Lynda's Den

Scrapbooking and making cards is just a part of paper crafting in general...being able to do quite a few things with paper, depending on the adhesives you use, and the project you are working on!  Scrapbooking can also be very therapeutic too, if you are struggling with something in your life.  I lost an ex to suicide and my dad 5 years to the day later; nobody understood how hard it was on me, I was suppose to be the same ol' me.. In between the above, we were dealing with other things...family drama we will just say, from both my side and my husbands side...  While dealing with all of that, paper crafting came to place for me...once I organized all the stuff I had, then I learned what could be done with what I have available to me.  Back to the basics, once a week I will focus on a certain basic item or technique...  This weeks technique is using templates in your layouts!  Fall is coming up, if you take a ton of fall related pictures, you might need ...

Back a few years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Lisa Bearnson at the Scrapbook Expo in Utah.  Now, at the time, I was a mess...I was dealing with a lot of personal issues, including my father getting really sick and a "family situation" that was not going away, getting worse in fact.  My sister and I had stopped in to Heartland Paper Company in Utah March 2004, my dad's birthday.     We had spent the day with him, and when Deb and I were going home we stopping in to the Grand Opening festivities at the store for a moment.  I had just started my Book of Me album, and was using it for therapy reasons, with no support system to help "deal" with it, and wanted to see the new stuff that had came out.  I had a few dollars to spend, and could spend my money wisely there with the punch card!  I showed my album to the "owner", in hopes of getting a job, or seeing what she thought of my stuff...someone outside my family circle so to speak....

Each week I will bring you sites, or specials...or things I really think you should look at.   If you have a site, or paper craft related tool/newsletter...make sure you let me know!  I am always looking for ways to save money, and would love to showcase you in my weekly shopping alerts!  Scrap and Paper Shop Sale and Clearance  has wonderful sale items this week...a few things you might want to look at 40 Techniques for Making Cards, Clean & Simple Scrapbooking book, 52 Scrapbook Challenges and more!  I personally have quite a few of these books that I could not live without...and a few more on my list of "must haves..."!  If you have school aged children, you have got to check out Kristinas picks  at Two Peas in a Bucket, who is featuring school themed items this week!  They have also got a lot of neat digital kits for those of you who are digital scrapbookers!  Two Peas is a really fun web site to go to...and a new Challenges ...

Making cards can be really fun to make, creating that perfect handmade card for your favorite friends and family.  I started out making cards back about 20 years ago when my daughter was just a baby.  My first card that I made was a baby announcement out of a Disney Stamp...an instand love was formed.  If you already scrapbook, you have more than enough supplies available to you, simply add a few rubber stamps and ink pads and you are good to go!  Create cards when you have a specific event, such as a birthday.  In this example, I used patterned paper, a punch/brad, paper, stamp/ink pad, and a ribbon bow with a button.  The saying was embossed, though you do not need to do this, it just makes the white of the saying pop out more, making it easier to read.  Adding a simple bow and flowers for embellishments complete the look.    In this example, 1 stamp was used along with die cuts or shapes cut out to represent presents.  I added...

All About Me albums are without a doubt, the funnest albums you can make...because it's all about YOU!  Used for therapy reasons, you will discover that you are truly a normal person, and though you may have things that you are trying to deal with..you can see at the end of it all how things REALLY are!   Plus it is a way to use up all of the supplies you have bought, but had no idea what you were going to do with them... When making this layout, it was created with an All About Me challenge on a message board that is no longer around.  I had been creating my album for a while and loved this challenge.  I used what I had available to me at the time:  cardstock/paper, ink/stamps, Colluzzle alphabet system, and eyelets.  I used my Sizzix machine to create the tags; you can either find a template, cut your own, or use a die cut system to create them.  I used words to describe me using each of the letters in my name to finish off the layout!  ...

When I originally seen this ad, I instantly thought it would look darling as a scrapbook page, listing something...  So, here is the "ad" I have chosen for the week, I hope you enjoy!  Lynda Jeffs Memories in Tyme

Every Sunday I will be posting a blog about things I have found this past week...whether it be blogs I have found, sales....or just "stuff" you have got to see, todays post is all about THAT!  My first alert is a blog at scrapbook.com, which is Scrapbook.com blog  this link!  Now, this blog is the cutest idea using chipboard and ink to finish up the look.  I am telling you I can picture a ton of wonderful wall hangings using this technique, and can't wait to play more!  This is for sure on my shopping list for things that I want to learn and play with!   Joann's is celebrating National Sewing Month by giving you an additional 10% off your purchase of a Singer brand sewing machine.   Using a sewing machine isn't just for "sewing", but also for using it on your pages as well.  I use a machine without thread in it to sew the holes I want, and then use floss to sew around the edge I want in a thicker thread!  Shopping at...

Ever get stumped for unique card ideas....or just need a way to start?  Try this site Card sketches at Witty Living  to get different ideas for your cards...  Each idea is set up for you to create exactly as the sketch is, or twist it a bit and do something different to it.  Just because they have circle embellishments on the page, doesn't mean you can't use a square shape instead!      This card was originally created by a sketch...I used paper that I loved and had just a little bit left of, and didn't use on another project...  I then took a simple daisy punch, and placed a brad in the middle of it.  This type of card can be recreated using just about any paper or shape that you have available.  Make a quick card when you are making a layout, or other project...  Keep them stashed away in a shoe box that you have altered, or some other type of item!   Card making is really easy, using a few ...

Today is 9/11...a day that changed for each and every one of us....some more than others.  I remember watching the towers falling that day...and knowing that our life as we knew it would forever be changed.  For those of you who are new to scrapbooking, or new to your All About ME albums, the challenge for today is to reflect on what that day did to you, or what you were doing on that fateful day.  So much has changed, where before, you could go back to the area where the airplanes landed, you could see people get off the planes and greet your family members there.  Now, you are not able to do that...they have to stay in the front area to see you.  This is a simple card that was made with cardstock and my printer.  The paper piecing was something I had received out of a swap...using it on this card was more fitting than anything!   While you are creating your All About Me page, create a simple card and send it to one of the Troops who are fig...

I love web sites, scrapbook and rubber stamp type of sites that can help you to do multiple things...  One site I love to go to for multiple reasons, is http://www.scrapbook.com/ .  They have a shopping area, with clearance items, and brand new items...  This is great if you are the kind of person you like to shop online, or don't have a huge selection of stores!  Another perk from this site I like is you have a forum...forums are where you can meet other people that love to scrapbook too!  I stamped before I scrapbooked...but found scrapbooking forums before I found anything for stamping!  Now it seems that a lot of people have combined the two crafts...it's about time I say!  Forums are where you can find challenges, or ideas, or titles to use, or books that are must haves...just about anything, includeing "please say a prayer" type of posts!  You also have a gallery, where you can get ideas from others and post your own ideas too!...

A Page in Tyme Newsletter just started, first issue is out for September!  Check back often for updates through the month, additions on the challenges sections, and a few other fun goodies and such!   I am working on Christmas cards, and a fun gift for my cousins of my grandma's recipe's.  I am not making them for Christmas, but for each of my cousins to do what they want to FOR Christmas...     I finished up a couple of beautiful framed pages for my husband and I.  We have been together over 10 years, so I am planning on getting our picture taken at a beautiful park that is close by...   I am also working on an album for my mom...a place each of her children and grand children can put down a memory or two or a picture or two of them and grandma...  I am excited to finish it up...a project I have been working on since moving back to Colorado almost 3 years ago!   Anothe...

I love cheap and easy, and the Cricut machines, though a little expensive at first, can save you a ton of money depending on the cartridges you purchase and "have to have"!!!!!  I have 8 cartridges so far.....I use specifically 4 of them, and the one that came with the V1 machine, which is George and Basic shapes.  The projects I have made are used with either this cartridge, or the Wall Decor & More cartridge.  I recently started using the Gypsy machine with the V1, and oh boy...this one comes with 2 exclusive cartridges with a font and even more shapes!  So, when I was demoing for a local store, using the George and Basic Shapes cartridge, I made a folder with 4 cards in it...  This is what the result turned out to be:  This is the file folder itself, the top of the folder.  I took a 12 x 12 sheet of paper, trimming off 2" off one of the sides, and then folded a 2" flap on the side I just trimmed, then folding it in half creating a "folder ...

This is a framed page.....I wanted to show you the left side ofthe page, and then the right side, where the opening will be for the hidden journaling!  Where the cream color is, is where a photo will be placed, of my husband and I at a beautiful park that is close by our home.  We have been wanting to go take pictures together, so I started the framed page the photo will ultimately go on!  You can see the flower on the top left hand corner of the page, this is made by using the Cricut V1 machine, a 2.5" border flower (or 2"). You can use any border you personally like, this one was done using the Wall Decor and More cartridge. I used a blue for the very back, with the cream for the front (top) portion of the flower itself. This would be the right side of the framed page (the part you can see in the scan above) which shows you the fun part on the side of the photo where the hidden journaling will be.  The border of flowers on the bottom and top left corner simpl...

Today I want to talk to you about using scrapbooking for something other than "scrapbooking".....  When you are having a hard time dealing with a personal issue, or a tragic issue in your life, there are times where a book or therapist is not going to help.  They might help in the whole picture, but in the day to day thoughts and feelings... scrapbooking is what helped me more than anything else...  I discovered more about myself by scrapbooking my "Book of ME"...than any other album I have done.  There are times in a persons life where you really need to go to a therapist...but can't because of finances, or insurance, or other reasons.  This is what my problem was, having a need for therapy, but not being able to go to one because of one reason or another.  This is how things were for me, needing to go because of repressed memories, family stuff and then baggage from a wonderful husband that is not his fault, yet no insurance to deal with all of "th...