Monday, December 31, 2012

January STS Road Trip - Cocoa and Coffee

Happy New Year! As I write this, its twenty minutes to midnight in my time zone. And I'm hard at work on freebies for you all! :)

I wasn't thrilled about the theme this month, I'll be honest. But then, unbidden, the jazz classic "Java Jive" snuck into my head and wouldn't go away! If you haven't heard the song, check it out here!

That song was my inspiration, and here is what I came up with:

You can find it in two parts:

Part 1

Part 2

I also have a little bonus for you over on Facebook. I've packaged up the overlays I made when creating the papers!

If you want the overlays, go to my Facebook page and click on the STS RT January tab!

I'm the last stop this month, but if you missed anyone, here is a road map!

A-M Digital Designs
MDK Scraps
Desert Digi Scrap
Scrappin Serenity
Cajun Diva Scraps
Kana
Adriana's Cafe
Saphira's Scraps
Shuckclod's Stuff
DinkeeDoo Scraps
Created by Christin Thomas
KapiScrap & Art
WinksArt Graphics
Growing Pains Scrapped
Created by Jill Scraps
Callaluna Creations

Thanks for stopping by! Comments and emails are always appreciated!

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Fasten Your Seatbelt by Build a Memory

The latest release from Build a Memory is "Fasten Your Seatbelt," part of the December Build a Kit Collection. Its packed with adorable air travel themed elements and beautiful richly textured papers. The color palette is a gorgeous blend of brown, cream, orange, turquoise, and yellow that has an almost retro feel. Check it out!

Have a look at some of the layouts made with Fasten Your Seatbelt:

By Raquel:

By Tracy:

By me:

Are you familiar with the Build a Kit promotion at Stuff to Scrap? All of the designers build collections using the same palette and theme. They're generally well priced to begin with, but if you buy three or more collections during the month of December, you get 50% off! The details and all of the collections from the December Build a Kit promotion can be found here. The Build a Memory portion can be found here!

Be sure to snatch them up at this great sale price!

Friday, December 14, 2012

December 2012 Triune Blog Train - Joy To The World

Welcome to the December 2012 Triune Blog Train! I was a bit of a slacker this month due to a number of personal issues, but I wanted to participate! Here is my portion:

You can snag it HERE!

I also managed to make a small paper pack and a set of layered overlays!

You can grab those from my Facebook page!

Thanks for stopping by! Next stop is Digital Scrapbooking Resource Center!

Sairi Designs
A-M Digital Designs
Touched By A Butterfly
Scrappin' Sisters
One Step Away International
GraceBlossoms4U
BlueCat
Cajun Diva Scraps
Karen Diamond Designs
Midnight Velvets
Callaluna Creations
Digital Scrapbooking Resource Center

If you lose your way, head back to the Train Station at Sairi's blog!

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Speed Scrap Hosted by Build a Memory!

Would you like to earn a $4 coupon to the Build a Memory store? That is enough to get her latest kit, Just Natural, which is half off this month! Join Raquel for a speed scrap tomorrow, and if you finish on time, its yours! I've participated in one of her speed scraps before, and my finished page is still one of my all time favorites. So I am sure she has something fantastic planned! I won't be able to join in, because in my time zone that is the middle of the night. But I'm sure you'll all have a great time. Here are the details:

EDIT: Please note, there is a small error in the flier! The first thing under time says 7AM PST, when it should say 7PM PST.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Exciting Announcements!

I apologize in advance if I sound like a squealing teenager in this post... I am not this excitable in real life! But I have so many exciting things to share!

First up, big BIG news for Callaluna Creations! I was asked to sell in a store! Its a small store, but I was so proud to be asked. I have been working very hard to get better and better at designing, but I thought the days of being able to sell things were still way off. I'm still not 100% sure I'm ready for this step... but the fact that a store owner thought enough of my designs to approach me has given me a huge confidence boost! I'm not going to share details yet because they're still being worked out, but my store should go live sometime towards the end of January. I plan to keep most of the things I've posted here as FREEBIES, because I don't like the idea of snatching something away and making you guys pay for it when it has always been free. There is one exception, a favorite kit of mine that I plan to rework and put in the store, but I'll be sure to let you all know in advance so you have a last chance to snag the freebie version. And going forward, I may be offering some things as limited time freebies and then moving them into the store. But you will still find plenty of FREEBIES here, I promise. Its important to me that I keep offering those. Because those of you who have heard of me and have followed me are here for the freebies first and foremost, and being a hoarder myself, I can respect that! I'll be happy if you take a look at the store, but even if you can't afford to buy anything, please keep coming here for the freebies!

The second thing I am really excited about is that Raquel of Build a Memory, the woman I CT for, has recently become a mentor to me and has taught me a great deal about quality control. Not only has she volunteered to QC for me, but she's taught me SO MUCH already about how to catch things myself and how to fix things I was formerly clueless how to correct. I have a new kit releasing in the next day or two, and I am really proud of the quality of this one! I worked hard to put all of the lessons she has given me to work with this one, and its absolutely my best ever in terms of quality. A great big thank you to Raquel, for two things. First of all, she challenged me by asking me to CT when I had never done it before, and I have grown so much as a scrapbooker in the few short weeks I have been doing it! And secondly, for taking me under her wing and sharing her designing knowledge. I am so grateful!!

Ok, I am finished with the squealing for now. :) Here's a sneak peak at my new kit, which I'll be putting up sometime in the next few days. This is going to be a limited time freebie, so keep an eye out and snatch it up quick if you want it! This may not appeal to everyone, as the holiday Sinterklaas is mainly celebrated in Belgium and Holland and most of you have probably never heard of it. But as an American living in Belgium and raising a Belgian-American daughter, we celebrate! Even if you've never heard of Sinterklaas, you might enjoy the papers and the alpha, as well as a few of the elements.

Here is a layout I did with the kit. I am currently working on another.

I want to thank all of you for your continuing support. All of the comments you guys have left and emails you have sent have been a HUGE part of the reason I have stuck with this hobby over the past few months, and I thank you for that. Its become an integral part of my life and I've rarely felt so passionate about a hobby before! Please keep those comments and emails coming, and also check out my Facebook page!

Just Natural Freebies!

Remember the beautiful "Just Natural" kit by Build a Memory that I gushed about recently? Its on sale for 50% off right now!!

And even better, Raquel is graciously offering a bunch of freebies made with the kit!

I made two alphas to coordinate with the kit using papers and glitters from the kit. This one is my favorite:

You can get this freebie RIGHT HERE! The second alpha I made is being hosted on the Build a Memory Facebook page. Here's a sneak peak:

Next up is this gorgeous cluster frame by CT member Tracy of Growing Pains Scrapped:

You can grab that on Tracy's blog.

And finally, a beautiful cluster frame and border made by Raquel herself:

That one is available on the Build a Memory blog.

After you've gathered up all the fantastic freebies, be sure to rush over to the Stuff to Scrap store to pick up the full kit! And remember, there is an add-on as well and that is absolutely FREE in the store, as its part of the Use It Or Lose It challenge this month. Please join us for the challenge!

Monday, December 3, 2012

$2 Tuesday and FREEBIES!!

Hello, and Happy $2 Tuesday! Raquel has generously added both Cinderelly and My Little Pirate to the $2 bin today! I have worked with both of these kits, and I promise you, they are worth it! You need to snap these up while she's offering such a bargain!

First up is Cinderelly:

I love this, perhaps because I have a little girl and ten thousand pictures of her doing little girl things! This kit really captures the fairy tale magic. Here's a LO I did with it:

And guess what? I made a freebie to share with you!!! I hope you like these cluster frames:

You can grab them HERE! Enjoy!

Next up is My Little Pirate:

As I mentioned, I have a little girl, not a little boy. But who says pirates have to be boys?! I have a fondness for pirates (ok, you got me, Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom may have something to do with that!). And my little girl is quite a swashbuckler! I had no trouble finding pictures to scrap with this!

I made another freebie for My Little Pirate, a great little quick page:

Do you want it? You can get it on my Facebook page under the CT Freebies tab.

Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to take advantage of these fabulous deals!

Sunday, December 2, 2012

More "Just Natural"

Hi there, are you looking for my Road Trip freebies? Don't worry, they're still here! Scroll down! :)

Still reading? Awesome! I finally got around to playing with the new "Just Natural" kit by Build a Memory, and I wanted to share the layouts I made! I really enjoyed working with this kit, and I am quite happy with my layouts. I've also made a freebie to coordinate with the kit (two cool alphas!), but I'll leave it up to Raquel to decide when and where those will be released. I'll definitely post a heads up here on my blog, though!

You can get "Just Natural" here, and guess what? Its 50% off right now!

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Just Natural by Build a Memory

Here's a message for you from Raquel of Build a Memory! I haven't made a CT page for this yet, but mine is coming soon, and you can see some of the pages the other CT's have made at least!

Hello! I have a wonderful kit to share with you today, it is soooo!!!! natural, that's great to scrap all kinds of photos! It is called Just Natural by Build a Memory. You can find it at Stuff to Scrap. This is a preview. 
Go grab it while its 30% off.





Take a look at the beautiful layouts our CT created with these kits this week.  Gorgeous!



Also go get the add on thats free to use in the Use it or lose it challenge at Stuff to Scrap here.



Friday, November 30, 2012

STS November Road Trip: At the Lodge

Here we go! I've had a crazy crazy month, but I managed to prepare something for the road trip! I really love this alpha and I cannot wait to use it on a page! I had a great time playing with some new CU actions to make the papers, and the cool sweater textures are some I made with the help of a tutorial/template by Sugarbutt Designs.

I'm doing things a little different this month. You can either download this as one large file (about 160mb) or you can download it in two parts.

Large file is HERE.

OR

Part 1 is HERE.

Part 2 is HERE.

I also have an exciting announcement (well, its exciting for me!). Callaluna Creations now has a Facebook Page!! I'd really like for you to come check it out and help me get some "likes." In fact, I want that so much that I've made this add-on to tempt you!

If you want the cute "knitted" elements and the additional knit papers, just pop over to my Facebook page and click on the Freebie link! You will have to like the page first.

Thank you for stopping by, and have a safe trip! Next stop is AK Designs. Here's your road map:

WinksArt Graphics
Desert Digi Scrap
Shuckclod's Stuff
Scrappy Chicka
Growing Pains Scrapped
Scrappin Serenity
Note-able Scraps
Adriana's Cafe
JMC Designs
Saphira's Scraps
Kana
The Scrappy Kat
DinkeeDoo
Scraps N Pieces
Callaluna Creations ***You are here!***
AK Designs
Sairi Designs
DSRCenter
KapiScrap

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Win Christmas Americana by Erin Kay Studio!

This looks like it will be really cute:

For a chance to win it, check out the blog post here!

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Template Maker (and a freebie!)

When Raquel from Build a Memory emailed me to tell me her newest product was a Template Maker, I thought, "Uh oh." I have never used a template for a scrap page, and I have certainly never made one (unless my Facebook timeline template counts, which it shouldn't since it simply provides the correct dimensions to make your own timeline photo). How on earth was I going to be useful as a CT for this one? But once I had a look at it, I got kind of excited and thought, "I can do this!"

The kit comes with a bunch of vector shapes AND a Custom Shape file (.csh) for Photoshop! And its only $2.99!! Have a look:

This kit makes it SO EASY to make your own template! I just thought about layouts I have made in the past and what I liked about them, and then started playing with the kit. I've already found the custom shapes handy for other uses, too! Basic vector shapes are endlessly useful as a designer AND as a scrapper, whether you're interested in creating templates or not. With a couple of quick steps in Photoshop or your program of choice, you can use these vectors or custom shapes to create your own custom journalling cards and simple elements for your pages!

This is what I came up with for my first ever template:

I am quite pleased with it, for a first attempt! I'm planning to challenge myself further and actually USE this template to make a scrap page, so you can expect this post to be updated in the near future! But don't worry, I'm going to share! If you're a template lover, I'd be thrilled if you would DOWNLOAD IT HERE and try it out for me! I would love to see any layouts you come up with (email them to callalunacreations@mail.com), and I'd love some feedback. Do you like the template? Should I make more? It was easy to do and kind of fun, so if there is an interest I will make more in the future. If you have any tips to make future templates better, I am open to suggestions!

Enjoy the free template and be sure to hop over to the Build a Memory store at Stuff to Scrap to pick up the Template Maker and her other fabulous products!

Friday, November 23, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving and a Black Friday Freebie!

Hello all! I am still behind on everything, so this "Happy Thanksgiving" freebie has turned into a "Happy Black Friday" freebie! But that works - there are tons of sales and freebies out there in the digital scrapbooking world this weekend!

This mini was inspired by a fabulous picture of a bacon weave my friend Melissa Lung Wilmarth made. As soon as I saw the picture, I knew it had to be a paper, and this kit grew from there. I had planned to make this into a full kit, but perhaps I will do an add-on at some point.

I hope you enjoy this silly little mini! I call it "Sunny Side Up!" As always, I would LOVE to see any layouts you make with it! Email me at callalunacreations@mail.com.

Download Sunny Side Up HERE!

Here is a layout I made with the mini! While my daughter and I were in the states visiting this summer, we frequently went out to breakfast with the family at the restaurant where my stepsister works. Lots of fun pictures!

Be sure to visit all your favorite designers today to see what sales and freebies they have up to celebrate the biggest shopping day of the year! In particular, be sure to visit Wendy at Scrappin' Sisters, I know she has a fabulous freebie coming out today! Swing by and pick it up and be sure to tell your friends about all the fabulous freebies you find here, there, and everywhere!

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Cinderelly by Build a Memory

We've had a rough couple of weeks around here with one very sick little princess. I'm behind on just about everything! But this is what I worked on while I watched the sick little one sleep!

This is an unusual layout for me, but I really enjoyed exploring new techniques (creating photo masks is fun!).

Please take a look at the adorable Cinderelly kit, which is loaded with elements I couldn't fit into my LO!

I am working on a Cinderelly freebie for Raquel to offer on her blog, so keep an eye out!

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Triune Blog Train, November 2012: Thankful

I hope you all are ready for some really rich and gorgeous colors! I am in love with the palette this month! I have been practicing my extraction techniques recently, so I am sharing some of the efforts from that. I also made some papers that I am really proud of - I especially love the olive colored one with the leaves and the pink Damask... and I hate pink! Several of the papers are made using photographs I've taken as overlays. The olive paper uses a picture I took of some lovely ferns, the golden paper uses a picture I took a few days ago of the fall leaves, and that's a Belgian wheat field (or is it rye? I forget) on the ivory paper. I love to use photos in creative ways!

I'm looking forward to downloading everyone else's efforts as well and making something wonderful with these beautiful colors!

Here is my portion. Its in 2 parts, so be sure you grab BOTH PARTS! Download links are below the preview:

Part 1 is HERE!
Part 2 is HERE!

Please PLEASE grab both parts! I divide things up to make it easier for you all to download, but it bums me out when I see the download counts are off and people only got half of their free goodies!

While you're here, please take a look around! I have lots of freebies for you! I'd love it if you could leave some love and take a minute to subscribe to my blog so you can be the very first to know about new freebies! I am also still looking for more people to help me with QC, and if you have any LO's you've made with my freebies I would love to see them and to share them here! Email me at callalunacreations@mail.com.

Edited: My apologies to anyone who stopped by before this edit and didn't know where to head to next! I got the flu, and I had scheduled my blog post before the codes were posted. Here's your road map. NEXT STOP IS Outside the Box Design Studio!

Sairi Designs
Digital Scrapbooking Resource Center
GraceBlossoms4U
Scrappin' Sisters
BlueCat
Karen Diamond Designs
A-M Digital Designs
One Step Away International
http://www.touchedbyabutterfly.com/
Callaluna Creations
Outside the Box Design Studio
If you lose your way, head back to the Train Station at Sairi's blog!