New Year's Sale!

It's been a crazy end to December as I knew it would be.  With a little man's birthday and all the holiday celebrations, I finally feel like I'm emerging from a Christmas-y cloud!  I'm ready to get back to scrapping and designing!  I will be posting more products, pages, and other ideas just as soon as I get them completed.
I hope everyone is looking forward to the start of 2012.  To celebrate and help you stock up for your scrapping adventures, I'm putting my entire store on sale at 40% off the list price starting December 30th, 2011 and running through January 2, 2012.  Happy New Year!

December Daily

Template 33 by Tiffany Tillman

December Daily

JS.com Template Tuesday #48

JS.com Template Tuesday #44

Template by Tiffany Tillman

Well, on marches December!  The last several days have been busy in our home as I'm sure it has in many others.  Our little boy is turning one soon and this past weekend we were able to celebrate with some of our family and friends.  It was a really fun time and AJ sure enjoyed himself!  Those who had not seen him in a bit were very impressed by his walking and could not believe how big he is getting.  He was showered with wonderful presents and is having a blast discovering them all. 

December Daily

December Daily

I almost fell behind but I am getting it done!  The important part is to at least remember to take the pictures and that I have not stopped doing!  Hope everyone else is able to keep up or at least do your best to record some of the special memories for this month!

December Daily

We continue to enjoy the holiday season.  Our home is festive and we hope to continue to welcome many friends and family over.  Our new stockings have arrived and they are super cute!  And we also took AJ to see Santa Clause.  We'd hoped that his love for the camera would allow us to capture at least one smile but he just melted down the minute he hit Santa's lap.  Oh well, I guess we have the traditional crying baby in Santa's lap picture.  :)  The experience made me really feel for Santa - that's a lot of crying babies!

Anatomy of a Page - December Daily Edition

I'm pleased that I've been able to keep up so well with my December Daily this year; however, I also know that it's the later part of December that actually becomes the real challenge for me so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!  Today I'm posting my page from December 7th where I had some fun paper crafting the card board I shared with you yesterday.  I've been doing more paper crafting again and it is pure joy!  In this page I had a lot of fun playing with shadows and some other looks but what I'd like to point out to you is my use of blending modes and how I created a realistic use for digital tape.  Here is the page:

There are a few places on this page where I used blending modes.  Let me first say, if you've not tried them, please do so!  You will find so many interesting ways to use them once you know how to work with them - or even find something unexpected along the way!  Let's start with the frame.  This frame is from the Essentials Collection by Carina Gardner.  Both the front and back frame looked like the back when I started.  I copied it to a new layer and erased the back frame so that in the end, they would both be a bit different.  Once done, I pulled out a paper that was red and cream chevon.  It looked pretty cool just like that but I thought I could make it look a bit more natural than it did with just the clip mask of the paper on the frame.  So, I started playing with the blending modes and really liked what I found in the darken section.  These modes will allow the darkest color to come through.  I ended up using "darker color" which rid the paper of it's cream.  I like the look of it!
The second place where I used blending was on the circles on the left side of the page.  I wanted to stitch these on and then because I love playing with shadows to make things look more dimensional, I tried to make them look like they were coming off the page a bit.  It looked good but I still wanted it to look a bit more realistic.  So I found a paper in stock that was crumpled and creased.  I clipped that to the circle layer and found just the right crease and to lay in the right spot by moving and rotating the paper.  Once set, I used the "overlay" mode.  The end result is that you see the crease but the original design shows through.
And lastly I wanted to talk about digital tape.  I used the tape in my design to affix the note card to the page.  After I made the swirl look a bit like chipboard using the bevel and emboss function, I wanted to do the same thing to my note card.  Then, my tape looked kinda silly.  First I reduced the opacity of the tape layer because that's how I think tape should look.  I then marquee selected the note card layer using Ctrl+right click on the layer, with my tape layer selected I then jumped that overlapping portion to a new layer using Ctrl+J.  Right away it looked better since the tape was less transparent in that area.  I then added a small drop shadow for extra dimension so the tape appeared to fold down the chipboard and onto the background.
I enjoy challenging myself to make my digital pages look as realistic as possible and hope you've found a few tips to experiment with.

Project & December Daily

Isn't it great when without planning you can make something pretty cool with some simple things you already have on hand?  Yeah, I think so too.  In just under 30 minutes I was able to whip together this item to hold our holiday cards.

It might not be a masterpiece but it will certainly work and also adds a little holiday cheer.  We had this old cork board in our basement.  It pains me to say that I think it's from college...  I took three sheets of holiday cardstock to cover it with using spray adhesive.  Then I took a light green ribbon and put five pieces down going in one diagonal direction.  I secured them using some tiny push pins.  Next, I choose a darker green ribbon to do the other direction.  I cut them and secured them with the same push pins, with the exception of the corners.  You could use the same color ribbon or lots of different colors - it's just great to use up what I had on hand!  If nap time had not ended, I may have painted the frame but alas, it's still pretty cute.  And fast!  No need to make it completely perfect as it will be filled up by cards soon enough.
And, let's not forget December Daily!  I've been keeping up!

Happy St. Nick's!

Growing up, both myself and my husband celebrated the coming of St. Nicholas on the eve of December 5th, so naturally the tradition has continued in our household.  On the morning of the 6th, we wake to discover what little treats he's left behind for us.  This will be our first year celebrating with AJ and we are excited to introduce the tradition to him.  He opened a small, plush gingerbread man...hey, he's not quite one so he was pretty excited.  Our lovely labrador got a great rope toy, which he never gets since he's so destructive with his toys, so all and all, a great day here.
I wanted to do something special for my husband so I made for him (and my parents) these adorable little snow globes that I picked up at Michael's.  It really was a very simple craft to do and will make a great item to adore his desk at work during the holiday season.

To complete this project, you just need to do a few simple things:
1. Open Photoshop (or whatever program you use) and create a new file that is 4 in. by 6 in.  This is because you will be printing it out on photo paper.
2. I used my guides to create a rectangle for the dimensions which were listed right on the snowglobe.  It measured 2.1 inches across and 2.7 inches on each side.  I doubled the length (to fit both sides on one print)  and included a guide to denote the middle where I would cut my design.
3. Then I selected my rounded rectangle tool using a radius of about 400px.  You can experiment here to see what you like.  I used my guides to draw out the rectangle.
4. Just in case things weren't too exact, I added a stroke of about 16 px to the outside of the rectangle in a color that would match the papers I choose to use.
5. Then using the square marquee tool I selected one side of the design from the middle to the bottom, Ctrl-J to post in on a new layer. I did this so it would be easier to work with the front and back sides but you could just follow the guide you put in the middle.
6. Next select some digital papers and elements to complete your design.  I did the top portion as my front, then rotated my image to work on the back so I didn't have to work upside down.  I used Echo Park's "Sleigh Ride", a frame from Carina Gardner's "Essentials", and backer's twine by LivE Designs.
7. Print, Cut, and slide into the snowglobe! 

December Daily

Again, so far so good!  December 3rd and 4th...

December Daily

So far so good!  I've got the first two days of December documented.  I'm sure this will only be a greater challenge going forward.  Thanks to Finn, the second of December has a lot of action...

Although I have not pre-planned my album, I have decided to go forth using only one kit and two or three fonts in order to provide cohesion to my December Daily pages.  I feel in love with the kit 12 Days of Christmas just released by Jessica Sprague and Heidi Swapp.  It has a great vintage feel, yet still modern.  In these first two pages I also grabbed some items from Carina Gardner's Essentials collection. 
I am looking forward to seeing where this takes me!  It's already be fun documenting the every day things we do.

Smart Phone Wallpaper Freebie

Tis the season!  I've got a freebie for you today - wallpaper for your smartphone!  Now you can incorporate the holiday cheer just about everywhere you look.

While some phones may differ, you can simply right click on this image and save it.  Then email it to yourself and open it up on your phone.  Next "Save Image" and then add it to your wallpaper.  On my iPhone this is done under settings - Wallpaper.  Find the image in your photos and then hit "set".  Just a simple and easy way to spread some holiday cheer!

Hello December!

First, I cannot believe it is December already!  Second, welcome December!  Yes, there is so much packed into this crazy last month of the year but it's also full of wonderful.  I'm going to try hard to stick with a December Daily album this year but I must admit I have no idea just how I'm going to prepare it...so many ideas.  I think this year I'll just go with the flow and then maybe next year I'll have a better plan!  If I can stay on task, I hope to share my album with you as I go along.

And thanks to the wonderful Heidi Swapp, I won a seat in Maggie Holmes December Daily Photography Workshop and I hope that will help me stay on task! 
So whatever your plans for December, it's here already!  And have fun!

Happy Cyber Monday!

I know I'm doing the majority of my shopping online this year and I especially love all the deals and free shipping that Cyber Monday brings!  My store at ndisb.com has been 50% off since Black Friday and will be through the rest of today!  As a special bonus to the first five customers that use it, I'm offering a special coupon code.  Simply fill your cart with at least $8 of digital goodies from Little Birdie Digital Designs and enter CYBERMONDAY to get $3 off!

Have a great day!!

Black Friday Sale

It's been a while since I've updated the blog!!  I've been working on a bunch of projects so I just have not had a one make it to completion for posting.  Oh well, they will all be popping up very soon  I suppose.  I'm really looking forward to Thanksgiving this week, especially the cooking.  I just love making some new recipes along with the traditional and the smell of the house as that turkey cooks!
The next fun thing to look forward to is Black Friday sales.  I've already seen some early sales pop up this week but I do love checking out that Black Friday ad and then also snagging a bunch of online purchases on Cyber Monday. 
In honor of all this fun, discounted shopping I will be putting my store at 50% off Friday through Monday!  So stop by and enjoy.  I know a lot of the other designers will be doing the same.
Happy Turkey Day and Happy Shopping!

It's Naturally Guilt Free Thursday!

That's right!  Another NGFT is upon us and today you can snag both the Boho Chic Stickers and Naturally Blue Elements for only $1 each.  Check them out in my store.

Get scrapping!

Now that the halloween fun has come and gone it's time to get those pages scrapped while the memories are still fresh in your mind.  I've just finished my last page using my kit "Altered Art Halloween".  Feel free to check out this layout and other in my gallery.

We had a TON of fun this year with our cute little sock monkey!!  And we are looking forward to next year when he'll be running around the neighborhood with the rest of the kiddos.

New Release!

A new release is in store today!  It’s time to party!!  This cute little elephant is coming out ready to celebrate.  The perfect kit to document any party, but especially a birthday party.  This bright and fun collection will provide many scrapping options but is also perfect for making printed party decorations.  As an add-on you can purchase the party printables and templates to make your party celebration come to life!

Papers:  Eight solid colored cardstock papers and nine patterned slightly distressed papers. 

Elements:  47 fun elements to adorn your scrapbook pages or brighten your printed party projects.  The element set includes: three arrows, five colorful balloons, four banners, binderclip, two borders, brad prong, two word art, elephant, elephant birthday tag, three epoxy buttons, single photo frame, double photo frame, two glitter splats, seven journal cards, paperclip, two party hats, glittered starburst, staple, three colored stars, star overlay, swirl overlay, swirl, two circle tags.  

Alpha: A fun upper case and numeric cardstock alpha

Printables and Templates:  A perfect complement to the Elephant Party Scrapbooking Kit.  Get everything you need to throw your own fun elephant-themed party with the printables and templates package.   You will receive a PDF file printable for a HAPPY BIRTHDAY banner, placecards, invitations, and toppers.  The toppers include both a front and back design so you can piece them together.  For example, place a toothpick between the two parts and you have the perfect cupcake decoration!

Also included is a PSD template to personalize your very own party banner, invites, and toppers with a fun star design.

Right now my entire store is 30% for the rest of the weekend!

Digital Scrapbooking Day is Coming!

It's hard to believe that it is almost here again!  Digital Scrapbooking Day is coming up this weekend on Saturday, November 5th.  Be sure to clear your calendar and get ready to enjoy all the fun online.  I'd love it if you and your wish list would make my store one of your stops that day.  Everything will be 30% off with select kits for only $1 starting Friday, November 4th and continuing on through the weekend.

Ten reasons to try digital scrapbooking

I find that people either don't understand what digital scrapbooking is, believe they will not have time for it, or are just a bit intimidated by "all that computer stuff."  Well, I could go on addressing each of these points but today I am going to list just 10 reasons why you might want to give it a try.
1. Less planning.  Seriously.  All you need is available right in your home with a computer and the internet.  You can browse layout ideas, find useful tips and tricks online, and shop right from home.  You also have all your digital pictures there which can be used however you want in your layouts.  No running to the craft store, waiting on the mail, or getting pictures printed.  You can simply sit down and get to work!
2. Low cost (or no cost) to try it.  While there is a host of affordable software programs that will be great to use for scrapbooking, I recommend Adobe Photoshop Elements.  This affordable software will give you great access to photo editing tools, allow you the flexibility to do a variety of projects, AND is great for digital scrapbooking - providing an easy to use software with great quality output if you want to print your pages.  AND you can try out any of Adobe's software, including Elements, for FREE for 30 days.   Combine that with a bunch of generally available digiscrap freebies and you can tinker until you get addicted.
3. Supplies last forever.  Do I really need to go on?  You download something and you can use it however and whenever you want FOREVER.  Ok, well as long as the world is still using computers...
4.Easy to share your work.  In this digital age you can share your scrapbook pages with everyone you know.  You can post them to facebook, twitter, blogs, internet galleries, etc.  Your family can share your journey with you whether they live near or far.
5. Yes, you can print your pages.  By far the question I am most asked!  Yes, you can print your pages.  You can have a bound book made.  You can put individual pages in regular, old scrapbooks.  You can hang them on your walls or do anything else you might desire to do.  There are a variety of quality printers out there that allow you to upload your files and will send your beautiful work back to you printed.   You can even print them at home if you have a photo printer.  And, to answer your next question, yes, it is affordable.  If you look for a good sale like I do, I can say that I've spent on average $1.60 per page for printing.
6. Much more variety in supplies. Since digital scrapbook designers do not need to work with a printer and distributor to get their supplies out to the masses, there is a large and amazing variety of supplies available to you digitally.  Yes, you do need to make sure what you are getting is quality but it is very easy to find a number of reputable shops out there.  There are often specials where designers offer freebies so you can try out their work before you spend a dime.
7. Incredibly versatile! Love that paper but it's the wrong shade of blue or you'd rather it be brown?  Well, when you are working with digital supplies a simple change like that is quick and easy to do.  The supplies you accumulate have a versatility unlike any paper supplies.
8. You can make paper supplies.  Just like people won't touch an e-reader claiming a love of paper in their hands, some scrappers just like that touch.  Well, if you have a printer, you can simply print digital paper onto actual paper and get the same effect.  You can use your digital supplies to make paper pages, cards, or even decorations. 
9. Do-overs welcome.  If you finish a page and don't love it, do it again!  In fact, every step of the way you can use the awesome and powerful "undo" option to do it over again and again until you love it. 
10. Digital scrapbooking day is November 5th!  Really, there is no better time than now to consider trying this out.  The digiscrap community will have a slew of fun events this coming Saturday, along with free giveaways, blog trains for freebies, and some super great sales.  If you've ever considered giving this a try then there is no better time than now to collection some supplies, see some great layouts, find helpful resources, and just check out the possibilities.