Camera Corner
The challenge was to use photos taken not with an ordinary camera eg. an Instagram or Hipstamic app, a Lomo camera or even a polaroid one!

Ang

Here’s one taken using a Kodak instamatic camera.

Creative Technique
We have a tutorial to create a beaded water effect using filters. Here’s an example:

Dady

Copycat Challenge
Here’s May’s template:

Here an amazing example:

chalkhillblue

Color Challenge
This month is based on the theme of graffiti. You do get some lovely artwork on walls! In fact, they sometimes look more like art rather than graffiti!

blanulak

Rotating Challenge
This month’s challenge focus on journaling about a happy childhood event.

Tamsin

Web Inspiration
Here’s the inspiration picture:

Here’s an interesting interpretation:

Alegna

Hope you have been inspired! Do show us what you have created in the Challenge Gallery. Happy scrapping!

But today I thought I would focus on a different kind of page, the kind of page that tells a story that tugs at the heart.  For what are we in this scrapping-craft if not storytellers, journalers, sharers, willing to open ourselves to others.

How many times have you viewed someone’s page and found the tears starting in your eyes, and maybe even letting go? These are the shared stories and experiences that are the true core of scrapping, of story-telling…capturing the emotions that we want to express, release, preserve, pass on.

Finding these pages requires a little more digging, reading the journaling if it has been included in the credits, or expanding the page (Ctrl-mouse scroll) to peer more closely at the words or the pictures, but this is a labor of love for me, because I find it moving, inspiring, and releasing, because I know by reading these pages that I have found kindred spirits in my own scrapping and journaling endeavors.

Heather is a wonderful story-teller, and the stories she writes about her mom especially tug at my heart.

I’ve mentioned several times that I have a soft spot in my heart for doggie pages, but oh how this page by faerywings tugs at my heart with the soft, sweet, trusting eyes full of love and devotion!

There are no photos in this page, but it is written from the heart, by oldvwblues, and particularly poignant just before Mother’s Day.

Heartfelt journaling about a very difficult problem, from Amanda 1201 (our lovely TaylorMade Designs!)

There is so much love expressed in this photo on the page from whetuu, on the expressions of the faces, so even though I cannot understand the journaling, I understand the heartfelt feelings.

This post of weekly photos from Vivre expresses so much national pride, as well as wonderful color, and I have a soft spot in my heart for the Netherlands as well.

This story, and this sweet and sad face, definitely got my tear ducts active…poor little guy!  by sharongrey8

And thsi page by Amber about such a heartbreaking story tipped the tears over the edge.

A precious photo, a wonderful memory and beautiful journaling, from marnie333.

And finally, this page from jarhm as she works through the mourning process, so touching.

Thanks to all contributors and readers for opening their hearts, sharing their stories and journaling their innermost feelings.

On an open layout make sure a text layer is selected. Highlight all of the text on the selected text layer. Now right click and scroll down to Check Spelling from the pop up menu. The spell check will begin to run.

If there are errors a new pop up menu will open offering suggestions to correct the error that was found.

You will notice the following options in the Check Spelling menu.

• Ignore: this allows the spell check to continue without changing the text.
• Ignore All:  this will ignore the word in question during the rest of the spell check.
• Change: will correct a misspelling. Make sure that the correctly spelled word is in the Change To text box and click Change. If the suggested word is not the word you want, select a different word in the Suggestions text box or enter the correct word in the Change To box.
• Change All: will corrects all instances of the misspelling in the text area. Make sure that the correctly spelled word is in the Change To text box.
• Add: will store the unrecognized word in the dictionary, so that any additional occurrences will not be flagged as misspellings.

Select the option that works for you and then click Change. At this point the spell check will continue throughout the entire text layer. Once completed another pop up menu is shown. (See below) Click OK and the spell check is complete.

One other thing to note:  you may select a specific area of text within a text layer to check spelling rather than the entire layer of text. Simply highlight only the area you want to check spelling. and follow the instructions above.

I hope you find this tip helpful in your scrapbooking process. I know that it has been a great help to me.

Thank you for visiting the O blog today!

In case you missed it earlier, our very own Vicki Stegall is featured today at The Daily Digi!  Check out her interview and the amazing kit she put together for it!!  Go support our Mama O!! 

This month’s designers’ collaboration see a smokin’ hot kit entitled TangO! And it’s yours for free when you spend $15 on any products in the Oscraps store. However, do hurry as this offer is only valid from May 4-7 in conjunction with iNSD celebration.

To tempt you further, here’s some inspiration from the Cheery-Os!

Trista

Trudy

Diane

Elisa

Did I say there’s a layered template in this kit? Have fun shopping! Nothing like getting a free mega kit after all your purchases! Do upload what you have created with the kit in the gallery! Happy iNSD!

First off, our latest collab kit, Tango, is

HOT HOT HOT

and it’s available free with a $15 purchase!

All of the Oscraps collabs are 30% off from May 4-7 in celebration of the event.

Plus, we have tons of designer sales!

Last week I talked about some of the frame treatments I am seeing in current catalogs and junk mail.  Today I thought I would touch on some color, pattern and theme trends.

This is an inspiration board from a Calico Corners catalog.  I loved the colors, the mix of patterns, the textures, and the themes.  I decided it would be a fun exercise to put together some digital goodies to support this inspiration board.

To the O-shop I go!

First, the seafoam/turquoise colors, so soft and fresh!

Right there on the front page of the shop, I found this lovely paper collection from Charlize Creations featuring some  soft and pretty blue/seafoam papers, and a wonderful stripe!

This lovely ArtPlay Palette Wander from Anna Aspnes also features these colors, and oh look, the fish and the seashells!

Now I wanted some roses…a simple search, ‘rose’, did the trick.

Boy Meets Girl from Vicki Stegal gave me not only the perfect rose clusters, but some rosy pink colors as well.

More perfect colors, more pretty roses, in Beloved from Jennifer Labre.

Now where to find a plaid…this is where it helps to ‘know your designers’.  For geometric patterned papers, I go straight to Ashalee Wall!

Or, digging a little deeper, I found this wonderful plaid hidden in this An Autumn Affair to Remember kit from Creations by Tinamaria:

Now I need me some animal prints…how about these Wild Thangs tags and frames from Joanne Brisbois?

I could not pass up more beachy elements, as I LOVE beachy elements.

These Beach Clusters Element Pack from Joanne Brisbois would make a beachy page a snap to create!

Joanne must love the beach as I do, for her shop is full of beachy beauty, like this from the a la plage collection.

Notice there is some textured fabric in the inspiration photo.  I love the rough textures of burlap, a current trend!  I found this wonderful textured ‘Naturally Woven’  alpha from Danielle Young.

The facing page from the Calico Corners magazine featured a letter sporting the animal print.

To achieve this design addition to your page, choose any of the hundreds of alphas available in the O shop to fit the mode and design of your page, the chunkier the better.

I like this Classic Letter Alpha from Kitty Designs.

Or use a font you like, type out your title and rasterize it.  Then simply clip the animal print paper of your choice to it.

OK, I have to admit, I had some trouble finding an animal print.   I am sure they exist, but my searches were not turning up the print I was looking for, so I made one.  Click on the preview to be taken to a page to download this free animal print in the four colors from the inspiration photo – beige, brown, rose and teal.  These papers can be tweaked via a hue/saturation layer to achieve the colors you want in your page.

And finally, putting my scrapping where my words are, here is what I put together to match the inspiration.

Unsure of color, design or trends?  Let the experts help you!  You don’t have to save tons of paper, just rip out some ‘tear sheets’ and reach for them whenever you are feeling a little stuck.

Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you in the gallery!

Love seems to inspire many of these types of layouts…both young and old. Take a look at a few of the love letters that have been captured.

And this one by Dids just melts my heart!!!!

Signs can also convey our messages pretty well and set the tone for the page.

And this is one of my favorites I found. It makes me giggle just looking at it!

So don’t be afraid to give up on your own journaling once in a while. Let someone else do it instead!

Keep, your eyes out for this hot new collab! It will be coming out soon ready to spice up your layouts!