Saturday, September 29, 2012

A farewell tribute by Jessy

I was asked by a former Nook DT, Tanya if I am interested to apply for the Nook. She mentioned that they are looking for card makers. I was ecstatic to receive such email from her. I felt so encouraged! So I decided to jump in the wagon & check the Nook forum out in January 2011. To be honest, I never really liked to mingle in a forum but Nook really changed my mind. The fellow Nookers are so friendly and beginning to feel at home. Since then, I checked the forum everyday and applied for the DT call. At the same time, a crop was going on. Lo & behold I won one of the card challenge that was organized by the talented Zarah. I was so happy!

Not long after, I was chosen to be Nook's DT in Feb 2011 and it was my first international club kit stint. It was a HUGE deal for me to be in a team with talented scrappers & card makers. The group of DTs was awesome. No drama mamas/divas! We shared our sorrows and joy together. It was a close-knitted group. With all my heart, they are a bunch of very fun, crazy, supportive & caring people. I thank God for them! 

I still remember my first kit and it was the March kit: Crate Paper Emma's Shoppe collection. It was stunning! Here are some of my creations with the kit...




This layout was also published in Scrapbook Trends : Families in 2011.


Since then, I had the opportunity to create with a lot of wonderful scrapbook kits each month. I begun to apply for manufacturer DTs too. Lo & behold, in the same year I got to be DTs for 3 manufacturers. If it wasn't because of Nook, I will never have such opportunity. 

I have to thank Leah & Pam for this amazing opportunity. Most importantly to give a chance to a scrapbooker like me from a lil country in Asia to be part of this wonderful journey. Yes, I am gonna miss all the Nookers but thank God for the advance technology that we can still keep in touch via FB, Instagram & blog! 

Wish ALL of you the best & thank you for all your support and encouragement thus far!

Xoxo Jessy


Step by step tutorial for a deep edge frame using "Echo Park For the Record 2".

 Hi, this is Bente with a post for you today.
This will be my last post as a DT member for 'My Scrapbook Nook'. It fills me with sadness 
that it shall all come to an end within just a couple of days. 


I will share with you my process for making this framed piece that was a birthday gift for 
my cute god-daughter. I have taken photos of the step by step process:

 I started out with a deep frame from Ikea. 
I think it should be pretty easy to get hold of in many places of the world.


You can easily open up the back of the frame. You need to be able to add all your little bits and 
pieces inside the square passepartout frame .


To start gather all the different papers and embellishments you want to use. As I am a very 
impulsive scrappers I add mine as I go along, but that may not work for all of you.
 I cut a large square to serve as the backing of the frame opening . Then I cut another square 
to fit inside the opening with a little of the backing piece showing.


I want to add some texture to my paper with a mask. 
I add a thick layer of gesso so I the pattern will be pronounced on the paper.
You must now leave the gesso to dry for a while.

While waiting for the gesso to dry you prepare your photo by adding a string of twine and 
making a small bow. You might even look for  some more small embellishments like a 
small flower or a jewellery finding in the shape of a heart like the one I used.
 

As soon as everything is dry you can start assembling the layers of paper etc. 
In the above photo I have glued the base paper behind the opening, and in the next one you'll
see the green side of the paper underneath the yellow one.


It is now time to start building up the design by adding everything layer by layer. 
I have embellished the rim of the freame with a fun washi tape. It's so easy to add, and if it goes on a little crooked you just lift it and start again.


You can see I like to add my layers with pop dots between them because I want a lot of dimension.
If you prefer a more flat design just stick everything directly on top. 



I added my matted photo a little at an angle and used a lot of the stickers and chipboard  fom "For the Record 2" as decoration. To finish off the design I added a small banner along the top fastened with some red twine.


 This is the look of my finished piece before placing it back in the frame. 
I hope you like it and that you will give it a try. As you can see it is so easy but also quite 
decorative. Because of the deep frame you may even add memorabilia to the display. 
A pacifier, a toy car or a small teddy bear will easily fit inside the glass.
 Thank you for your attention., and I hope we shall meet again somewhere in cyberspace :-)


.

September class with Lilith

I am so sad this will be my last class at My Scrapbook Nook. For this class I decided to create something using my favourite source of inspiration: Pinterest. It is a gold mine. From sketches to art art journal pages and even graphic design, it is my mojo kick start.

I was inspired by this :
Here is what I created.



My challenge for you (and yes I know the Nook will close very soon but you can always post on the Nook friends FB page!) is to find some Pinterest inspiration and create a card or layout! Have fun!

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Nook Tribute- Katarina

Hi there everyone!
Katarina here today with my Nook tribute blogpost.

When I found this place in 2008 I was so intimidated by the place, It was an Online Crop, It wasn´t in my own language, there where a lot of speaking in codes... what did I know about ROFLMBO, LOL, KWIM and so on.. I felt like ending up om Mars trying to figure everythig out...

There where these sweet gals helping me out, .. even when I used the wrong words, putting my stuff in the wrong gallery.. and they helped, always with a smile and a sweet word... I felt so welcomed and taken care of and I kept hanging around.. I even ended up crashing my own login.. so I had to get me another one...  *lol*

my absolutely first LO made for my first Nook CC was this LO.



I loved hanging around, trying to learn more from these absolutely talented ladies with awesome styles..
I got my first kit 2009, and it was a Websters pages kit... and I loved it...

 
 
I remember one CC I participated in, I worked so hard trying to win that guest DT spot, and there was this challenge with 24 challenges, that should be turned in at different times during a timeframe of 24 hrs... I was mad.. I even set my alarm to go off every hour so that I could go down to my computer and launch those last  pieces I had done....(nope I didn´t get the GDT spot)
 
 

I even dared to try to apply for the team.... SEVERAL times... I think I applied four times before I made it..
I remeber that day, I knew that the team was going to be announced really early morning my time.. and I set the alarm, and I had such a hard time sleeping... When I woke up.. I found this post just for me... and I was so tired I didn´t even understand it was posted in a DT board,, but when I had read it about 5 times I was wide awake.. smiling and squealing of happiness...
I finally got that spot I had longed for such a long time.. Someone had faith in my work, and I appreciated it so much.

Now its time for me to share my last LO for this awesom Kit Club, with the Beautiful For The Record 2 paperline from Echo Park...


Its a LO about how much I loved this place, all the friends, and all the memories made...

So with no further blabbering, I would like to stand up and raise my glass in a toast for this wonderful Kit Club, I thank you for letting me be a part of this wonderful adventure, and I hope to see all of you, my friends, around the web in the future.....
I love you all! Thanks!

//Katarina

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Inspire CARDS Challenge

We all love a PINSPO Challenge at the Nook.
With this being the final Wednesday CARDS Challenge *sniff*
I wanted to do something a little bit different.
**Pick your own inspiration piece for your card design**
This can be something from Pinterest, other places on the internet or elsewhere.

Shellye's Inspiration (from Pinterest)

Shellye's Card:


Have fun with it!
Shellye

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Nook tribute - Hilde

It's so sad - an era is soon over.
It's finally sinking in - the Nook is soon to be history. The forum is getting more quiet every day as our members find other places to hang out - or do they really?


I'm one of the oldies at the Nook. I found my way there back in 2007 - in fact: if the Nook had stayed on for another two months, I could have grabbed the "Five-Years-As-Nooker" badge. I remember looking for a place to shop online - but I found more: a kit club and a welcoming community.


I had never worked with coordinating collections before, so recieveing the first kit was like heaven - no need to spend time looking for the perfect match anymore. Here is the first layout I made with a Nook kit:


DCWV papers?

The DT arranged something they called Crops. I had no clue what this was and imagine my chock when I dicovered it was all about doing 30+ challenges in one weekend! Later I discovered the DT arranged other kinds of crops, too, and I enjoyed all of them. I can be quite competitive and I remember working night and day to beat Camilla at one of month long summer crops. She draw the longes straw, but I was happy as a clam to have been pushed far out of my comfort zone and developing as a scrapper. Here is a layout from the summer crop, where we were supposed to use girl colors for boys' layouts and vise versa. And I even painted on my layout!



But I also remember the bitter sweet moment where I lost a three month GDT spot because one of the DT memebers did a counting mistake and the winner were announced too soon. As she never did anything to clear up, I suspected her to be happy seeing me lose, but I kept my mouth shut to the DT coordinator, counting it would pay off in the long run. And I had my lessons learned about what this industry can be like.


Over the years the DT members have  been a wonderful source for inspiration and learning. I started my paper craft career as a card maker and where I hung around it was all about coloring stamped images. I did not know there excisted a card making world where not coloring images was an option, but when I saw one of the Nook DT members make a card with patterned paper and pre made embellies only, I was hooked. I think I spent an entire kit just enjoying cutting and exploring the world of patternes. One of the cards I made:

Fancy pants paers?


As said in lots of the Nook Tribute posts, the forum/community has been one of a kind: so warm, welcoming and and drama free. This was the place you could both toot, laugh, rant and cry. Working internationally has been a fun ride and I guess a lot of us can thank the Nook for developing our English skills as well as knowledge about foreign countries and cultures.


I have met people on the Nook that will stay friends forever, even if we don't chat every day or week - we have learned to know each other over  the years and know and respect each other. I trust those people 100% and dare to share even the more unpleasant parts of me and my inner thoughs - life happes for all of us, and it's priceless to have someone to talk to ouside the house some time. I like to think we do each other good, and luckily 99% of the Nookers have proved to be in that category.

And what is more fun than meeting Nookers IRL? It's quite natural, as I live in Norway, I get to see the Scandinavians most, but you never know where I travel next and who I might call to see :-)


Finally, I want to thank to all of you, and I hope the Nook love, will be as a boomerang: always returning back!

Nook January 2012 Kit featuring Lily Bee

Love you all!!!!

Hilde

Hilde's blog: www.scoobieslilleblog.blogspot.com

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Nook Tribute - Sherri

Today's Nook tribute host is the incredible sweet Sherri Funk:


I don't think it's fully sunk in that the time and life of My Scrapbook Nook as we've come to know and love it has almost come to an end.

I discovered this wonderful place through Leah, whom I discovered through Google.  I was new to the hobby and was searching the Web for inspiration and came across Life As Lou.  Leah worked a lot with the kits, and was always promoting  the forum, and the kit club.

After a year of lurking around the Gallery, and the Forum, I finally jumped in.  There was a virtual crop going on, it was the perfect way to meet the ladies who would soon become my friends.  Shortly after joining the forum, I began subscribing to the kits.  This was the first kit I received.


I loved the Origins collection by BasicGrey

There were so many great kits over the years.  Leah always knew just what combination of papers and embellishments would work best together.  This kit featuring October Afternoon 5 & Dime was one of may favorites.  I loved those Maya Road tags.  I may, or may not still be hoarding a few.



One of the things that made the Forum so great was that you weren't made to feel excluded if you were not a kit subscriber, and more often than not, the challenges, games, and crops were not limited to "kit only" creations.  These papers were not part of a kit, but were from a Kit Club favorite manufacturer; My Mind's Eye.  The layout was created during a summer virtual crop.  The challenge was to life a DT member.  I chose a layout by the ever so talented Nicole Nowosad's.  And this is the result.



This place is like none other on the web.  A gem.  A treasured place to call home.

I have been blessed with the sweet, and special friendships of many wonderful women from all four corners of the earth.  Together we have laughed, cried, had babies, changed jobs, moved, and shared ourselves  willingly, and openly with one another.  No malice, no jealousy, no spite.  Just 100% pure love, and affection.  I will miss this place dearly.

Thank you to Pam for dreaming up such a warm, and inviting space, chalk full of inspiration. And to Leah for helping to make that dream come true, not only through the kits, but through the careful selection of the design team.  Your dedication, and love for this place did not go unnoticed, and was so very much appreciated.  I wish you both only the richest of blessings, and biggest of dreams to come as you begin this new chapter in your lives.  I wish the same on the many friends I've made here also.  I'll be sure to say hello whenever our paths cross on the world wide web.

I will forever hold a special place in my heart for My Scrapbook Nook. It has helped to make me more of the person, and scrapper I am today.  I once read that saying goodbye isn't the hard part, it's what we leave behind that will be missed.  I'd have to agree.  So no goodbyes, only see you soons.


Sherri's blog: http://faithandscraphappiness.blogspot.no/

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Nook Tribute - Zarah

Today it's Zarah who hosts the Nook tribute post:


Hi and welcome to my little post.

I’m Zarah, sometimes more known as zarischka (the one with the unpronounceable name…) and I am a Nookoholic.
Way, way back – in the early days of 2007, long before I had any experience to speak of and long before I knew much of anything about scrapbooking, I happened to spend a little time on this message board, whose name and address I’ve long since forgotten. It might have been nice. It probably was, but I wouldn’t remember because one day my board friend Erica told me that she was on the DT for this online kit club that had a wonderful message board – and that said kit club were looking for guest designers.

There was a small virtual crop going on to find these gDTs and she encouraged me to sign up, scrap and go for it.
I gathered all my courage and obeyed.One of the LOs I made for that crop was this one:
(2007)

I got the gig. I can still remember how that felt! I couldn’t stop bouncing, and I was just SO happy! Me! Little ol’ me – guest designing for a big American kit club?! It felt way too good to be true.
I had my guest designing period and I was feeling a little nostalgic already, but not ready to move on. I’d found my online home. I was gonna stick around, no matter what.

Then the phone rang…
Imagine my excitement when Leah was on the other end, asking me if I wanted a permanent spot on the DT…
Did I EVER??!
I stumbled on the language barrier and must have slipped and fallen (figuratively) at least ten times during that call, but the most important thing was that I managed to say “Yes, yes, absolutely, yes! Thank you!”

So I stayed. I was on the DT for several more terms (I will never understand what inspired all that trust in Leah and Pam, but I am forever thankful!) and after I decided it was time to stop applying, to let new blood in – I still stayed.
My style evolved greatly thanks to the club, and the loving support of my friends on the boards.

2008

2009

2010

2011

They dubbed me “part of the inventory” and I had some kind of record in posting.
What can I say? When I call the Nook my online home, I’m not lying.
 


I have made so many amazing friends at the Nook.
The board always has been rather famous for its uncommonly nice members. There were never any backstabbing, gossiping or cliques at the Nook. There was support, love, cheerful posts and tooting for each other. There were smiles, loyal friends and happy times.
Everyone was a part of the family.
I’ll miss it.
I’ll miss you.

Keep your eyes on the future, but don’t forget our past together. I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other.

Love,
Zarah

Zarah's blog: http://www.zarischka.com/

Friday, September 21, 2012

Good bye to the Nook!


It is my turn to bid a fond farewell to our online home and community. That is really what it is right, our own little home and scrappy family. Although I have only been on the forum for just over a year, I feel honoured to have known so many great scrappers and make new friends.

Who would have thought that a kit company could bring so many people together globally!? That is the wonder of My Scrapbook Nook. It must be from the fondness of the so well put together kits... I thought I would share a few of my favorite pages from the kits I was lucky enough to work with during my term this year!

In no particular order:





Just want to say thank you to everyone at the Nook for being so great - keep in touch!
Will miss you all! :)

Thursday, September 20, 2012

nook tribute: Pam Brown

Good morning girls! Like so many others, I can't believe the end of the Nook is coming. I first joined the forum in January 2011 when I was searching out design team calls and the Nook was having one. I immediately loved the community and the inspiration was amazing. I loved how warm and welcoming the community was AND how international it was. It was so interesting to get so many different perspectives on all sorts of things:) The way Leah had the board and design team running really appealed to me, so I threw my hat in the ring to get on the design team. I knew that even if I didn't make the team, I would be sticking around, I had found a home:)

It wouldn't be until the following call when I would get a spot on the team, and I am happy to have served 2 terms on the Nook's design team. More than that, I am so happy I was able to be a part of this amazing community. You all are amazing and I have "met" so many wonderful, beautiful, and talented ladies through the Nook. I know we will continue to support and inspire each other through all of the various social media outlets;)

I would like to share a few of my favorite Nook projects, with the gorgeous kits Pam and Leah put together:





Thank you all for reading and looking and I hope you will still hang out with me and keep in touch at my blog: http://happytobecreating.blogspot.com

xoxo,
Pam