New Clients, New Projects, New Hope!

I had a great time at the fundraiser on Saturday. Above is a photo of my display table. A little crowded; the table was smaller than I expected, and I had a lot of layouts and albums I wanted to share. Still, it worked out fine. I had the opportunity to show my work to a number of people, pass out flyers and business cards, and talk about what digital scrapbooking is. I (still!) often forget that there are so many people who simply don't know what a digital scrapbook layout is, not to mention all the things you can do with them.

AND!!! Several people signed up to receive my newsletter and, even better, I got three new clients! That alone was worth all the work it took to put together the display. One of the new clients has already sent me her photos and I'm so excited about her project. Not just a Baby Book, it's a Labor and Delivery Book! So many ideas are already spinning around in my head and I can't wait to get started on it.

But first - Thanksgiving! I'll be taking this next week off, and enjoying time with my family. In my book, Thanksgiving is the Number One Family Holiday.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone!

New Baby Layout - Digi-Scrapping Style

One of the things I love about digital scrapbooking is the way I can manipulate photos.

I can change them to black-and-white, enlarge, shrink, enhance the color and contrast, crop in creative ways, and much more. I can also apply all kinds of filters, borders, spot coloring, remove blemishes and distracting elements, combine two or more photos to get the best smile on everyone in a large group, add or remove people from a group shot....it just goes on and on.

The layout above used just one photo. I took the photo, enlarged it, changed it to black and white, and used it as the layout background. Then I used the same photo, in a smaller size, cropped it into a circle, and blurred the edges. Then I simply added the text.

It's always been one of my favorites.

Free Stuff - Digital Scrapbook Layouts

I'm giving two of these certificates away at the fundraiser on Saturday, as either door or raffle prizes (whatever the coordinators decide). They are each worth $50. I hope the winners take advantage of them; it would be a shame not to!

My display table items are just about ready. I'll take a photo of it on Saturday and post it as soon as I can.

I'll be taking a bit of a breather after Saturday, for the Thanksgiving holiday.

My first order of business on my return will be the December newsletter and the December free page layout.

Oh, you want a gift certificate, too? Sorry, they are for fundraiser participants only. However! Visit my website; there's a freebie you can pick up. Just click on the Freebies link at the top of the home page (there's a new one every month). But before you leave the home page, be sure to sign up for my monthly newsletter (scroll down to the bottom of the page); the subscribers often get special deals not available to anyone else!

Sponsor/Vendor at Mary Farmar Crafting Fundraiser

I have been wanting to do this for a long time but am only just now able to pull it all together (I hope). I'm going to be a sponsor/vendor at a crafting fundraiser! This is just a small, local event, but it will let me get my feet wet and try out various ways of displaying my products and services. Here are some of the things I'll be using:

I'll be displaying some of my 12x12 digital scrapbook layouts in frames, a framed 8.5 x 11 layout, a photo cube with 6 layouts, a Dangle by Webajeb, a slideshow of my work in a Kodak Digital Picture Frame and, of course, various albums in various sizes from 6x6 to 12x12, and including all-digital and hybrid albums. There's some work to do to get ready, but it should be fun!

This is a baby-step in the world of vendors; I have not done this before, but welcome this opportunity to try out different ways of displaying my products and services, and to learn by doing. My hope is that by next summer I'll be ready to hit some of the bigger Home & Garden shows, Farmer's Markets, Arts & Crafts Faires, etc. I know that I need to move out of my comfort zone in order to grow my business.

I'll also be giving away gift certificates, which the fundraiser staff will give away as doorprizes and drawing prizes. The proceeds of the fundraiser are to benefit Mary Farmar Elementary School in Benicia, CA., so it's well worth the cost to me. Winners of the gift certificates would simply email me one to three digital photos and I'll create a custom digital scrapbook layout suitable for framing (any size they want up to 12x12) OR they could slip it straight into whatever album or scrapbook they have.

I'm excited! If you live in or around Benicia, and would like to attend the Mary Farmar Crafting Fundraiser (for scrapbookers, sewers, quilters, beaders, knitters, etc., etc.), simply email Barbara Kephart at bkephart@comcast.net. But don't delay; space is limited!

November Means Family Photo Opps

Happy November!

I'm always excited with this month rolls around. Halloween is over, Fall has Fell, and my favorite family holidays are just around the corner.

Here is a layout I created for a Family Reunion, but that would also work GREAT for all the family photos you're sure to capture this Thanksgiving.The large spot in the middle is perfect for a group shot. Then in the smaller spots you would place individual photos of family members or friends. Here is the layout with photos included:

Of course, you could use this for any event you wish. A child's birthday party, a sporting event, weekend trip, the possibilities are endless.

I have offered this layout FREE to my newsletter subscribers (as of today) and am now also offering it to my blog readers. Just send me 9 photos and I'll pop them into the layout. Use my Webajeb Photo Dropbox (powered by yousendit.com) to easily send your photos. If you have never used my photo dropbox before please click here for detailed instructions.

I can even modify the color of the background paper to match your photos. You'll receive back (in about 4 weeks) two digital files, one suitable for printing, the other for e-mailing or uploading to the web. I can also print the layout for you at a minimal charge (see my prices here).

Don't miss this great (and FREE!) opportunity!