH!  I thought this would be a fad that I would just skip.  Much much like line dancing...I think it is here to stay.  I hand cut so much stuff, I didn't really see me using this.  HOWEVER, there are SO many cute LO's using it....I am changing my mind. Shannon Tidwell's LO "Our Busy House" in the gallery really is what made me start to consider buying this.  

Cosmo Cricket Haunted Blackboard - I have ordered this several times.  MY boys keep stealing my pieces because they thing they are so cool!  I like to use these Halloween pieces on LO's, but I also like to trace my chipboard shapes onto my patterned papers and then cut them out.  Striped skulls are pretty cool too.  

I just keep ordering these Jenni Bowlin bingo cards!  I love making houses out of them and using them as covers for mini books

American Crafts DIY badges - I keep buying these too!  I have lots!  I am buying this one mainly because it has a "I heart Blogs" badge.  I want to do a little page about having a blog.

AC Halloween paper - I use a lot of the Halloweenish papers for regular LO's for my boys.  The majority of Halloween theme items I buy  end up on non Halloween LO's.

"D" - I bought a lot of these on sale right before Christmas.  I punched a hole in them and used them as gift tags on presents.  You can use the initial of someone's name, for the holiday (like a "V" on Valentine's Day) or an "X" and an "O" for like a hug and kiss.  Seriously, for 10 cents...I can be pretty creative as to how to make any letter work.

Maya Road Small Gear chipboard - A while back I made a chipboard album about my son's love of monster trucks.  I want to add some more pages to it so I am ordering another one of these albums to add to the one I have.  I am using a ribbon to hold it together so I can just keep adding pages!

Doodlebug chunckie glitter - I am curious about the chunkieness

Jilliebean journaling spots - Shoot, missed these.  I used these for my gift tags on presents for Christmas too!  And what a great deal!

Wood grain paper - I am a suck for this stuff!  Any company...any size.  

Shoot - Lost out on that awesome price for the MME paper!

Canvas paper - OK, I HAVE YOU SEEN JEN GALLACHER'S NEW CLASS: MINI ALBUM: FABRIC?!  DUDE!  I  so want to take the class AND buy stuff to make a fabric album!!  I am excited to see how well I can hand cut this stuff for paper piecing too.

 I am trying to decide between the 7 Gypsies Artist's Tray and the 7 Gypsies 4x6 display stand kit for Mother's Day gifts.  I grew up with a printer's drawer on my wall in my room.  It made for awesome tiny cubbies for all my little girl treasures.  I think I'll go with teh tray.  However....that display stand could have photos in it and get me out of the dog house with the Grandmas because I "never give them photos anymore."  Hmmmm.

Boo Chipboards - just so cute.

Cosmo Cricket card things - I am a sucker for Cosmo Cricket and these tags.  I use them on gifts, on LO's and I seem to collct them as well.  

AC brown patterned paper. - I love tight prints like this one to use for my paper piecings.

AC red papers - More tight patterns that work great for paper pieces.

AC - Junior Flair and Junior Treehouse chipboards - I have a house full of juniors.  

AC - Valentines chipboards and embellishments - looking forward to using some of these on home made Valentines and on LO's.

AC - Pomegranate Letterman FLocked Chipboard Thickers - This is a re-order because I liked using them so much! (Like on this LO "Box Fun")

AC - Station Glitter Accents Remarks - I really used the other travel items from AC o a lot of LO's that had nothing to do with travel even.  This is to re-order that same theme.  (Does it seem like I am SO into AC all the sudden?  Dude.  What can I say. love that clean style with bright colors!)

AC High Seas stickers - I mean, how great would these be for beach lo's?  

(I'm not doing so great on editing out stuff yet!)

AC cloud ribbon - how cuuuuute?

Robot stamp by Bella Blvd - Robots.  Boys.  I can think of like 15 ways I can use this!

The last 4 pieces of patterned paper are more of what I love - tight tone on tone prints.  They can act as solids in my paper piecing classes.

October Afternoon - another company that is just speaking to me these days.  It mixes that great vintage feel while staying bright and clean.  I will use these stickers & note cards on LO's of my boys related to school, growth, personal interests (like reading) and use them to label their artwork I save into albums.  I keep an album like Lisa McGarvey's in this way AWESOME seed.

OA- this paper and these stickers makes me want to scrapbook my Christmas pictures!

Lego papers - love these!  I will use them on Lego LO's AND on paper piecing LO's.  The red paper can make for a CUTE house. The green will look super cute cut into the shape of a hill to serve as grass.

Creative Cafe - These calendar pages are so super great for scrapbooking about a whole month but also about a trip.  I write in on each day we are gone what we did.  It is a super easy way to journal about what you did on a trip without having to have a picture or bit of ephemeralia for each thing.

Creative Cafe calendar stuffs - Dude, I ordered a pack of this in 2009 and I used up LOTS.  I fell off the 365 photo a day bandwagon pretty hard.  I don't have pics for every day....but I do have enough to document every month.  I am using these pages to help me do that.  I like how clean and bright they are in design.  Which is good because I plan on doing 2 pagers with the cal. on the left page and a collage of pictures and memorabilia on the right.

How funny - apparently I had clicked on more info on that  Nook and Cranny paper when I saved the screen shot of my cart!

This shot shows more of the patterned paper I am loving right now.

K&Co - Simply Sweet stickers - a great deal on these!  

K&Co - Greenhouse chipboards - LOVE THEM...reminds me of my sticker collection in 3rd grade.

MS Baker's Twine - I used a lot of this on Christmas gifts.  (Brown paper packages tied up with string really are some of my favorite things...)  Laura Kurz's LO "Sunhat" made me put more into my cart.  How cute is that LO?!

More patterned paper that follows my theme - bright colors and tight patterns.

Yellow Bicycle tablet - once again, great for jounaling spots, love notes, gift tags.  

Hero Arts stamp - So pretty.  I think I might try to life the design  on it for a paper piecing LO.

Making Memories tickets - I keep buying these ticket things too!

(Almost done...really!)

Basic Grey - that floral paper reminds me of some chairs we had when I was a kid!  More paper for my paper piecing.

BG - I am a big sticker letter fan.  I usually buy black, white or red so I can mix and match them.

MS - glitter.  I use glitter a good bit.  Usually in tiny amounts.  I thought this glitter would go well on the edges of Valentine's decorations.

Digital frames kit - I must REALLY like these because I put them in my cart 2 times.  I think I only need to get them once!  I am not a digi girl....but I think I might use these.  I like the clean lines of them.  

K& Co Valentine's stuffs - I missed the boat on those animal and heart stickers.  Rats.  Oh well, I figure that just helps me on narrowing things down.  I think the cuteness of the banner and the Valentine making kit is awesome.  I can't wait to mix these pre-made items in with my hand made things!

K&Co - These are super cute.  I want to put them on long sticks and edge them in that MS glitter.  I want to stick them into a flower pot with moss to be our table center piece for Valentine's.  

Ok...that was a lot.

I kinda talked myself into wanting it all.

Like I said, I will cut this in half and then cut it in half again...and then maybe again.

But by putting pretty much everything that catches my eye in my cart - it helps me to remember what all I liked as I scrolled through the galleries and the shopping section!

Have a super day!

kellicrowe

.

 Time to get your vintage on! This week's challenge is to use a "vintage" kit from Two Peas to design a layout. It can be one of our many free kits (there are 106...WOW!), a kit you bought already or maybe it's time to go shopping for a new kit!!!

What do I mean by "vintage?" Well, that's anything that looks worn, old, distressed, rustic, etc. So fire up those computers and get creative! 

Here is a link to our free kits: www.twopeasinabucket.com/shop/digital-kits/kit-price-free/

Here is a link to all our digi kits that come up under a "vintage" search: www.twopeasinabucket.com/shop/digital-kits/_vintage_/

Here is a link to the challenge layout: www.twopeasinabucket.com/cg_display.asp

Today I'd like to showcase some of the beautiful work that Keshet (kshenkar) has shared in the Member Gallery.

I love the bright, sunny palette as well as the circle masking that she used  in "I Got There."

 I love the layered strip across the bottom and hand journaling on "Me: Today."

All the details in "Wedding Art Journal" are just exquisite.

"Top 10 Faves" is a fun, cute layout and I love all the details that she recorded.

These are just a few samples of the great work Keshet has in the gallery and I encourage everyone to check out the rest!

-Lisa Brown

 Shannon's photography challenge this week was to photograph something sweet. Typically, Im not much of a sweet person. For example, I dont like chocolate. I never have. I know...its a crime against nature. Ive heard it a million times. I just dont like it. Another example: as a kid, my mom would often make me a pie for my birthday because Im not really a cake person. A cupcake is about as much cake as I can do.

If this challenge was about photographing something salty, Id be set!  Ive got all sorts of salty stuff around my house. Tortilla chips, popcorn, prosciutto, and salami. Sweet, however, has proven a bit difficult for me.

I finally settled on photographing a new love of mine: iced tea. I woudlnt call it sweet tea, but I always drink it with splenda and lemon. That's about as sweet as I get. This is the cup I made for myself this morning. Yum.

-Lisa McGarvey

Good Morning, Peas, It's Margie Scherschligt here sharing an organizational tip with you today.

This is my "Above and Beyond Basket" -- a little toolkit that I assembled when I realized that I wasn't always able to easily find all those tools I need to add just a little extra something special to my layouts.  If you're like me, you probably already have a system that works for you to organize the basics: photos, paper, letter stickers.  Those things are usually organized by color, theme, or manufacturer, which can help you efficiently put together the basics of a layout.  For me, the organizing challenge has always been the little extras.  And after trying a few systems, I've found that it makes sense to keep my favorite tools for extra embellishment all together. 

Everyone's style is different, of course, so what you keep in here could vary.  I use it for sandpaper, paints, brushes, embroidery floss, and needles -- the extra tools I need to help me feel creative when working on a page.  They tend to be things that are small and easily lost, and the inability to find these things would sometimes keep me from really finishing projects, until I put together this little basket.  Now, I've got them all together, which makes them easy to find and easy to put together.  It's sort of like my papercrafting version of the handyman bucket organizer that my husband and I use for household repairs.

I used to have my paints all lined up on a shelf, looking oh so beautiful. The problem is that I would grab a color, then another, and soon enough, the shelf wasn't looking its best...and where did I put those paints when I was finished with them? I didn't even know, because it wasn't convenient for me to get back to my shelf and line my paints up perfectly. That system wasn't working for me.  In the photo above you can see how these paints now fit in this basket, along with gel medium, sandpaper, brushes, glue dots, little pieces of canvas, paper towels,embroidery floss and needles.  

With this basket, I can work at my primary work desk in the basement (above), or I can just grab the basket and head to the kitchen table where my kids are working on their own projects. My favorite part of the basket is the glass jar that holds the brushes. It keeps me from losing the brushes on the bottom of the basket, and when I take the brushes out, I can fill it with water making it ready for painting.

Right now it sits at my desk in the basement, waiting for me to get started on another project. Hope you've enjoyed this tip -- I'd love to hear your tips for organizing, too.

Margie (pearlygirly)

January is often a time of reflection. We consider the past year, and we plan for the year ahead. That sense of reflection appears in our seasonal garden: New Year's.

Look back at 2009, Like Sande and Sheri did with their double-page, photo-friendly Year-in-Review pages:

Or document your New Year's Resolutions for 2010 with heartfelt journaling like Nichol and Jennifer:

Or combine the two concepts and review your resolutions like Shannon did in her clever page:

January is such a busy time. We're recovering from the hustle and bustle of Christmas, returning to school, to work, and back to our daily routines. But in the midst of it all, we're planning for the year ahead. While you're planning for your year, make sure to plan some creative time. Whether you look back or look ahead in your scrapbooking, resolve to have some creative time for yourself. :)

Mary

Hello!

Today I am sharing my space. I have shared parts of my studio before but here's just a quick video I made showing my space. I didn't vacuum and the walls still need to be repainted but here it is, as it is.  Enjoy!

Hello from sunny Tasmania where I do believe it is FINALLY summer!  This is Chelsea...

This weeks Digital weekly Challenge is to use the clone tool.

Ah ha!  The clone tool!  It is one of my favourite tools ever in Photoshop.  Take my layout here... I think hmm what can I do a  layout on today?  Ahhh.... my computer and me of course!... Only I have a  big red splotchy pimple on my forehead.  Easy fixed... whip out the clone tool and Bobs your Uncle!  All fixed!    While I was at it I smoothed out some wrinkles too and lightened the bags under my eyes from all the little sleep I have had lately (because of working on the computer)!!

So using the cloning tool doesn't stop there although it would be just fine to stop there!.  Do you have pieces of digital paper that have something on them that just isnt right... a little pig in the corner or a  word that doesnt match your photo?  Just clone it out!

Heres an easy tutorial in the Digi section to help you out.  Let me see what you clone out this week!  And don't forget when uploading your layout to click on the right Challenge (Digital Challenges: tool/technique challenge "my computer and me").

I just love all things American Crafts!  The stamps are no different for me...when I saw this set, I knew I would use it over and over again.  I love all the details and how versatile these can be.

In a short amount of time I created three different little sentiment crafts using this set.
First: A wedding gift tag

Second:  A little note/journaling card

And third: A cute bookmark for any age!

Super easy and fun and all from the same stamp set!

Thanks for looking!

Rebecca Trump

hi peas,

Moon here with this week's photography challenge: hats. I love hats. On babies. On pets. On garden gnomes.

I decided to use a photo of my husband utilizing his favorite hat was a light blocker. I took this two summers ago and it's still one of my favorite photos. There are so many reasons to wear hats right now, especially if you are experiencing the frigid weather  like we are in the US...

(my little man making snow angels...)

But it doesn't have to be just snow hats. It could be for graduation, summer, sports, baby...

So go out there and look around and take photos. I can't wait to see what you come up with!

-moon

For today's user spotlight, check out the fabulous projects Dani_T has been posting in the member gallery! From pages to minibooks to cards, her gallery is filled with eye candy that will inspire you for sure! I love what she does with layers, mists, Thickers and happy colour combinations!

Thanks for stopping by the Garden blog today! Let us know who you discovered in the gallery recently so we can give them a shout-out soon!

-Shimelle

Good morning, all!

For this week's card, I thought it would be a great time to start into Valentine's Day cards. And when I think of Valentine's Day cards I think of the little cards I exchanged with my friends when I was a little girl. Smaller cards are perfect for Valentine's Day! Plus, they're super cute because they're little. :)

I used one of the free BasicGrey mini stamp sets on this card. (You can get one of the mini sets for free when you order $25 worth of BG product from the TwoPeas store). Then I paired it with some American Crafts patterned paper and a stamp from their Letterbox collection. Super quick and simple.

CHALLENGE: Create a small card. Simply upload your card for this challenge to the TwoPeas gallery, select this Finally Friday video when you upload your image, and your creation will be linked up the challenge and appear at the bottom of the FF page.

Enjoy!

Watch video below | Watch at YouTube

Happy Friday, everyone! I hope the first full week of the new year has treated you well. We are snowed in with our first real snow storm of the year (though it is NOTHING compared to what some of you have dealt with!)

This week's sketch challenge can be found here. My interpretation is digital but feel free to play along with either a digital or paper layout. Flip it, rotate it, have fun with it. Looking forward to seeing your creations this week :)

Erica

******* And the winner for the "square" community contest is Brittneyja *****

Thanks so much to everyone for participating!

Hello Peas and Happy New Year !

Here Stephanie Dagan. Today, I want to share you a challenge about square, big square or small square, as you want!

You have until 11.59 p.m. CST to upload them, and be sure to check the Community Challenge box to be included for a chance to win some Two Peas store credit!

Have fun and I wil watching the gallery today to pick the winner !

 Happy New Year!! 

Jamie Waters here with this week's photography challenge! 

This challenge is about BEGINNINGS. There are an infinite amount of photos you can take to convey this theme. I chose a newborn baby as that is such the landmark of a new beginning to me! I wanted to capture the little details of a newborn, so I took close up pics of the belly button with diaper and the teeny feet, and of course, the toothless yawn. So precious. So new. Such an amazing beginning :) 
These were all taken indoors with natural light coming through, with my Canon 5d, 50mm 1.4 lens. 

Please share your BEGINNING photos with us! We'd love to see your interpretation! 

Hi everyone! This is Jen Jockisch, here to discuss our monthly garden theme. This month, our theme was 4x6 photos. I'll be honest and tell you this is pretty much a no-brainer for me as about 90% of my layouts use 4x6 photos. I find them to be the fastest and most convenient way to print at home. I love the look of smaller photos and different sizes, but often I think it's just too much work and so I fall back on 4x6.

I've really been in need of some inspiration lately, and this month's Garden is filled with it. I'd like to share a few pages that really caught my eye and make me want to go scrapbook right this minute.

Jennifer Johner never, ever fails to inspire me, and this page is no exception. I love her fun use of color and quirky accents. 

I adore this page by Lisa McGarvey. Her idea for using divided page protectors is genuis, and it's such a fun and striking design.

I'm completely in love with this page by Shannon Tidwell. The colors and patterns are so vibrant and striking, and it uses a gorgeous 4x6 photo.

 Happy Monday everyone!

Post in progress!