Photo Expressions

Load 212 starts tomorrow - are you in?

I am so excited that LOAD 212 is starting tomorrow.  I am itching to make scrapbooking a priority in February. PE has teamed up with Lain for her Layout a Day challenge.  Join us and hundreds of other scrapbookers as we tell our stories in February. It isn't too late to register, and until Feb 3rd, PE customers can use the code EXPRESS at checkout and you will save $10! See the previous post on what LOAD is all about and join us!

Here is a message from Lain:

Hey Buddy!

 

I know, you're busy.

I know, February is already crammed with activities.

I know, you're traveling this month.

I know, the kids have vacation. 

I know, you're tired.

I know, you're still recovering from the holidays.

I know, you can wait until May.

I know, you're scared.

I know, you haven't scrapped in months.

I know, you already scrap regularly.

I know, you have a lot on your plate. 

I know, you just aren't sure...

 

There are a hundred reasons NOT to do Layout a Day 212. 

 

But there's a compelling reason why you should toss all those excuses (and that's what they are - excuses) aside.

 

Because every story deserves to be told.

 

I can't wait to hear yours. 

 

 

Dream Basement Scrapbook Room Ideas

Doesn't this room look so inviting?! You most likely don't have the space to do something like this, but you can probably borrow some of the ideas and put them into your own space.  From Scrapbook Etc.

Divide a Room Into Spaces

Polly Maly's creative space took a lot of work to pull off, but it ended with a functional, accessible, and all-around pretty room. This roughly 15X15' room, reorganized by designer Cathy Kramer, became a powerhouse when broken down into dedicated zones for different tasks and supplies: (left to right) tool station, embellishments and photos, computer center, stamping supplies. Paper and books are stored along the far right side of the room.

 

Keep Tools in Place

Low-cost nonslip drawer liners prevent punches from shifting around in Polly's tool station, making it easier to find what she needs.

Put Important Items Together

Frequently used tools are close by and kept tidy with simple drawer organizers. This collection is housed in the top left drawer of Polly's built-in desk.

Consider Your Work Space

Having lots of work surfaces allows Polly the luxury of leaving a page in progress without cluttering the room. Though she works mostly at the portable table in the center of the room, standing at the counters adds a whole new dynamic to her work style.

Put Things on Display

To the left of Polly's built-in desk is a zone that houses her photo boxes and embellihsments. Kramer chose glass-front doors for the upper cabinets to keep the space visually light and to allow visitors to see Polly's collection of vintage cameras.

Use Creative Pieces For Decorating

Embellishments can be fun both on the page and off. Some of Polly's colorful button collection pulls double duty as decor.

Group Embellishments for Storage

Loose accents were dropped into small clear jars and then placed in a spice-jar drawer organizer.

Pick the Right Type of Shelving

By choosing pullout shelves for the base cabintets, Kramer made every inch easily accessible. Baskets hold packaged accents, and sheets of stickers and rub-ons slip into page protectors, which are then organized into three-ring binders.

Add a Spot for Inspiration

The paper zone contains an inspiration board that's flanked by stacked cubes filled with cardstock, hanging files for scraps, and books. The board adds flair to the room through bright, vibrant colors.

Make Supplies Accessible

Polly sorted patterned paper by color and placed it in vertical storage boxes. The boxes and pullout drawers make it easy to find what she needs without having to rummage through messy mounds of paper.

Take Advantage of Wall Shelving

A rubber-stamper from way back, Polly keeps her collection contained on the shallow picture ledges to the right of her desk and in the utility drawers beneath. Ink pads are stored in a lazy-Susan-style caddy on the work surface.

 

LOAD 212 - Are you up to the challenge?

What is LOAD 212 you are asking yourself?  It is a super fun challenge coming in February. Photo Express has teamed up with Lain Ehmann for her Febraury LOAD 212 challenge.  A LOAD challenge is a Layout A Day Challenge that she does a few times a year. Lain has a huge following of scrapbookers who take up this challenge with her.

We even have a special discount code for you to receive $10 off! Just use the code Express right here and you will save $10! (Discount expires 2/3) That makes it only $20 for 29 days full of inspiration, ideas, videos, community and more. And heck, even if you only accomplish 10 layouts, that is more than you would have accomplished!

A Message From Lain:

I want to invite YOU to spend February with me!

29 layouts in 29 days – together!!

 

Here’s what you’ll get:
-2829 daily prompts on the topic of Past Perfect: Looking Back to Look Forward
-28 29 daily videos
-Private message board
-Private gallery
-Interviews with cool scrappy folk (guest stars announced soon!)
-PRIZES
-Inspiration, fun, and companionship galore!

Sounds good, doesn’t it?

Here’s what others have said about Layout a Day:

“Sometimes my inspiration chamber is empty. I struggle to put together a layout, any layout and cannot manage it. With LOAD, I get inspiration, a fired up group of supporters and no chance to sit around and contemplate. It is a great way to push myself to focus and enjoy scrapping again.” – Jana

“The community is so supportive… I’ve ‘scrap-accomplished’ more in LOAD & YSM than in any of the other online classes attended. Perhaps I’m getting more savvy or, more likely, our fearless leader keeps it simple and real.” – Rita

“I have successfully completed every LOAD since it was introduced except one … I don’t know whether it is the thrill of the competition, the regular prompts or the regular comraderie but whatever it is it works… It has helped me to know that I can be fast when I need to be. It has helped me prioritize stories and layouts. It has helped me get it down!..It is certainly a win-win situation for me. 90 layouts a year makes me VERY happy! Thanks Lain! I love LOAD!” - Alison

“The tips and strategies shared via LOAD reduced the anxiety of making a page perfect… The challenge of creating a page a day kept me interested, excited & on task – forcing me to make faster decisions, go with the first paper or embellishment choice that looked good because I didn’t have time to go through every piece of paper or every button looking for the “perfect” one. The community at LOAD is unbelievable . The support & kindness of all the LOAD-sters is indescribable. So much positivity, lovely comments about completed pages, helpful suggestions when something doesn’t look quite right, encouragement, friendships. The feel-good energy is a scrapbook “high”. Finally, it has changed the stories that I tell. Prior to LOAD, I scrapbooked mainly events, during LOAD I saw so many amazing pages and the prompts were often more feelings driven. As I started to push myself to do more of that, I found that those are by far my favorite pages, my most meaningful pages and the pages that I know will be so special to my girls as they grow up.” – Kari

“More than anything LOAD has taught me how to scrap fast and still have fun. Once I realized that I could do a layout a day, I’ve greatly increased the number of layouts I create even after LOAD. I now know that I can easily make time for this hobby of mine and get my story told!” - Monica

Now, can you afford to miss out? NO. So join all your best buds at LOAD 212… and start scrapping your Past Perfect!

Here’s what will happen next: Once you click on the button below, you’ll be magically transported to your Paypal account, where you’ll complete checkout. Then your email address will be added (again, magically!) to the LOAD212 email list. Within 30 minutes you should receive an email you’ll need to open and click on the enclosed link to confirm your enrollment.

Then you can get ready for the ride of a lifetime starting 2/1!

See you there!

 

Photo Express will be having some special promotions and fun for our customers who join in LOAD 212. If you sign up, send me an email michele@photoexpressions.ca and let me know so I can add you to the PE LOAD list so you don't miss out.

Hope you'll join Lain and I and 100's of other scrapbookers in making February very productive!

Michele

 

Silhouette Cameos in Stock (in Canada at Photo Express)

Yay! We have finally caught up with the demand for the Silhouette Cameo Machine. Every order we have received has been sold out before it arrived. We just received another shipment and we have 3 machines to put on our shelf! Yay! 604-463-3654 www.photoexpressions.ca

Silhouette CAMEO™

The Silhouette CAMEO™ is an electronic cutting tool for personal use. Like a home printer, it plugs into your PC or Mac® with a simple USB cable. However, instead of printing it uses a small blade to cut paper, cardstock, vinyl, fabric and more up to 12" wide and 10 feet long. The machine also boasts a quiet motor and the ability to register and cut printed materials.

 

In the box The Silhouette CAMEO™ ships with the following important items: Silhouette electronic cutting tool Silhouette Studio® software for Windows XP/Vista/7 and Mac® OS X 10.5.8 and higher 51 exclusive cuttable designs Power cable, USB cable 12" cutting mat Cutting blade $10 gift card to the Silhouette Online Store Basic Instruction Guide

Valentines Cones - super cute gift idea

Valentine's Day Paper Cones

I just had to show you these GORGEOUS cones made by Briana from the Jenni Bowlin Blog. How cool are they?! Imagine hanging on a child's door knob or a neighbours front door or a co-workers desk, or giving to classmates. Super cute!  And these could be made using any patterned paper and supplies.

I made these cones, also known as paper cornucopias or May Day baskets, for my kids to give to their teachers for Valentine's Day. You can tuck a little wrapped gift inside or put the gift inside wrapped with tissue paper or for a very special presentation you could wrap the gift in a vintage hankie. Another option is to use shredded paper and fill the cone with candy and treats. 

They also look so pretty to use as decorations. In the top photo I strung them on a ribbon and hung them over my mirror and in the photo above I hung them on my white feather tree.

The cones were made using 3D Scalloped Cone from Silhouette. I have a Cameo so I was able to cut them from full sheets of 12 x 12 paper for the largest cones. If you have a Silhouette SD they'll be smaller, closer in size to the diamond patterned cone I made. If you don't have electronic die cutting capabilities there are tons of cone templates online. 

(Note: the Silhouette Cameo is available at Photo Express)

After the cones were cut I glued them together and used a long reach stapler to add a little reinforcement along the back seam, probably not completely necessary but I didn't have to wait as long for the glue to dry. I cut the silhouette girls from Jenni's papers.  The older girl is from Be My Guest and the little girl is from Haven. I layered the Haven girl on a JBS oval label sticker to match the other one, as seen on the diamond patterned cone. 

I made full, loopy bows with seam binding. For a few of the cones I used two colors on each bow. I added the teachers' initials using JBS alterable alphas in the middle of the bows. I attached ric rac handles and the bows with hot glue.

They look cute on the inside too!

Supplies:

Be Our Guest - Hers

Haven - Common Objects

Red/Black Line Extension IV - Letter Chart

Red/Black Line Extension IV - Multiplication

Red/Black Line Extension IV - Pen Nibs

Alterable Alphas - Micro Dot

Haven - Betty's House

Red label stickers

Red/Black Extension IV - School Dress
Other supplies:
Gold oval doily 
Vintage seam binding and ric rac

Briana

More Winter Layout Ideas

Sledding Scrapbook Page

Design by Melissa Inman

Melissa created balance in her layout by adding strips of paper to both sides of her two-page design. She added three arrows to guide the eye, keeping them all in solid green tones to pop off the patterned paper.

Editor's Tip: For fun lettering, add patterned paper to closed off space in letters, such as Melissa did with the "g" and the "o."

Simple Shoveling Winter Scrapbook Page

Design by Renee Foss

Renee created a block with her four smaller photos and balanced it with a larger shot. She kept the page simple, adding just a bit of patterned paper on top of a solid background.

Big Pic Winter Scrapbook Page

Design by Susan Weinroth

Susan created her title in the circle with stickers and letter brads. She positioned smaller circles along the top of the photo and centered red brads on the smallest circles. Her funny photo takes center stage in the middle of the page.

Family Gathering Winter Scrapbook Page

Design by Candi Gershon

Candi grouped multiple photos at the bottom of her layout and balanced them with a large title and journaling block above. She added extra emphasis to the title and journaling by curving the edges of the paper underneath.

Snow Fun Scrapbook Page

Design by Erica Hernandez

A craft knife helped Erica handle the thin spaces and smooth the curves of this penguin, which makes a cute addition to her page about winter fun. Erica brought cohesion to the layout by letting the sled and the penguin's scarf overlap her photo. Using colors from the scarf, Erica choose solid color paper to block off different sections of the page.

Serious Sledding Layout

Design by Shannon Zickel

Give your layouts some a cool factor by spraying ink along the bottom edges of the pages. The technique works on any color background, even kraft. Here, it gives the page a "frosty" effect. Chipboard snowflakes get a festive update with patterned paper.

Sledding Fun Layout

Design by Pam Callaghan

For this fun sledding scrapbook page, Pam grouped several photos in a large block for a big emphasis in the center of her layout. She curved the edges of the patterned paper and the photos to add movement to the page.

Editor's Tip: Create a title that mirrors the action in your photos. Pam lined up her letter stickers along the bottom edges of staggered supporting photos to play up the downhill action.

Snowboarding Layout

Design by Paula Murakami

The patterned paper Paula chose for this snowboarding scrapbook page immediately reminded her of snow and helped her pick a colour scheme for the page. Converting photos to black-and-white allowed her to use any colors she wanted, so she chose frosty hues that play up the winter theme.

Editor's Tip: Use seasonal shapes to further drive home your theme. Paula used snowflakes in several spots on her page, including the one that subs for the letter "o" in her title.

Snow Tubing Layout

Design by Annette Pixley

Annette's inner tube sledding pictures mark a trip to Mt. Hood with her son. She matted her photos with colorful cardstock to make the mostly white winter sports images pop off the page, and she mixed rub-on phrases with her journaling to help highlight certain words and emphasize the winter theme.

Editor's Tip: Recycle for low-cost embellishments. Annette placed her title on a cloud cut from a magazine advertisement. Just remember, not all found objects are safe for scrapbooks. Keep questionable items away from one-of-a-kind photos or treat with deacidification sprays to be safe.

Snowboard Outing Layout

Design by Angie Cramer

Angie snapped these winter sports photos of her son Ryan on a snowboarding outing. Angie chose the layout colors--black, gray, and red--from her son's winter gear, pulling the entire page together.

Editor's Tip: Be creative with your title. Angie stamped "snowboarding" as well as snowflake patterns onto three round metal-rim tags, then strung the tags together with fibers to make a vertical title.

 

 

 

 

Winter Scrapbook Layout ideas

I'm sure you've taken a few snow pictures over the last week.  Here are some great layout ideas from Scrapbooks etc.

 

Pretty Punch Winter Scrapbook Page

Design by Lisa Storms

Use basic punches to create a graphic snowflake border. Abstract flower punches produce simple snowflakes when paired with white cardstock. Clip the flowers' rounded tips, adhere the shapes to multicolor punched circles, and top with gems.

Editor's Tip: Give a winter layout a crisp, tiled look by mounting photos, journaling, and accents with thin adhesive foam.

 

Sweater Weather Scrapbook Page

Design by Jennifer Perks

No snow? No problem. Patterns, textures, and accents from the sweaters in these photos inspired the creative color blocks on this cardstock-only page. Turn buttons, snaps, and other notions into layout embellishments. For a fun, interactive element, machine-stitch a zipper to cardstock. Mimic the texture of a sweater by layering tone-on-tone cardstock shapes. Outline the shapes with pen to help them stand out.

 

Digital Winter Scrapbook Page

Design by Leslie Lightfoot

Bring together your favorite outdoor photos in a photo collage. A digital template makes designing the layout a snap -- all you need are photos and a few digital elements! Embellish with a cluster of stars instead of the traditional snowflakes and use dark colors for an interesting way to display winter photos. (Remember, you can get all your digital layouts printed at Photo Express!)

Outdoor Fun Winter Scrapbook Page

Design by Vicki Boutin

Head outdoors with your kids and snap shots of them enjoying the snow. Stamp a snowflake on a circle of white cardstock and add a gem in the center to make it glisten. Punch a text pattern into circles for an unexpected accent.

Editor's Tip: To get properly exposed snow photos, use the Winter or Snow setting on a point-and-shoot camera, or set a custom white balance on a digital SLR.

 

Snowflake Flurry Scrapbook Page

Design by Erin Clarkson

Break away from traditional icy pastels and go bold with unexpected hues. Stick with one paper line to make matching a breeze. Balance the bright colours and eye-catching patterns with black-and-white photos that are sure to pop. For a smooth finish, sand chipboard edges after covering with patterned paper.

 

Snowscape Winter Scrapbook Page

Design by Greta Hammond

Fashion slopes from white textured paper and layer them with adhesive foam to create depth between layers. Trim snow mounds with rickrack and tuck action photos behind the hills to make them feel like part of the scene. Mat snow photos with patterned paper to give them added oomph on a page.

 

 

 

 

Winter Day Scrapbook Page

Design by Amy Howe

Amy turned to darker shades of purple, blue, and green for an elegant look (the three colors also happen to fall next to each other on the color wheel). The dark colors contrast nicely with a large black-and-white photo, showing the fun that can be had on a dreary winter day. Clear plastic flowers with button centers add a subtle, but glimmering touch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With Love

With Love - a new line from Pebbles

 

   

 

New Punches and Hemp cord

  

Hemp cord is very popular right now and these are beautiful colours.

Do you have an actual photograph?

Have your children or grandchildren or neices or nephews ever held an actual photograph of themselves in their hand? Contrary to what many children growing up today may unfortunately believe, family pictures don't have to be viewed only on a computer screen.

Believe it or not, you can still actually make pictures you can hold in your hand- just like the film days! Even more amazing, you can put them in an album and look at them while reminiscing about when the photo was taken! Really, no kidding! lol

The trouble is, too many well-intentioned people never get around to moving those pictures from their shoebox--whether it's a physical shoebox or a digital one--into an album. Make 2012 the year you get around to doing this.

The above picture of my daughters was taken on Christmas eve and because of Foto Freedom, it is backed up, tagged, rated, super easy to find to share, printed and in a photo album! And I just ordered an enlargement of it for my family wall.  Don't think that this is because I am in the photo industry.  Working in this industry has actually been a "detriment" to my photo organization - I take waaaaay too many photos, and they were only haphazardly organized before Foto Freedom and I was totally overwhelmed. I now get excited when I think about my photos and how organized they are (from last June to now, I still have to work my way backwards) instead of anxiety and guilt. Plus we get to enjoy and look at actual photographs! The girls are loving this!

If the idea of actually holding a printed photograph in your hand just seems overwhelming to you and you have no idea where to even begin, Foto Freedom has all the answers for you!

This self-paced online course will take you step by step from the very basics of once you have snapped a photo on your camera, all the way to actually enjoying your photos in an organized way for generations to come. The next session starts this Thursday January 19th (and if you are reading this post after, you can sign up until Jan 25th). Don't be intimidated by this being a 10 week course. It is a simple step each week to fit into your busy life and can be done at your own pace. And with the savings you receive, it is almost free!

If you are ready to print out some pictures, take advantage of our 40% off sale on Foto Depot photofinishing right now! Extended until Jan 25th.(wallet size to poster size)!  It's all about saving those Christmas memories before they get buried on your hard drive.

Just use the promo code save2011 at checkout when you place your next Foto Depot order of more than $20 before discount.

Here is some more explanation from the Ghost of Christmas JPG's Past!

The Ghost of Christmas JPG's Past!

Safe Winter Driving

We don't get winters like some areas of the country, but this is a good reminder of how to drive safe in the winter, especially if you are heading up to the interior (or live on a mountain like me.)

Download SafeWinterDriving_Jan12 (click this link to read the article.)

Be safe!

Storing Your Photos

We recently talked about Organizing Your Photos. Remember, your photos didn't become unorganized overnight and they aren't going to get organized overnight so keep at it.  Schedule some time in your calendar (or it won't happen!) and stick to it.  Seriously, you can accomplish lots if you set an egg timer for 15 minutes and just go. Do this every day or even 4 days a week and you will see a difference!    

 

As you organize your photos, you need to figure out how you are going to "store" them in an archival manner so they can be enjoyed and loved for years to come(not just stuck in a drawer, never to see the light of day). Here are some options for you, pick and choose the ones that work for YOU.  By the way, a shoe box is a very unsafe place to store your photos.   

Storage products should be acid-free, archival, lignin-free, and PVC-free. Acids in some papers, cardboards and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) products will literally eat away your photos over time and should be avoided.

Photos should also be stored away from humidity and not in direct sunlight.  Depending on what you plan on doing with your photos, and how many photos you have, you may have more than one storage system.  The most common type of storage system is a photo album, which can be a traditional pocket album, or a scrapbook album. A scrapbook doesn’t have to be fancy with lots of fancy papers and embellishments - it can be as simple as photos on a page with photo corners and a little bit of journaling or it can be elaborate. The choice is yours. An album is the easiest way to share your photos with others. You will find a huge selection of albums at Photo Express and the knowledgeable staff to help you choose the right one for you. 

Photo Boxes are another great option for storage, especially if you want to do something with the photos at a later date but can’t get to that right now. Make sure to label the outside of the box so you know what is inside. Choose archival boxes made for photo storage. Actual shoeboxes usually have a lot of lignin in them, which will deteriorate your photo, and acid that will eat away at your photos.  

 

Large file boxes are great for storing larger photos or memorabilia. Again remember to make sure that they are safe for your photos. When you store larger memorabilia away from the photos they relate to, post a note with the photo as to where you can find the item. If you have larger items such as children’s artwork, you can reduce the size by making a colour copy (make sure the paper and toner is acid free like at Photo Express) or by scanning them and printing a smaller version from the computer. This also works for bulky items or you can take a photo of the bulky item.

 

Archival envelopes come in many sizes and are a convenient method of storage especially for those larger items. They can be used to store papers, certificates or photos.

 

Here is a challenge for you - go and find 24 photos that you like - no particular theme or order and put them into a little 24 pocket photo album. Leave them out on a coffee table or counter. You will be amazed at how often they will get looked at and enjoyed, which is what taking photos is all

about! 

 

Negative Storage 

As you are sorting through your older photos, you have two options to sort your negatives. Deal with them as you deal with the photos, or set them aside to deal with later. If you aren't sure you will ever do anything with them, my suggestion is not to spend a lot of time on them. Put them together in "decades" and leave it at that. If you think you will be going back and printing some, organize them into "years" and store them - they don't have to be in perfect chronological order.

 

 

The most effective system for storing negatives is to place them in PVC-free plastic negative sleeves and store them  in a 3 ring binder. This protects them from dirt, scratches, and the oil on your fingers. Most sleeves also have an area at the top to label the subject and the date. If you have an index print, you can put it with the negatives.  

 

It is also best to store your negatives in a separate location from your photos - not together. For example, store your photos at your house, and your negatives at a friend or family member’s house. Hopefully, if a catastrophe happens in one location, the other location will still be safe and you will be left with either photos or negatives, but won’t lose both. The other option is a safe deposit box. The fire safes for homes will usually not protect your negatives.

 

Remember to choose a system that works for YOU! Your system will be different than mine and different from your friends. It has to work for you so you will actually do it, and maintain it (which is even more important than the actual getting organized).

10 Inspiring Quotes for the Day to Day you do

This came through in my email today and applies to so much of your daily life.

 

10 Inspiring Quotes to Help Get the Housework Done.

 

• “I am thankful for a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home…. I am thankful for the piles of laundry and ironing because it means my loved ones are nearby.” - Nancie J. Carmody. There is housework to do because there is family to love.

• “Happiness does not consist in pastimes and amusements but in virtuous activities.” - 
Aristotle. True happiness is found in conducting our daily activities with virtue, character, and morality… not in looking elsewhere.

• “The best way to find yourself, is to lose yourself in the service of others.” 
- Ghandi. And if housework isn’t the definition of ‘service to others,’ I don’t know what is.

• “Your children will become what you are; so be what you want them to be.” - David Bly. We all desire our children to be hard-working, persistent, and disciplined. And we have a chance to model that for them everyday.

• “The unselfish effort to bring cheer to others will be the beginning of a happier life for ourselves.” - Helen Keller. Remember, a nice meal, a clean home, or a soft place to lay your head brings cheer to others. And providing cheer for others results in a happier life for you.

• “The best time for planning a book is while you’re doing the dishes.” - Agatha Christie. Clearly, one of the most accomplished writers of our time did the dishes. But more than that, she found opportunity in the task. Find opportunity in your tasks today.

• “The key to success is to do the next right thing right.” - Coach Don Meyer. Coach Meyer became the winning-est men’s basketball coach in the NCAA with one simple strategy that he stressed on the basketball court and in life… just do the next right right. The motto carries well into the home as well.

• “Happiness is where we find it, but rarely where we seek it.” -  J. Petit Senn. Happiness can surely be found in the monotony of our everyday lives, but not if we keep looking for it elsewhere.

• “What comes from the heart, goes to the heart.” - Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Your love for family and your service to others will be noticed. It may not be conveyed each day… it may not even be noticed immediately… but done from the heart, it will get noticed and appreciated. Actions done from the heart always do.

• “You can’t do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth.”
 - Shira Tehrani. You can enhance your life today by taking care of it and the things around you. You can also enhance the life of others by doing the same. And that just may be motivation enough.

Promaster Keychain Tripod

Many of you have bought these super cute and useful mini tripods that attach to your keychain! This way, you always have a tripod on hand for your small camera. Over time the ball head may loosen. To tighten it, turn the middle leg clockwise.  Easy peasy!

 

Brighten someone's Desk

Quick and Easy Floral Pens

Brighten someone's day with super-easy spring-theme pens. Secure flower embellishments atop a pen, then wrap the base with coordinating paper for a pretty, put-together look.