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Picklemama Report Industries far-and-wide are starting to feel the effects of the economic downturn, and scrapbooking is one of those industries that is being hit hard. Did you know, however, that digital scrapbooking is so much more cost-effective than paper scrapbooking?! Why? Well, there are lots of reasons, but a couple are that not only do the supplies generally cost less and you get a lot more for your money, but also...you can use them over-and-over-and-over again and get loads of pages out of one kit if you want to! We may well see an influx of new-to-digital-scrapbooking scrappers who come from paper scrapbooking backgrounds, which is great! The more the merrier! So, if you haven't already tried it, what are you waiting for?! And if you have any paper scrapping friends who are having to cut back on their favourite hobby, now might be the time to tell them about digi! Don't forget to refer them to our startup pack if you do!
March Pop Deals! For two days only, as a special newsletter promotion, the following items are on sale at 25% OFF!
Recently I have been thinking more and more about the importance of journaling on my scrapbooking pages. Why did I start scrapping in the first place? To ensure that the story of our lives was passed on to future generations, so that they could know who we, their ancestors, are. Not long ago I was sitting with my Mother looking through some old photos of her Grandfather mowing his garden in Wolverhampton. Mum proceeded to tell me a wonderful story about her Grandfather’s retirement gift. When he was approached to find out what his perfect idea for a present would be all he wanted was one of those “new fangled” lawn mowers. Mum told me how very proud her Grandfather was of that mower and couldn’t wait to get home and give it a workout. It struck me that if I don’t make an effort to write down my Grandfather’s story it will be lost and my children will only see an old man pushing a mower around his yard. But I confess that recently I have fallen into the habit of making pages that are more for arts sake than to serve any story telling purpose. So I am going to make an effort in future to journal more on my pages and to remember that I am my family’s storyteller. It is hard to get started journaling sometimes, and I often feel that the blank space on my page mocks me with it’s emptiness! I sometimes find myself stumped and unsure what to say, I suffer from journaling block. So I looked around to discover ways that could help me kick-start my journaling. The most helpful thing I discovered was to use the five W's when journaling: WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN and WHY Who - Who are the people in the photographs, what are their names, and what are their relationships to you and your family. This will make it much easier for people looking at your pages in years to come. What – What is happening in this photograph, what was the memorable occasion or special event that you are recording. Where – Details about where the photograph was taken is always helpful when trying to work out background information to a story. When – It is very important to make a note of the date, children especially like to know WHEN things happened and having an idea of the era that the photograph was taken certainly goes a long way to help explain bad fashion choices! Why – Why did you take the photo? Why did you pick this particular photo to scrap, was there something special about it? These are very helpful tools in getting your thoughts in order and ready for journaling. But there is one last thing to consider when journaling to tell the story of your life – HOW. How did you feel at the time, what were your thoughts and hopes and dreams at that special moment. It is the “how” that takes the journaling from the simple recitation of facts to a window into your life. Now I know that that all looks like a big list of things to talk about and it may appear rather overwhelming at first but if you start by making short points at each of the W’s, and the How, then you are off to a great start. From short points it is much easier to make sentences that flow together in a natural sequence and before you know it you have journaled a lovely story about your photograph. Now it is not just a picture it is a memory, it is a story. Another helpful journaling tool is to keep a notebook with you at all times to jot down thoughts as they occur to you. I really need to put one in my car because I am sure I have my best ideas while driving to work in the mornings! Some people say that finding quotes capturing the essence of the moment is a very helpful tool in getting the literary juices going as well. There is a very big trend towards gorgeously lush, artistic pages that have little or no journaling on them. These are all stunning but they don’t tell us very much about the scrappers life, we don’t get to know them. I would like to challenge you (and myself) to see the beauty in journaling, to make a page that not only is lovely but also tells a story. All it takes is a few W’s, a how and a precious memory and you are on the right track to becoming your family’s very own storyteller. We would love to see your beautiful pages in the gallery and we would love to read your stories! Oh, and here are some lovely pages from the talented PBP Team showing how journaling can make a page more than art, it can make it a piece of your life! Cass – Olivia’s Photography
Nee – Josh first day Grade 1
Kaye – Love
Lisa – Indulgence
Thanks for reading and good luck with your journaling! Amanda
Gallery Stand-outs! Keep on scrapping and uploading to the gallery, you never know when your layout might be featured here!
We hold a casual chat on the third Friday of every month. Come along and join us for a nice, relaxed chat and a good giggle. The next chat will be Friday March 20th at 9pm (Australian Eastern Daylight Savings time). Check out the forum for more time conversions and information. |
In
This Issue :
This month we challenge you to scrap about your favourite reading material.
For this month's scraplift challenge, we are lifting jarkab1. You can scraplift any layout in her gallery.
Get out the camera and take some photos for the Photography Challenge! This month we want you to get really, really close to your subject and give your macro lens/setting a good work-out. So come and play along and let's see all your fabulous close-ups. (Above photo taken by our very own Picklemama as part of the challenge.)
Pat's famous pickle jar challenge is sure to help you find your mojo!
And last but not least, Kirstie's template challenges are always fun and unique, especially if you add your own spin to them! New Designers in the PBP Shop!
Pickle Pick of the Month! We couldn’t go past this gorgeous page this month – it certainly epitomises the sweet innocence of childhood with the perfect finishing touch being the adorable mermaids tail carefully pasted to the baby’s body. The gorgeous under-sea elements give this page a delightfully realistic feeling. Julova used the gorgeous new kit by PST Designs “Deep” ! Congratulations julova! Please PM fazzbech via the forums to receive a special gift certificate for your next order in the pop shop! March Freebies - Printable Hybrid Easter Card and Desktop Wallpaper! This month we have two great freebies to share with you... Our wonderful Creative Team member Cass (Mama Cass) has created this fantastic Easter hybrid card for you, using products from PST Designs Eggzone kit! Simply download, print on either A4 or Letter paper, cut out if necessary, fold in half and give to someone special! For best results, open the PDF file in Adobe Reader and print directly from the application.
The lovely Erika of et designs has created this gorgeous Desktop Wallpaper using her kit Amazing World! You can grab the desktop from
Letting kids do what kids do best! Sometimes they do the strangest things and sometimes...we should just let them! But make sure you capture the moment! Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today.
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Savings in the Pop Shop!
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