Last Live Streaming at CHA

Journal wording reads Charity Wings (Charitywings.org) had a Live Streaming Event at CHA in Los Angeles at the beginning of 2011. Now, since I am getting excited about being there for a repeat of the fun next week in Chicago; I reviewed some photos of the last CHA and decided that they were definitely worthy of a scrap layout.

Watching Elena as she pulls this production together is great fun. I'm handicapped, so, I cannot offer manpower; but, I can occasionally run an errand on my scooter (and try not to run folk over).

Getting to see all the new "stuff" up close and personal and reviewing the product with the designers and manufacturers is a very special experience. The format of offering this experience to all who contribute to the charity effort, by live streaming the event, is terrific.

I did spend a little time at the Westcott booth where folk made donations and created duck tape fashions. Such creative and fun folk attend CHA. It was great fun to meet them!

Huge Westcott Giveaway

Are you following the Charity Wings blog?  Well why not!We are giving away a huge prize worth $100 for just following the Charity Wings blog.  That’s all you have to do. 

But you better hurry because you only have until Thursday, March 31!

Be sure to change you bookmarks or Reader to the Charity Wings blog.  We’re no longer updating this one!

The end of the "Scrapbook Royalty" blog - please go to Charity Wings to stay in touch

Dear amazing and inspiring readers,

Just a little note....we are officially transitioning all of our posts to the Charity Wings blog.  

So to stay in touch with everything happening at Charity Wings, please adjust your following to the new blog!  Join us!

Happy National Craft Month, everyone!

Blog Feature: Bubblegum Life

As promised, our goal is introduce you to some amazing designers, avid crafters, talented folks through this blog.  The introduction will hopefully always include an example of one of their great projects and/or a video tutorial.  Today's blogger feature is the incredibly cute blog of Carrie Elias and Gloria King called Bubblegum Life.  They've been so kind as to let us borrow their latest post for you all!  Check them out!

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Thanks for stopping by to see our projects today!  I loved the photos from our last photo prompt so much, that I decided to use some of my favorite scrapbooks papers to create a 12x12 layout.....



When I went to make my layout, I really liked how clean the lines looked before I adhered everything together so this ended up being the first layout I've done without sewing in I don't know how long : )  To take advantage of this I mounted my photo onto chipboard so they would have a little bit of lift.  And to add even more depth, there are pop-up foamies under the heart border on the right and also the square love journaler.....





.....So pretty much this layout is most of the items below all layered together in the center of my paper.  And here are all the individual pieces I used (the Hambly Overlay and Prima Pearls are from the lovely Color Me Miki shop).....



This layout ended up being so special to me, that it is now displayed in my living room safely encased (and protected from the doggies) in a black 12x12 photo box : )

I hope you get a chance to make something you love sometime soon <3

And here's Nely's project using the current Pink Ninja Addicts monthly kit named Redemption Song.....

happy project monday!!, when making a layout for this picture, I knew I wanted neutral colors with a pop of color!  All the perfect papers and trims were in the march kit *redemption song* from Pink Ninja Addicts!  I love how the turquoise paper "pops" in the background, and it has a hint a brown to blend in with the background.  It came out simple, but perfect for me!!  hope you have a happy creative day!!

The Happiest Expo on Earth!!!

I've almost recovered from our time in Anaheim this weekend at the first Scrapbook Expo of the year! If you didn't already know, Charity Wings is hosting the crops at all 13 Scrapbook Expo's this year. Add to that a rocking, fun filled booth with I must say the best Make and Take at the Expo, and a very special guest Suzi Blu! I just love spending time with Suzi, she is so talented, she makes me want to create fun art! Which is how it should be, art should be from the heart and soul and it should make you smile and want to create more art!

We used these awesome new products by Faber Castel, my favorite were the Watercolor Color Pencils. It's like Crayola Color Pencils gone wild! We used Suzi Blu's little petite doll stamps by Unity Stamps and these cool canvas tags by Maya Road.



We had 2 fantastic give aways going and I know the folks out there who participated are just dying to know if they won or not so I won't lead them on much longer.

Did you win the Cricut Imagine or Flip Pal?  click here to see the winning numbers! Prizes have not been claimed yet!

If both of you would contact us at info@charitywings.org, we'll get those on their way to you. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us. Once we know the names of these fair ladies we'll get them posted!


I would like to take a moment and thank the wonderful volunteers who helped us out at the Expo over the weekend! They really are the heart of Charity Wings, without their help we could not function!

I would also like to thank all of the vendors that were so generous and donated items for the raffles each night for the crops. We were able to raise over $2,500.00for 2 really great charities. I'll get Elena to post their info.


The crops were a lot of fun, Friday and Saturday night I have to say the highlight for me was the Westcott Scissor Dance Off, this is new to the crops this year, we got the ladies up and shaking their...well you know what they were shaking and we gave away lots of great products from Westcott!


Both nights we also awarded 4 lucky people with either an ecraftwell machine or a Kodak Scanner Printer!
I have to say the prizes and raffles were just awesome!

If you want to check out some of the action you can view photos at

http://ScrapbookRoyalty.winkflash.com
in the folder:
110224 Anaheim Scrapbook Expo

Next up for us will be the Pleasanton,California Expo, March 18th and 19th. If you live in the area and would like to help out, please contact Elena at elena@charitywings.org she would love the help!

Hope to see you all soon at a Scrapbook Expo near you!

Sheila

Christy Tomlinson—Brave Girl, Collage Artist, Business Owner (and a giveaway)

You’ve heard me write about the Brave Girls Club on this blog.  I had the opportunity to go to Brave Girls Camp in July 2010, and one of the most amazing things about BGC is the women you meet.  Although Christy Tomlinson wasn’t at the July camp, I already feel I know her personally through the group of Brave Girls on Facebook.

Christy owns Scarlet Lime scrapbook kit club, Scarlet Lime Bead Art and she has recently added a wonderful mixed media art section to her Scarlet Lime kit store.

For the last several months, I have been watching Christy post some beautiful collage art pieces on her blog and on her Facebook page.  She is a very talented collage artist and she loves sharing her talent through tutorials and online classes.  Christy has agreed to giveaway one spot in her She Art Workshop that starts next week but more on that later in the post.

Today, I’m going to share with you her most recent tutorial for a beautiful Love is in the Air Collage.  Christy shares a number of her collage techniques in this tutorial.

The tutorial is in two parts.  Enjoy!!!

Love is in the Air

Love is in the Air

Now, how about that giveaway I talked about?

Christy has agreed to giveaway one spot in her upcoming She Art Workshop!!!  Yay!  This is definitely on my to do list! 

Just leave a comment on the Charity Wings blog here  (you are welcome to comment on this post but it won’t count towards the contest) and we’ll choose a winner on Sunday, February 27.  The class begins Monday, February 28. 

A review of Live at CHA

On my personal blog, I raved about my experience in taking part in CHA through Charity Wings.  I thought my enthusiasm for the weekend was unique and too silly to share with you all.  However, the adorable Julie Cooper-Hraynyk has since confirmed that I'm not the only overly enthused nut. Ha!

Julie shared a few of her thoughts and actually stated that the

experience was more than [she] ever expected!

"I signed in, focused like I was about to take three days of intense classes. After logging in I suddenly realized I was in a chat room full of nurturing ladies who all shared the same passion for crafting as I do.

Shortly our moderators and volunteers joined the room, coming online to introduce themselves, the countdown started for the beginning of our event. We were all so excited, sharing stories and showing things we had made. Some showing their studios and others introducing their families.  

Once Elena came on the screen she was so energetic, wanting everything to be perfect for all of us, 

some of the time there was more than 100 of us all in the chat room at one time. 

 

This didn't fluster Elena or the moderators and volunteers at all. We met so many "celebrities".   At times we were awestruck and speechless. Vendors came on screen to show us new products and how to use them, then they were generous enough to give us a chance to win the new products as well as donating a second set to be posted as a silent auction on eBay to raise money for the wonderful charity, Crops Of Love. 

I was so touched to know that I was able to be a part of this. It opens your heart to realize that what you give can do so much for others. 

I learned so much from the vendors, got to see generosity first hand, was given the chance to help raise money for charity via silent auctions and last but not least I made friends with people from all over the states, as well as Australia. 

I can not wait to join in on another event with Charity Wings."

 

Julie also mentioned that she had never made a card before this webcast!  I was so shocked to see people say things like that...but then again, I know ther are many crafty things that I haven't yet attempted myself.

The first card Julie made was one inspired and demoed by Nikki Sivils.  She was super sweet and great at inspiring all of us to use the samples to our own liking.

How cute is this card?!

I guess Julie was so inspired by how quick it is to make a card because she made another card that weekend using the Prima flowers and paper.

Second card Julie has EVER made!

inside of Julie's card

 
Great job, Julie!!!!!!!  Hope you will only continue to be inspired to try something new, but I understand how it great it feels to do something like this when you're also benefiting a great cause like Crops of Luv!

Let’s Help Crops of Luv

Did you participate in Live at CHA.  Well, if you did, you already know that many, many items were donated by designers and manufacturers to benefit Crops of Luv!!!  Charity Wings is selling those items on eBay.

Let me give you some examples.  Click on any of the photos to be taken to that auction.

 

 

The first thing donated was this adorable Slumber Party Tote designed and created by the lovely, Laura Bray.  It even includes the cutie pie teddy bear!!!

Isn’t this the perfect set to send that little girl off on her first sleepover?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Would you like to get organized?  Well, you can certainly do that with a brand new Clip it Up by Simply Renee.  It includes all you see here; the bottom tier, upper tier and the base plus the zip bags and clips.  Boy, would I like this on my desk.  Keeping things out in the open where you can see them means you’ll use them more. 

No more finishing a project and then saying, “Oh I could have used THAT paper but I forgot about it.”   I know I have a whole cart of paper sitting on the other side of the room because I just don’t have room for it near me.    The paper in that cart rarely gets used.

 

 

 

 

 

I am in love with this Vintage Street Market kit.  I’m hoping I win it.  If not, I sure hope it will be in my LSS!!!

What would I get, you ask?  You will receive the Dime Store Vogue Collection I set and you will get 1 package of Linen Tinted Tape, and 1 package of Aged Tinted Tape.  I’ve seen these items put to use on their blog and they are so fun!!!

 

 

 

 

There are several electronic items as well.

  

The eCraft Electronic cutting system.  The first and only electronic cutter that allows you to cut without a mat.  Its ease of use combined with advanced technology makes the eCraft the perfect cutting system for all consumers- beginner to expert. It is ideal for scrapbooking, banners, paper crafting, card making, fashion designing, home decor, and so much more.

The eCraft's unique design and paper feeder system make it easy to cut materials automatically, without the use of a cutting mat. Use the Paper Tray to stack multiple sheets at a time, or use the Roller to cut 12" by ANY length.  The eCraft is ultra slim, and its lightweight design and onboard storage compartment let you take it anywhere. Use it on its own with SD Image Cards, or attached to a computer with the eCraftshop Design Software that comes in the box! With the large selection of fonts, shapes and designs, anyone can be an expert in minutes. Making great looking projects has never been easier!

Brought to you be eCraft, the winner will receive a unit in one of the 4 colors shown above.  I’d be choosing the light blue!!!

 

 

FlipPal Mobile Scanner.  Preserve and protect memories…share them with loved ones.

Memories and stories bind families together.  How will you preserve and share yours?  With the FlipPal™ mobile scanner, no longer will your precious photos, documents and other memories be scattered, lost or hidden. Have fun and enhance your creativity, then share your memories with family and friends. And save time in the process. Take advantage of the patented flip-and-scan technology to scan photos safely while still in the album or frame.

You can scan a lot more than photos too!  Do you remember Elena’s video here?  If you didn’t got take a look!  You’ll have fun going shopping with her as she scans just about everything in sight!!!

 

Echo Smartpen by Live Scribe.  The Echo™ smartpen records everything you hear, write and draw. Later, simply tap on your notes to replay the recording so you can find what you need, instantly. 4GB of memory can hold over 400 hours of audio.

• Record and Play Back--Remember everything you write and hear.  Then replay the recorded audio by tapping directly on your notes.
• Save and Search--Save your notes to your computer. Search for words within your notes.
• Send and Share--Share your notes and recordings either publicly or privately. Pencasts can be sent as an email or embedded in a website, blog, or on Facebook.
• Applications--Customize your smartpen with downloadable applications available at livescribe.com.

Doesn’t that sound like the coolest thing ever!  It would be perfect for you high school senior heading off to college or just about anyone else!!!  I would love to use it for my art journaling!

There are so many more things that I just couldn’t possibly list them all here but here’s a partial list.

• craft books
• Sure Scraps a Lot
• Cri-Kits pen sets for Cricut, Silhouette and Eclipse
• Copics
• and more.

Go check it out and, remember, it all benefits Crops of Luv.

Time…Where Does It Go?

This is reposted from the Brave Girl Club blog.

Lately I have been busy….like crazy busy.  As a mother of 2 babies (ages 3 months and 2 years), wife (of -among other things – a high school wrestling coach), homemaker, assistant to Brave Girls Club and everything else I do, I am always running from one thing to the next – appointments, wrestling meets, breakfast, lunch and dinner, diapers, laundry, work.  At any given time I have a handful of things I could give my attention to.  In the last few weeks I’ve felt exhausted by it…unable to get ahead or even feel like I have a handle on all of the important things going on.  I’ve got to prioritize and that’s a hard job – figuring out which is MOST important from a list of important things.

It wasn’t always like this…I mean thinking back…when I was a kid there wasn’t much to prioritize and if there was I didn’t know it because it was all done for me.  As far as I was concerned at that age, all 24 hours in the day belonged to me.  They were mine to do whatever I wanted with…no worries about anyone else.  My mom woke me up for breakfast and got me to school, fed me lunch and dinner and tucked me into bed at night.  The rest of the day was wide open with possibilities for coloring, building sand castles, jumping rope, playing house and really anything else me, my sister and our imaginations could come up with.

Fast forward a few years and I decided to take on some responsibility and get a job while I was in high school.  In other words for the first time in my life I made the decision to take a few of the hours that belonged to me and give them to something else.  And it felt good, and grown up and like the right thing to do and the right step to take.  I still had LOTS of hours left over for myself and as the years went on and I left high school for college, time for myself increased.  I moved out and soon all 24 hours in the day were mine – to choose who and where to allot them.

Somewhere in college I met a boy…I mean I met lots of boys…but I met one boy who stood out from all the others.  It didn’t take long (and certainly didn’t take a conscious decision) to start giving all of my extra hours to him.  Pretty soon we shared more of my hours than I took for myself and a few months down the road, when he asked me, I made the choice to keep him in my life – to always have time for him and for us.

Fast forward to today and we have made the choice to have 2 babies…babies who require time in order to be cared for and to feel loved.  And as you know from the beginning of my post there are a million other things I have my time going toward.  I have no doubt you are the same way.

The time has come for me to really prioritize…maybe it’s time for me to cut things out all together…maybe you feel the same way.  Because we only get 24 hours in a day…a hard lesson we’ve all learned is that sometimes we just don’t have time for everything we’ve said “yes” to.  And that’s okay!  As long as we are saying “yes” to the right things…the BEST things…and “no” to the things that aren’t going to matter as much in the long run.

In my journey to figure out where to put my time, I am learning that I can only do one or two things at the same time REALLY well.  The time that belongs to my children should REALLY belong to them.  They deserve it, and I deserve it AND they are the choice I made.  That means that the time that belongs to them is theirs…they don’t have to share it with work…except housework, but that’s important for them and it’s not all the time.

The point is…they get some of the time just for them.

My husband gets some of my time.

My home gets some of my time…for my peace…for my family’s peace.

Meals get some of my time because it’s important for me to feed my family healthy, thoughtful food.

I get some of my time…to recharge…to exercise…to be alone with my thoughts…to sleep.

My job gets some of my time.

BUT here’s the big one…once all of our 24 hours are gone, they’re gone.  As much as we wish for some time bank where we can make unlimited withdrawals, there isn’t one.  I say “we” because I’m sure you’ve wished for the same.  Until we realize that our time is limited, it’s easy to spend a few “extra” hours on this or that.  But there are no bonus hours, there are no free or extra hours.  There are 24 hours.  That’s all we get, and we have to decide where they belong and who/what to give them to.

If I want to give more time to my job, I have to take it from somewhere it’s already been allotted, which doesn’t seem like a big deal (and once in a while it probably isn’t a big deal) until I think about those hours as the ones I’ve already promised to my babies or to my husband or to our peaceful home.  Am I willing to take my time from them and give it to my JOB?  I’ve done that…unintentionally like I’m sure you have…and let me tell you, it doesn’t make anyone happy.

So Jackson time belongs to Jackson – not to the computer or the vacuum or the toilet brush and Lydia time belongs to her and to her snuggles.  And work time is for work and if I am going to decide to give time to work, then I’ve got to do that without taking from anything or anyone else.   And once the time is gone…it’s gone.  Maybe before all the hours are gone, we should really think about where we are putting them….and where we are taking them from.

It is such a delicate balance, but we can do it.  We might have to cut things out – so let’s do it!!   Things that are robbing our time…people who are robbing our time.  Things and people that are good, but aren’t the BEST things for us to give our time to.  I can do it, you can do it.  Let’s prioritize…let’s give 100% of our time, attention and energy intentionally.  Let’s give our time to the people and things that mean the very most to us and leave the rest for someone else (or no one else…that would be okay too).

Thanks Kallie!  This is beautifully said and a real lesson for all women.  I met Kallie and Jackson (Lydia wasn’t quite here yet) at Brave Girls Camp in July.  I have to tell you that Jackson doesn’t always look a little unhappy.  He was almost always happy even among over 25 women that he didn’t even know!!!

snOMG 2011 in Chicago...now what?

Well...it's official....the Chicago Blizzaster has hit!  It's almost midnight here in Chicago and this is what I see outside my window.  We've experienced something called Thundersnow (unreal!) which I don't ever recall having witnessed before.

Yup....the snow is really piled up that high and this beast has just picked up steam!

So what does this mean for me tomorrow ?  Thankfully, I can (and have to) work from home tomorrow.  I'm guessing a good chunk of my team, if not all, will be home tomorrow so there won't be a lot of communicating.  This could even get more problematic if the power goes out - eek!

So I'm snowed in...what shall I do?

CREATE!!!!

Having spent the weekend with so many of you, I've been able to see the coolest new and upcoming products and I've been inspired.  If you weren't able to participate in the webcast this weekend, make sure to stop by the Charity Wings facebook page.  All the links to the designers and manufacturers are posted.  Lots and lots of good stuff, I promise!!!!

The coolest product I saw this weekend?  Hmmm.....I think I'm going to have to say that I was awe-struck by TAP (Transfer Artist Paper).  I can't wait to stop by my lss to pick some up and play.

I also can't wait to hear about how much we were able to raise for Crops of Luv!  A lot of items were put for auction on eBay to continue benefiting Crops of Luv...so make sure to stop my and submit some bids.  There is some super cool stuff on there!  I'll gladly take any donations :)

I also just officially joined Club Royalty.  I know, I know....bad blogger Nubia!  I should have signed up ages ago!  But in doing so, I got to see some of the cool initiatives that they just shared...so I'm definitely gonna catch up and make some cards for that.  Maybe that's where I'll start tomorrow!

First day of LIVE at CHA!

If you didn't have the chance to take part in today's webcast from CHA, I will be the first to rub it in....

YOU MISSED A TON!

In all seriousness, the Crops of Luv fundraiser through this webcast has far exceeded my expectations.  The make & takes are great, and we have the chance to hear from various manufacturers and designers.

There is so much that I could talk about....but thankfully all of the links to the amazing people and products we saw today can be found on the Scrapbook Royalty facebook page.