1.  Print your file on cardstock.

2.  Take your card template page and fold at all fold lines.  A bone folder helps make the creases nie and crisp to help your finished card to look nicer.

3.  There should be a total of 9 folds when you are done.

4.  Cut out your card.

5.  Turn your card over so that the printed side is down and pinch the sides of each petal together until all 6 petals are standing straight up.

6.  Gently push all the petals in one direction until they lay flat.

7.  You now have a flower card.

8.  Tie a ribbon (not included) or something equivalent around the card to hold it closed.

9.  Embellish as desired.  This card was embellished with a circle cut out from a piece of background paper.

Our friends at MyMemories would like to invite you
to climb aboard and ….

catch the BLOG TRAIN!! Start on the MyMemories Blog on FRIDAY for
FUN RIDE through some of the MyMemories  and ScrapWow Designers blogs!! Each one
has a FUN FREEBIE for you!  There are over THIRTY of them to visit!
MyMemoriesblog.com!

and there’s a FUN new challenge on the MyMemories Blog !!
Check it out and post your page to be entered in this week’s drawing!
There’s a $100 SHOPPING SPREE up for grabs this week!!
Winner drawn next Wednesday – so get your page posted!

Be SURE to come check out the MyMemories FB page this weekend
for ALL kinds of fun and games! (CLICK HERE)

AND HERE’s  a WARM UP SHOPPING CODE!!
Enter the code in the COUPON/PROMO code box at checkout
NSD5off (case sensitive) good for $5.00 off a $15.00 purchase
(good for one time use only - expires 5/31/12)
there will be another GREAT CODE in Saturday’s newsletter too!

The following tutorial will explain how to customize your flower card:

Flower Card Tutorial
Using MyMemories Software to Customize your Flower Card

1. Download template file and install it into your software
2. Using MyMemories Suite, choose Create Album From Designer Template and find your project (look for “Flower Cards” under the “Everyday” theme.)
3. Now you can print and enjoy the provided template, or customize it with your own papers and embellishments.

TIP:
You can right-click on the white guide and lock it in place to keep it from moving while you are working. Make sure this is the top layer of your project before printing.

Instead of adding the paper as a background paper, you can add it as an embellishment so that you can move the paper around.  This is especially useful when using papers with stripes or circles, so you can decide which part of the paper you want to use.

Once it is added as an embellishment, you can now select the paper and move it into the position you want it.

http://www.mymemories.com/store/share_the_memories_kit_1

http://www.mymemories.com/store/share_the_memories_kit_2

http://www.mymemories.com/store/share_the_memories_kit_3

Just SAVE and PRINT on cardstock!

Don’t have MyMemories V3 yet?  Click here to purchase and be sure to use the code STMMMS35304 to receive $10 off the software and $10 off your purchase in The Design Shoppe at My Memories!

Next week:  Step-by-step picture tutorial on how to assemble the flower card.  =)

I went ahead and made a necklace from Planet Jill and I’m going to leave hints around the house for my husband…hopefully he’ll pick up on it and order the necklace.  If I get it, I’ll post a picture here!  In the meantime, here’s a picture of a necklace I made of our puppy.  I have a feeling my daughter will be wearing this more than I will!  The face only a “mommy” could love!  Well, not really – she’s pretty cute don’t you think?

The necklace above is the Planet Jill Spinner Photo Charm.  I think it’s such a lovely piece and, as always, the price is less on The Memory Boutique’s website than at Planet Jill!  There’s still time to order in time for Mother’s Day, too, so if you’d like to get a necklace for that special Mother, hurry on over to the link above.  ;)

Whether I get the necklace of my kids for Mother’s Day or not, I know my Mother’s Day celebration will be especially wonderful and I wish all Mothers a day filled with much love and laughter!  ~ Jackie

Here’s how I made a triangle banner:

Begin with a new album, open a portrait album  and select size 8 1/2 x 11.  I chose this size so I can easily print at home. Begin with a blank page:

1. Select “shapes” and add a triangle.  Make it the size (height and width) you want.
2. Copy and paste the first triangle, but before putting the “copy” in place, rotate it 90 degrees in either direction as needed to fill the page so that as many triangles will fit on the page as possible (this will all be determined by the size of the triangles).  I have four on my page.
3. Once your page is filled, select one triangle, press the “paper” button found under the shape option section and select a paper to fill the triangle.  Continue with each shape until each one has a paper or color fill.  I chose four different papers found in the Hello Cupcake Birthday Theme by StoryRock over at The Design Shoppe at MyMemories.  You can choose any paper for any event.  The possibilities are endless!  Add a text box (rotate if/as needed) to each shape to create your lettering.
4. Here’s a sample of some triangles I made and below THAT a sample of an oval banner with letters added.  I was going with “Happy Birthday” but only “Happ” fit on one page.  I love the “add duplicate page” option as it’ll be easy to finish!  ;)

• Save your file, convert to a JPEG to print (refer to the post dated 11/7/11 for printing directions if you need them), cut out and attach to a string/ribbon for hanging.  You can use tape, staples or punch holes at the top and run a string or ribbon through the top.  If you want to make it even more special (and sturdy), attach heavy cardstock cut out in the same shape, but slightly larger, to the back of each “banner” and hang.  Grommets are always cute, too!  And pinking shears.  Just sayin’.
• You can make your banner using any shape you’d like.  Squares, rectangles, diamonds, ovals, circles – you are only limited by your imagination.  Need some ideas and/or inspiration?  Google it.  You’ll find pictures galore that will inspire you to make the funnest banners ever in MMS like this one from kidsgamesandcrafts.com:

If you’d like to purchase MMS, click here and be sure to use the code STMMMS35304 to receive a $10 discount for the software and $10 discount for the MMS Design Shoppe! Have fun with MMS, and as always, won’t you share your creations with us on our Facebook page?  Thank you!  Next week:  if you like your photo layout for the banner or simply a great photo layout for scrapping, save it to use again and again – I’ll show you how!

~ Jackie

Apparently, I am not the only digital hoarder! According to David D. Nowell, a neuropsychologist specializing in attention issues in Worcester, Mass, “Digital hoarding is a huge problem. There is so much available storage, we don’t have to make decisions anymore. The problem isn’t that it slows down your computer—it slows down your brain, since each of those photos, links and folders demands some mental energy.”

Katherine Trezise, current president of the Institute for Challenging Disorganization claims that “some digital hoarders are driven perfectionists who don’t know when to stop researching or collecting”.  {Jackie would claim this to be true of me!}

Here’s an interesting article on Digital Hoarding from the Wall Street Journal.

As far as digital photo’s go, there are a host of software solutions which include tools for archiving, tagging, filing and finding things on even the messiest of computers.  My go to programs for digital photo organization are Adobe Bridge and Lightroom 4.  Using these two programs has transformed my digital photo organization!

Backup services like Backblaze (which is who I use) can continuously back up everything on your computer alleviating the fear of losing content.

Even though I have a LOT on my computer, I know where everything is, how to access and feel at ease because it’s ALL backed up.

Are you a digital hoarder?

~Mary

You have the option to choose one image, two images or even a whole bunch of little squares or circles you can fill in with your own pictures either covering the entire case or in a checkerboard pattern.  All this on either a black or white plastic or silicon case.  I’m lovin’ it!

Check out the case I made using my silly kitty boy, Hurley (I obviously just used the one image option).  He’s such a funny goof!

The possibilities are endless…I think I’ll have to make one of all my kitties together, one of my kiddos and one of my puppy.  Hmmmm, that’s a LOT of iPhone cases but I can’t wait to switch them out every week.  I’m going to have too much fun with this!

Maybe I can convince my husband that I need all four for Mother’s Day gifts.  You think?  ;)

~ Jackie

The video will take approximately 15 minutes to watch and Lisa will walk you through the steps to use the tool plus give you some great tips and ideas to use while you’re scrapping.

Don’t have MyMemories software yet?  Click here and be sure to use the code STMMMS35304 to receive a $10 discount for the software and $10 discount for the MMS Design Shoppe!

Happy “grouping”!  ~ Jackie

I recently heard Heidi talk about this class on The Paperclipping Roundtable podcast.  In the podcast, Heidi says that throughout this 12 week online course she gives observation techniques or “behavior techniques that are different from your normal behavior which will help you view things from a different perspective.  As you change your perspective you see things in a different way and thus your observations become a little more poignant.”

Profound!

The Art of Observation focuses on using Heidi’s new Memory File system which I think is a brilliant concept.  The Memory File System is a whole new way to think about capturing, documenting, storing and sharing your memories.  You can check Memory File out on Amazon or learn more about it in Heidi’s latest blog post.

Be sure to check it out.  We’d love to know if you are taking The Art of Observation or using The Memory File system and what you are doing with it.  I just ordered mine from Amazon today and I can’t wait to make something fun with it.

Be sure to sign up for the class quickly because registration closes on Wednesday, April 18th.

We think Heidi is amazing!

Sure enough, there are several photo organization apps. After doing a little research, I narrowed my choices down to the 3 apps below.  Each one can help you organize the photos in your camera roll by album, categories and tags. Genius!

Pics $1.99

By Phyar Studio

“If you are looking to sort photos with all the bells and whistles, then just get this app.” —-appadvice.com

This app can organize photos by album, protect them with a passcode as well as sync them to your other iOS devices, Mac or PC with a WIFI connection. Pics has a nice interface and is compatible with the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.

Download or read more about Pics in the App Store

………………………………..

Photo Manager Pro $2.99

by Linkus

This is a feature-rich app for organizing your photos and videos. Password-protect your photos/videos, organize them, display them slide-show style, transfer to and from your computer and other devices, and share via email, twitpic, or Facebook or other apps on your iDevice.

Download or read more about Photo Manager Pro in the App Store

………………………………..

Photo Sort $1.99

by Romain HENRY

Photo-Sort allows you to put the pictures from your camera roll into folders that can later be exported in the exact same organized form. You can even upload your photos to Facebook using just the app. If you are looking for a simple photo organizer, then definitely look at this app.

Download or read more about Photo Sort in the App Store

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If you are using one of these apps or another photo organization app, please share your thoughts and let us know what works for you and what you like/don’t like about what you are using.  We’d love to hear your feedback!

Did you know that we now carry customizable iPhone cases and iPad and Kindle Fire sleeves?  They are super cool and have quickly become our top seller.  Check them out here.  The iPad and Kindle Fire sleeves will be on sale from April 17th – 23rd.  Prices will start at $10!

Have a great weekend!

~Mary