If you're celebrating Halloween tonight, we wish you a safe and happy one!  And while you're collecting tricks and treats, grab this freebie by Jen Allyson if you haven't already. :)

Hi Peas! It's Amy Heller here today to share with you some of the wonderful new products in the Two Peas in a Bucket shop, that are hot and trendy in the scrapbooking world!

We all know how washi tape and it's glorious translucent quality has burst onto the scene in the past year. That wonderfully airy and muted see-thru look is making it's way into other products in scrapbooking, and today I'm here to share a few of them with you.1) Studio Calico Classic Calico 3 Kraft & Vellum Stitched Pockets


2) American Crafts Ready Set Go Vellum Envelopes

3) Crate Paper On Trend Vellum Garlands

My Favorite Ladies by TessaB

4) American Crafts Vellum 12x12 Specialty Paper

5) Twine + Ink Speech Bubble Vellum Die Cuts *Two Peas Exclusive*

6) Jenni Bowlin Vellum Feathers

Summer Mornings by DDobson

7) Little Yellow Bicycle Once Upon A Christmas Vellum Tape Strips


8) American Crafts Ready Set Go Stitched Vellum Embellishments

Love You page by JenChapin

9) American Crafts Ready Set Go Baxter 2 (Pink/Yellow) Stickers

10) Jillibean Soup Vellum Coin Envelopes

Us page by Garden Girl, Jill Sprott

11) Basic Grey Soleil Die Cut & Transparency Shapes

12) Glitz Design Cashmere Dame Peekaboos

I hope you have enjoyed seeing all the new products in the shop that are following this new trend! We can't wait to see what you make with vellum and translucent products! Thanks so much for stopping by today! Have a wonderful day :)

Hoping to get some crafting time in this week?  We've got some challenges for you! Remember each challenge gives you a chance to win a $5 gift certificate, as well as earns you a badge for your Two Peas profile page.  Just click on the title of each challenge for details from the designer and notes on how to enter, and scroll down to see last week's winners!

Weekly Scrap Challenge | Journaling From Your Pet's Perspective with Jill

Weekly Photography Challenge | All Tucked In

Saturday Sketch | Have an Amazing Birthday with Kimber

Congrats to anitatina, kweese, & kelseymel -  we'll be in touch with you shortly on how to access your gift certificate!  And thanks to everyone who played along! - Jen

Happy Friday, Peas!  Let's take a look at what classes and videos went up this week:

Memory Keeping Monday | All Star Personality with Shannon

From Shannon: Hi and Welcome to another Memory Keeping Monday! This week I am focusing on two of our theme prompts….Metals and Personality. For the metal aspect I am having a bit of fun with straight pins. These have been a favorite of mine for many years…and most of the pins I used are several years old. They don't age! I used the pins to create flags out of tape, stickers, and fabric. I stuck pins through die-cuts, stickers, and chipboard…what can you pin on your page?

The second theme prompt, personality, worked perfectly for my page about my son making all-stars. Doesn't seem to go together? . . . see supplies and challenge here!

The Adventures of Glitter Girl | Episode 043: A Manly Model

From Shimelle: This week Glitter Girl takes on a challenge to scrap with more manly oomph - glitter, flowers and bling not allowed. This adventure was inspired by this discussion [twopeasinabucket.com] on the General Scrapping message board. This week her adventure is in two parts: the first eleven minutes are about product choices that work well when scrapping boys and men, and past eleven minutes she takes you through the creation of a new scrapbook page from start to finish.

For more inspiration on this topic from a variety of scrappers (some with actual sons!), you may want to follow this pin board [pinterest.com]. . . see supplies and challenge here!

Come along for the adventure, won't you?

Finally Friday | Thankful for You Card with Lynn

From Lynn: Hi everybody! I am back with another Finally Friday video for you. For this card I created a thank you card using the new 5th & Frolic collection by Dear Lizzy. I created a fun little folded ribbon embellishment on the front of my card inspired by one of the embellishments in this collection. I hope you enjoy the video. Thanks for watching!. . . see supplies and challenge here!

Have a great weekend! We'll see you tomorrow with a new round of challenges from the Garden Girls!

I’ve got a secret...I hate scrapping birthdays! SHHHH! Don’t tell my kids! I love planning, decorating, and hosting their parties but with two boys born 12 days apart by the time the end of March rolls around I’m just done. The last thing I want to do is scrap it all. So I’ve come up with a quick and easy way to get the party scrapped. Allowing me to move from the “have to” scrapping to the stuff I want to do! Let’s give a round of applause to...the Birthday Photo Album Scrapbook!!

I found this adorable birthday 2 up 4x6 photo album at Target, but you could use any 4x6 album. Instead of a photo in the front window I decided to put my son’s name and birth info. Then on the title page I added a photo of him on the day he was born and a birthday poem. To find the poem I simply did a google search for birthday sayings. Then I typed it up in Photoshop Elements, added a frame, and printed it out. This album will house birthday memories from birth until my son is 18 (yep I counted and there is enough pages for that)! This poem just reflected that so well.

To keep it quick and easy my album follows the same structure each year. I begin with a title page. This is where I really let the theme of the party take over. But since my canvas is only 6x8 it’s done quickly! Love that! The right side of the page holds two full 4x6 photos, one of the cake and one of the moment where my son blows out the candles. Then the second spread houses the details of the party. Using 4x6 digital templates allows me to get a lot of pictures in a small space. On the left I highlight the people and the activities of the party and on the right I focus on the gifts.

I kept the journaling blocks very simple. Using my digital die cutting machine I cut out the titles so that the paper behind shows through. That way I could cut a whole bunch at the same time (enough for all 18 years in fact...yeah my machine got tired with that one)! To be sure I don’t lose my journaling blocks I stuck the entire set in the last page protector of the book. That way, each year when it’s time to pull the layouts together I know right where to find them.

I’ve got to admit, these little albums have become my new favorite project. Imagine that?!? Going from a topic I hate to scrap to one I love! Awesome!

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We love this you-can-do-it approach to a themed album.  Thanks so much for the inspiration, Monica!  You can see more of Monica's work on her blog, and check out her Two Peas gallery as well!

I have to tell you how much I love spending time in the gallery at Two Peas. Whenever I need a “jump start” or inspiration, I always find it from our members!  Is it weird that I am always drawn to layouts and projects that aren’t even close to my own “style?”  I am just intrigued to see how people can use the same products I use and love – and create projects that are so so different than mine.  Please tell me I’m not the only one. 

Today I get to share the work of one particular member whose layouts I find myself clicking on time and time again – Jen Chapin.  Here’s one of her more recent layouts:

I just love how she used non-traditional Halloween colors, yet created such a traditional Halloween layout.  The layers and lines are awesome.  And check out that machine stitching along the top – love !

And on the flip side, look at all the colors she put together on this layout!  So many colors and elements – yet the photo is still the star of her page.  This girl has skills that I envy!  Again, perfection with the machine stitching through the chipboard letters and on the elements!

I love how Jen combined several different letter stickers (one of my personal favorite techniques) on this sweet layout, but the attention isn’t stolen from the super cute photos.  Combining colors from so many different lines and styles takes talent – and Jen’s got it!

And check this out – 8 ½” x 11” layouts too!  And hand-written journaling!  I love the arrows she used in so many different ways on this layout.

And lest you think she’s strictly a page girl – check out this super sweet mini album she created! 

Now, hurry over and visit her gallery, where you’ll find cards too – she does it all!  Thanks for sharing your projects and inspiring ideas in our gallery, Jen!

--Wendy Sue

One way we're getting ready for this spooky holiday?  We've started a selection of Halloween products here.  Whether you plan to trick or treat, decorate your home for the holidays, or record your favorite Halloween memories, we have the products you need to document your stories!

Here's a look at the Halloween inspiration board we've begun on Pinterest:

* We've just stocked the store with brand new items including Echo Park Paper, and Little Yellow Bicycle. Be sure to check them all out here!

* Look for a new Adventures of Glitter Girl episode going up later this week!  What scrapbooking dilemma will she solve next??

It's the 22nd, which means it's time for another edition of Gardeners' Digest!  In this blog hop from our Design Team, the Garden Girls, you'll see sneaks of what they've been up to, what's currently inspiring them, as well as their favorite projects.  You may even find a giveaway or two along the way!  Scroll down for our giveaway and the links for the hop.

Have you checked out the new look for 2Peas? We've completely revamped the look of our website. Here's a little peek at what you might find! We've streamlined the look making it sleek and sophisticated. Now the focus is on your projects and the products you love best. Check it out!

We're constantly inspired by the Peas. Here are a few of the projects we've spotted recently:

1. Favorite by Katie Rose 2. Baby book by Eva Pizarrov 3. Go, See, Do by Nancy Burke

A sampling of products we currently love:

1. Snap 6x6 Paper pad 2. My Mind's Eye Enamel Dots 3. Wide Washi Tape 4. Tick Tock Flashback Clear Stamps 5. Circle Punch

This prize pack is so stuffed full of goodies it's spooky!  We've pulled together Doodlebug, Teresa Collins, Graphic 45, American Crafts, + more.  Just leave a comment with your 2Peas username below by 11:59 pm CST on Sunday, October 28th for your chance to win!

Your next stop on the blog hop is Jen Gallacher's blog!  Here is a full list in case you get lost along the way:

Two Peas <<<< You are here!

Jen Gallacher
Shimelle Laine
Lynn Ghahary
Marcy Penner
Wilna Furstenberg
Julie Campbell
Wendy Sue Anderson
Kimber McGray
Shannon Tidwell
Lexi Bridges
Jill Sprott
Becky Novacek
Kandis Smith
Laura Craigie
Nancy Damiano

It's another edition of Get the Look!  Today we're inspired by this layout by scrappyjedi .  It's such a vibrant, happy Halloween page, don't you think?!  

She's layered lots of fun patterns, and we love the way she's framed both her page with strips of paper and her photos with a tall, skinny title. Here are our product picks for how one might achieve a similar look:

Here is the shopping list we put together inspired by this layout.  See you tomorrow!

Hoping to get some crafting time in this week?  We've got some challenges for you! Remember each challenge gives you a chance to win a $5 gift certificate, as well as earns you a badge for your Two Peas profile page.  Just click on the title of each challenge for details from the designer and notes on how to enter, and scroll down to see last week's winners!

Weekly Scrap Challenge | Buttons Challenge with Jen

Weekly Photo Challenge | Hands with Kandis

Saturday Sketch | Thank You for Being You with Kimber

Congrats to hot scrap-pea mama,  ariel89, & michellerose -  we'll be in touch with you shortly on how to access your gift certificate!  And thanks to everyone who played along! - Jen

Happy Friday, Peas!  Let's take a look at what classes and videos went up this week:

Memory Keeping Monday | Wonderful You with Jen Gallacher

From Jen: I love mixing products from manufacturers. And for today's Memory Keeping Monday, I combined Basic Grey, American Crafts, and My Mind's Eye elements to create a cohesive layout featuring my niece.

I also wanted to talk a little bit about capturing personality. I take LOTS of photos. Sometimes I'll get lucky and get one like this. This type of photograph inspires a different approach to journaling. For this journaling I talked more about my niece's personality than I did the event. For more journaling ideas visit my "Words Unsaid [twopeasinabucket.com]" workshop. . . see supplies and challenge here.

The Adventures of Glitter Girl | Episode 42: Your Favorite Colour

From Shimelle: This week Glitter Girl asks you to get a bit philosophical about your colour choices, as inspired by this discussion [twopeasinabucket.com] on the General Scrapbooking message board. Her adventure takes her through a new layout in Glitter Girl's most scrapped colour: turquoise. (She's pretty fond of scrapping in pink as well.) . . . see supplies and challenge here.

Come along for the adventure, won't you?

Finally Friday | Your Heart Is My Home with Laura Craigie

From Laura: Hey Peas! I'm so excited to have another Finally Friday card to share with you :)

I show a technique to make all those little squares much quicker than you'd think it would take! Almost like a little patchwork quilt background. I used paper from many different October Afternoon 8x8 pads. I seriously love them so much! The perfect size patterns, and I find they all work together so well. . . see supplies and challenge here.

Have a great weekend! We'll see you tomorrow with a new round of challenges from the Garden Girls!

Are you a washi tape fan?  Ever wonder how to create your own designs?  Guest blogger Liva is here to show you how!

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Thanks so much for this cool tutorial, Liva!  You can see more of Liva's work and her designs on her blog.

We know many of you have been waiting to get your hands on the new Sn@p products...well, we're excited to let you know - they are in the house!  View the colorful and fun selection perfect for everyday scrapping in the Two Peas store here.  Unfamiliar with Sn@p?  Check out this fun video:

And guess what?!  We get to do a giveaway!  Simple Stories has generously offered a prize pack to one lucky Pea made up of an album with 1 set of journal pages, a 4x6 snap card set and 3x4 snap card set – a $30.99 value!  You have one week to enter.  Just leave a comment here with your Two Peas username by October 23rd for your chance to win.  We'll announce the winner next week!

Hi everyone, I was so excited to get my Silhouette Cameo a few weeks ago and I haven’t been able to stop playing with it since.  There are so many amazing things you can do with it.  One design that caught my eye was a clipboard design created by Jillibean Soup.  I had so much fun creating two projects with it. 

For the first project I created a back to school countdown.  I cut the clipboard and the binding clip designs from Jillibean Soup corrugated cardboard and I cut the note paper design from the Stirred Elements paper.  I glued the notepaper onto the base of the clipboard then attached the binding clip with foam tape to make it pop up. I then cut a piece of Kraft cardstock and added the “Back to school in” title to the top.  For the countdown I made several smaller pieces of cardstock and added them below with a staple so you can rip them off as you countdown to back to school.  This was then attached to the centre of the notepaper.  To finish the project off I added a piece of twine to the binding clip.

For the second project I made a Christmas Nice List.  I cut the clipboard and the binding clip designs from Jillibean Soup corrugated cardboard and I cut the note paper design from Kraft paper. 

I created a smaller piece of Kraft with printed lines in Microsoft Publisher to add the names of the people who make my nice list this year.  These were then glued onto the centre of the clipboard base.  Again I added the binding clip piece to the top with foam tape.  To decorate my project I cut out some presents from the Jillibean Soup patterned paper and used foam tape to attach them to the bottom of the project.  I also finished this project with some twine around the binding clip.

These projects were so much fun to create.  If you would like to see more details on how I made these projects I created a video which you can see here:

Thanks for stopping by. - Fleur

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Thanks for sharing such cute clipboard ideas, Fleur!  Are you a fan of Fleur's style?  Hop on over to her blog for more of her work, and swing by her Two Peas gallery as well!

Sources: Ann Sacks, Making It Lovely, Girl in Air

Suddenly I'm seeing this trend everywhere. Starbursts no longer shine only at night. Now they're shining front and center on your latest projects. Check out these fun ideas!

Be Happy by Sarahak

To Do by Giniew

Hello Fall by naomi atkins

Meet Me in the Sunshine by Amy Tangerine

And here are a few products we found in the Two Peas store that will help you try out the trend for yourself:

Studio Calico stamp set, Studio Calico Yearbook, October Afternoon Cakewalk.

What do you think?  Will you be putting a starburst on your next creation?

Today is the 15th which means I've got a new Project Life lesson for you in my free class series, 2012: Captured!  Come check the October lesson for ideas of how to use die cuts in your album and for tips on organizing all the little bits and pieces that come with Project Life. Don't forget to check out the guest projects from Allison and Shanna as well.

Don't forget all of the helpful lessons, guest projects, discussion archives and member challenge submissions can be viewed from the class homepage.   - Lisa

Good morning!! My 2012 : Captured class for October goes live tomorrow, and this month, it's all about diecuts.  I'm here today to share a simple way to make those diecuts do double duty!

I love using simple shapes as masks for mist, and it's a fun way to dress up plain ledger journaling cards. Today I'm working with plain diecuts as masks - I love that the mist adds color to these accents, and they'll be useable for other pages. If you're using patterned diecuts, you might want to choose a pale mist color that looks good over the pattern, or flip them upside down and mist on the back.

To begin, place your patterned paper or journaling card into a box (I do all of my misting in an old shipping box - it saves the rest of my workspace from becoming rainbow colored). Layer your die cuts over the top and then mist over them! In the case of the "cool" diecut card, i layered scrap paper over the rest of the card so that only the letters would show once I was done.

Hold your mist about 8inches over your paper, and spray 2-3 times. Carefully remove your diecuts, and that's it!

(supplies : patterned paper - Studio Calico (gray), Echo Park (ledger, woodgrain), October Afternoon (gray stripe), Amy Tangerine (yellow), Crate Paper (green); arrows - Pink Paislee; "cool" card - Fancy Pants; mist - Mister Huey's Silver & Watercooler); bracket diecut - October Afternoon; brad - October Afternoon; washi - Freckled Fawn; stamps - Studio Calico)

And that's it! Your finished cards are perfect for a Project Life album, and the misted diecuts can be used on just about any project!

If you give this idea a try, I'd love to see your results! Just link me up in the comments. =) See you tomorrow when 2012 : Captured // October goes live! -Lisa 

Hoping to get some crafting time in this week?  We've got some challenges for you! Remember each challenge gives you a chance to win a $5 gift certificate, as well as earns you a badge for your Two Peas profile page.  Just click on the title of each challenge for details from the designer and notes on how to enter, and scroll down to see last week's winners!

Weekly Scrap Challenge | Stitching Challenge with Wilna

Weekly Photography Challenge | Explore with Kandis

Saturday Sketch | Happy Birthday with Kimber

Congrats to toomanycrayons,  indyboy, & llaurenb-  we'll be in touch with you shortly on how to access your gift certificate!  And thanks to everyone who played along! - Jen

Happy Friday, Peas!  Let's take a look at what classes and videos went up this week:

Memory Keeping Monday | Lots to Say with Lisa Truesdell

From Lisa: happy monday, peas! this week, i fell in love with the new vellum diecuts from twine+ink and knew immediately which photo i'd use them with. this page tells the story of a 5 year old with lots to say, and a mama trying to figure out how to get a TINY break from the constant chatter. ;) i brought together a few different products involving speech bubbles to really reinforce the theme. . . . see supplies and challenge here!

 The Adventures of Glitter Girl | Episode 41: Simply Smashing Stamps

From Shimelle: This week Glitter Girl takes on some simple stamping guided by the basic principles of design, inspired by this discussion [twopeasinabucket.com] on the General Scrapbooking message board. This adventure takes her through the creation of two new layouts, one focusing on emphasis and another on repetition . . . see supplies and challenge here.

Come along for the adventure, won't you?

Finally Friday | Sending Hugs with Kandis Smith

From Kandis: For today's card I wanted to use a fun background stamp. I LOVE white ink on kraft paper–I think it's so fun. I paired it up with some bright and colorful Echo Park papers and stickers to make a cheery card–perfect to send to anyone! . . . see supplies and challenge here.

Have a great weekend! We'll see you tomorrow with a new round of challenges from the Garden Girls!

I used to make jewelry before I started doing glass work. So I am always looking for different ways to create jewelry.  I have been loving the paper line from Basic Grey What's Up.... and the colors are perfect for some jewelry. This is so very simple... I promise.

All you need is a few basic paper supplies and two jewelry hand tools. Wire snips and barrel tip pliers or needle nose pliers will work.

Paper: Basic Grey What's Up?  Cut strips of  the paper, I did mine 1"x6".
Glossy Accents Glue
Small wooden dowel or toothpick
Razor Blade 
Wire or Headpins with the loops at one end
Earring wires
Wire snips
Needle nose pliers

Step 1:
Cut your strips of paper to your desired length and thickness. Mine are 1"x6".

Step 4:
Glue the edge with Glossy Accent... This image is not quite accurate... I had a hard time holding the camera and the glue at the same time.... I opened up the cylinder about half of a wind and place the glue. Then once the glue is set you can remove the cylinder from the dowel. 

 Then repeat so that you have two.

 I was on a roll and made a whole bunch......

Step 5:
Slip the head pin with the loop at one end into the paper cylinder. 

Step 6:
Make another loop at the end to secure the paper cylinder to the wire.

Step 7:
Attach the looped end to the earring wire and close. Repeat...

There you have it now you can go out on the town with your new jewels... ;D

When I saw these Hero Arts neon ink pads at 2Peas, I had to have them. I bought both the yellow and orange (only because the pink was not available, def going in my next order). I tried them out as soon as my order arrived, and woooo-boy! are they ever neon. Like the juiciest, brightest, most awesomely intense highlighter you ever could have wanted.

I also really liked the texture the ink pads created on the paper when I swiped them on directly to sample the colour, and it inspired me to try a new technique to create a sunburst pattern on my page. I made a little video to demonstrate, but it really is quite easy! And it does create an awesome texturizing effect on the page.

Photo of my beautiful Addie Blue on her 8th birthday. She is so cute and so sweet and so INTENSE about so many things. She's all kinds of awesome. 

You can see the texture of the ink pad on the page in the photo above. I've included a few more detail shots below after the video.

Love it when I find an easy technique that not only uses a favourite product, but (I think!) looks so much more than how easy it was! This was such a fast way to add a huge impact on a page.

Love these glittery pink Thickers! I punched some small hearts from pale pink and flourescent pink paper and sprinkled them around one of the white spaces between the neon rays.

I love the cross-hatchy texture of the ink pad directly on the paper. The text confetti was punched from an old dictionary.

There is so much variation in the texture depending on how the ink pad was applied to the paper and how much coverage is achieved. 

These Heidi Swapp embellishments are so cute! I loved them so much more in person than I did when I saw them online. The Sugar Chic bows are big and made out of nice heavy weight, slightly glossy cardstock. And the Sugar Chic Stix are also much bigger than I thought they would be. They are double-sided, too! Bonus! 

I really love the way the grey OA Icebox Sprinkler looks next to the neon yellow!

Here I used Studio Calico wood veneer stars as confetti and photo corners punched from an old book page. 

I hope you will give this sunburst ink technique a try! If you do, please link me up to your page, I would totally love to see it! 

Supplies: cardstock (We R Memory Keepers); ink pad (Hero Arts); wood veneer (Studio Calico); punches (the Paper Studio, Martha Stewart); tags (Avery); bow (Heidi Swapp); decorative stick (Heidi Swapp); chipboard letters (American Crafts); paper clips (Tim Holtz); misting ink (October Afternoon); pen (Sakura).

Hi there Peas! Wilna Furstenberg here! I want to highlight some fun products today: Layered Stickers! Let me show you a few of my favorites!

These are Vintage Finds Layered Stickers by  Teresa Collins  and the page is Remember When {Vintage Finds Teresa Collins} by Suzanne Sergi

Lost and Found Halloween Layered stickers from  My Minds Eye, LLC . Perfect for those Halloween projects.

Paper Cottage Layered Stickers by BasicGrey.  These are so adorable. And this is a beautiful page called Wonderful Time by Larissa Albernaz

Happy Days Layered Stickers By My Minds Eye, LLC Look at this stunning page: The First Day by Shannon Tidwell

Little Bo Peep Stand Outs By Crate Paper. I hardly think a page can be more delightful: ZZZ Around the Clock **Crate Paper** by tcochonneau

The one thing that I love about Layered Stickers is that it gives a cool dimention to your pages and the gratification is instant. Love them!

Till next time!

If you've been following the blog this month, you know our focus this month is Halloween!  The Garden Girls have been hard at work creating their projects along this theme, and we were finally able to share them with you in today's Garden release.

Did you miss them?  Be sure to catch up on your browsing from here!

Today the entire world celebrates crafting by creating cards. Are you planning to join in on the fun? Are you getting together with friends to crop? Are you preparing cards for a special charity? There are so many fun ways to spend this day. We hope you'll spend part of your day with us here at Two Peas!

Two Peas offers lots of card making inspiration. Here are a few card ideas from our Garden Girls:

Western Card Trio with Kandis

Cheer Up Card with Kimber

Everyday is a Happy Day Card with Laura

Some of the Garden Girls will be hosting card challenges on the General Scrappin' Board. Be sure to watch throughout the day for details on these challenges. Each challenge is hosted by the individual Garden Girl so be sure to read through their rules to participate!

And finally, Two Peas offers several card making products. If you're looking for suggestions on what you can use to create your own cards, here are a few ideas:

Notched & Beveled Card Fronts XL Sizzix Dies

Happy Everything Clear Stamps from Lawn Fawn

You can find all of our beautiful card making supplies here.

If you create cards today, we'd love to see them. We'll be watching for your beautiful cards in our galleries. We hope that with Two Peas, World Card Making Day will be a little bit more special!

Hoping to get some crafting time in this week?  We've got some challenges for you! Remember each challenge gives you a chance to win a $5 gift certificate, as well as earns you a badge for your Two Peas profile page.  Just click on the title of each challenge for details from the designer and notes on how to enter, and scroll down to see last week's winners!

Weekly Scrap Challenge | Be Inspired By

Weekly Photography Challenge | High and Low

Saturday Sketch Challenge | Best Wishes with Kimber

Congrats to scrapperleeanne, amanstee, and jbarksdale -  we'll be in touch with you shortly on how to access your gift certificate!  And thanks to everyone who played along! - Jen

Happy Friday, Peas!  Let's take a look at what classes and videos went up this week:

Memory Keeping Monday | Favorite Costumes with Nancy Damiano

From Nancy: This page is a collection of some of my son's favorite Halloween costumes. These were his first three costumes - when Mom got to pick them out! I used the Witch Hazel collection by October Afternoon for this page, combining teal, orange and black for a brighter Halloween palette. . . . see supplies and challenge here.

The Adventures of Glitter Girl | Episode 40: Die Cut Dynamics Part 2

From Shimelle: This week Glitter Girl brings you the first of a two part miniseries inspired by this discussion [twopeasinabucket.com] on the General Scrapbooking message board. She's taking on die-cuts - specifically, mixing die-cuts with other embellishments so they work hand in hand with your favourites. Part one last week focused on manual die-cutting - the kind that uses a metal cutting die and a machine like a Sizzix Big Shot or similar. Part two this week looks at more specific shapes cut with an electronic cutter, like a Silhouette (including the Silhouette Cameo) or Cricut.

If you're interested in more die-cutting details, don't miss the Getting the Most from your Die-Cutting Machine [twopeasinabucket.com] series at Two Peas! You'll find twelve different lessons with plenty of detail there. . . . see the supplies and challenge here.

Come along for the adventure, won't you?

Finally Friday |Viewmaster Card with Julie

From Julie: I love patterned paper, but sometimes there are a few pieces of a collection that are a bit challenging to work with. For today's tutorial, I decided to face my fears & find a way to use the photo booth print from October Afternoon's new Midway collection.

To my amazement, this paper that I once viewed as a challenge has now become one of my favorite prints in the collection! . . . see supplies and challenge here!

Have a great weekend! We'll see you tomorrow with a new round of challenges from the Garden Girls!

This has to be one of my favorite posts to write. The one in which I get to select one member from our amazing group of Peas to spotlight here on the blog. It's hard to choose. There are so many beautiful projects posted in our gallery each day. I'm constantly inspired by what I see, but today I wanted to share a designers work who I am constantly bookmarking and saving for inspiration.

I have loved tenmylove's work for some time now. She has an eye for detail, has a unique design approach, and keeps things real. I love that combination. I've selected a few of my favorite pieces from her gallery, but be sure to check out all of her lovely work!

I loved this butterfly layout called "Beach." Just the perfect amount of butterflies, layered delicately on top of one another. Beautiful!

I haven't yet joined the Instagram trend, but Heathyr has created a lovely mini album which she has filled with her own Instragram photos. You can find more of this album HERE!

And finally, I loved the design details of this layout called, "bike ride." I love how the diagonals are offset and the punched paper circles. What clever details!

Be sure to check out all of Heathyr's beautiful work in her gallery here. You certainly don't want to miss out on her fabulous ideas. Thanks for joining me today--Jen!

For my tutorial I’m going to step out my process for photographing and editing the photos of my cards for web display.  This is a topic that comes up fairly regularly on the message boards so I thought I’d step out my own process, which involves natural light and some post processing in Photoshop Elements.

The first thing you have to do is find the right spot:

I’ve tried many different spots in my house and this is where I get my best card photos, on these steps with the light coming in at the side from these windows and using a white t shirt for a backdrop.

If the stairs in your house aren’t the best spot you can use the side of a cardboard box to drape the shirt over.  If I am photographing a scrapbook layout and need a backdrop taller than the step I use a cardboard box with the shirt draped over the side and sit it on the landing.

The camera I use is a Nikon D70 with a fixed 35mm f2 lens and I keep the flash turned off.  This is an 8 year old DSLR with 5 megapixels.  I don’t think you need a DSLR to take good project photos, but you need to keep the camera very steady when taking pictures indoors without the flash to get a sharp picture.  I don’t use a tripod, but I do lock my elbows at my sides and hold my breath before I hit the shutter.  I also like to take my pictures at a slight angle to show off any dimensional elements on the card.

After taking the picture open it in Photoshop Elements:

I’m using Version 9 of Photoshop Elements.  Prior to 9 I had Version 6 and the editing steps were the same, so I’m assuming the steps are the same in all of the recent versions.  If you don’t have Photoshop Elements and aren’t sure if you want to buy it, you can download a free 30 day trial from the Adobe website and try it out to help you decide.

Now to get rid of the gray dinginess:

From the dropdown menu hit Enhance > Adjust Lighting > Levels

This box pops up on the right

Click the white eyedropper, then click the whitest part of the white t shirt backdrop (I’m clicking the lower right corner) and here is what happens:

Now it’s looking good!

To finish it up click Enhance > Auto Sharpen

Then crop the image to your liking (the crop tool is along the left side, next to the “T”)

Then File > Save for Web

In Save for Web some defaults come up that you need to change:

Change GIF to JPEG then change Selective to Very High or Maximum

In the New Size block change the width from whatever number is in the box to 550.  The height will auto adjust.

Now hit OK and here is what you’ve got:

Now you’ve got a clear, bright photo of your card at a good file size that is ready to upload to the 2Peas gallery!

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Thanks so much for sharing your process with us, Laura!  Now we hope to see even more inspiring projects in our gallery. :)  

Find more inspiration from Laura including cardmaking and scrapbooking from digital to hybrid to traditional papercrafting on her blog.  You'll find she also regularly updates her Two Peas gallery too.  Thanks again, Laura!

We value the feedback you share when you leave product reviews in the Two Peas store.  That's why every month we give away a prize pack to a randomly selected product reviewer.  Here is the prize pack for this month - just oozing with all kinds of fun items to scrap your back-to-school memories!  Just leave a review in the store and you're automatically entered.  For every review you do, you're given another entry!  

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Congratulations to pkentosh - you are our randomly selected product reviewer from last month!  The September prize set of goodies will be sent to the address in your Two Peas account shortly. :)

Each month we partner with your favorite brands to give you an excuse to not only play with their products and get some crafting done, but a chance to win BIG!  Check out the most recent challenges we've posted here for details.  

We can't wait to see what you come up with!

And now it's time to announce last month's vendor challenge winners!  

Congratulations to...

missusg, ania79, sarinda, texaschic, Lu Minoti, and biochemipea

The prizes will be sent to the addresses in your Two Peas account shortly; you'll want to make sure those are up-to-date.  Congrats again and thanks so much to everyone who played along!