Hi it's Peg again! A looooooong time ago (Sept. 22 to be precise), I posted some Sweet Summertime projects for the last hurrah of summer. I told you about my last hurrah, and asked you to tell me about yours.

I had the prizes all lined up on my dining room table (yes, they are still there...) and just needed to pick a winner. 

And, well, I forgot. As you may recall, my "last hurrah" was to run a half marathon. My first. My goal was to finish, and I did. It was a lot of work to train for it and I was proud to finish. Maybe I got too caught up in my training to remember to pick a winner? Yeah, that's it! But if you're thinking of runnning a race, let me just give you a little advice. Have someone bring a camera, because the pictures they take of you running your first half marathon are not too flattering. You may need someone to take a lot in order to get a single decent one! (In fact, my advice is to finish, go home, shower, put on a little makeup, comb your hair, and stage it.) I don't think I'll be doing any scrapbook pages of my experience. 

Anyway...so sorry for the delay! I loved reading about your "last hurrahs". Thanks so much for sharing them with us. I picked two random winners and they are:

Marcia Scantlin and Carolyn King! 

Congratulations ladies! Please email your mailing info to: peg_berry@comcast.net and I'll get those prizes out to you (I promise it won't take another month)!

Thanks to everyone who participated and, if you live in cooler climates, try to keep those warm memories as the temperature goes down and the price of heating oil goes up!

- Peg

Sigh... I guess it's time to admit it's finally over.

Summer that is.

Autumnal equinox and all.

In spite of the morning chill in the air I have been digging in my heels and holding on to summer for all I'm worth. Who cares that the kids are back in school! Who cares that I've had to pull out the jeans and sweaters once or twice! It's still summer until ... well...today.

The leaves have been turning here in CT for weeks, but now that the calendar is turning, I have to get with the program and move on to Fall already. Now don't get me wrong. I really do love Fall. Here in the Northeast I love the colors, crisp sunny days, savory cooking [not to mention our new Hello Fall! collection ;) ... who wouldn't love fall with that around, huh? ]

And then I just say to myself ... just wait a minute here ... not so fast! Let's have a little last hurrah for summer! If you're like me, you'll be scrappin' those summer pictures well into 2012 [in fact, I think there's something special about scrapping the beach pics when the snow is falling outside!].

So today I'm going to share some Sweet Summertime goodness from the Biker Chicks! For one last hurrah!

[And read on dear blog followers! There's a chance for you to win some Sweet Summertime goodness for yourself at the end of this post!] 

So let's get started, why don't we? First up, this adorable little layout from Biker Chick Liz Qualman. There's something about boys and boats...isn't there?

And a few close up shots:

Next up, Biker Chick Renee Foss shared this amazing shadowbox just full of great summer memories!

... and a detail shot:

....swoon.. Love this!

And last but certainly not least, Tania Willis posted these two awesome Sweet Summertime layouts on her blog earlier this summer and I've been meaning to share them with you. But I kept forgetting! Shame on me! 

Here's the first. You can't beat the photo of that cutie Emma, and I love how Tania kept it simple ... but simply perfect! Check out that sun!

And the details:

And next up, how cute are these two muggin' it up for the camera? And how cool is it that Tania used this versatile summery collection on a page that really isn't summery at all? Love this!

And a couple close ups to show all the detail and dimesion!

If you want to scraplift this layout (and who wouldn't? ... though for finding the big wax lips I must tell you ... you are on your own!) just follow the link I posted above for detailed instructions!

Three cheers for the Biker Chicks! You guys are great!

And now for the LOOT!

I personally went over to our warehouse and raided - RAIDED I tell you! - that Sweet Summertime collection. I have two AMAZING prize packs to share with two people who leave a comment. We're talking papers, stickers, and embellies galore people! Who wants 'em???

Just tell me about YOUR last hurrah of summer.

 Here is mine...I decided to run the Hartford Half Marathon in a couple weeks. This is big for me and I'm not quite sure I'm ready but there's only one way to find out. And let me tell you, running in the CT humidity today ... it sure felt like summer to me! So now that I think about it - bring on that cool weather already! I'm wilting like steamed spinach out there!

Can't wait to hear YOUR story!

-Peg

I'm telling you, folks, these Training Reels just keep getting better and better. It was a sweltering 93 degrees and humid here in Connecticut today, but one look at this Sweet Summertime layout by Biker Chick Tania Willis just made me cool and happy that it's SUMMER!!!

Here ... take a look:

See? I mean the colors and the details and just the fun of it all is amazing in its awesomeness, isn't it? In the video, Tania will show you how to make this oh-so-cute little watermelon journaling card with the cute little bite taken out of it!

And so much more, I just need to let her tell it herself. So now here's Tania!

And a few more quick close ups!

Love love love love love love LOVE it!!!

And here is the PDF with all of the instructions PLUS templates for the watermelon journaling card!

Download 10 Things I Love About Summer Instructions by Tania Willis

You can follow Tania's blog by clicking here. Go over and share the love, ok? Did I mention Tania recently joined the Fiskars Design Team too? We are so lucky to have her!

Hope you're having a SWEET SUMMERTIME of your own!!!

Have fun making this bright and cheery layout, and come back later this week for some more Biker Chick Sweet Summertime shares before we roll out all the new goodies for CHA!

Happy crafting!

Peg

Never let it be said that we don't love a party here at LYB! And we recently heard that our friends at Clip it Up by Simply Renee are celebrating their FIFTH BIRTHDAY! Happy Birthday Clip It Up!

Take a look at this adorable tiered "Birthday Cake" Audrey, one of their designers, made with a Clip It Up and LYB's Cupcake Love collection! You can go to Simply Renee's blog for instructions on how to make it!

What an amazing centerpiece for a birthday party! How clever!

So here's a little Happy Birthday Contest where YOU get the chance to get a present! After all, what's a birthday celebration without presents??

Clip It Up by Simply Renee will give away a Main Base, and we're giving away an assortment from the Cupcake Love collection, plus some of our newest collection - Sweet Summertime - for good measure. We'll pick TWO winners on Friday (LYB will pick one, and Clip it Up will pick one).

Here's how to win:

Post a comment here on our blog, and also on Clip it Up's Blog - telling us your most creative birthday project. To double your chances of winning, post a comment on LYB's Facebook Page, and also on Clip it Up's Facebook page! Be sure to tell them we sent you - and wish them a Happy 5th Birthday!

We'll announce the winners on Friday! Good Luck!

Peg

Wow. Can you believe today is the last day of June? Yeah. Me neither.

We sure hope your summer is off to a great start that you've been making lots of special memories and taking many pictures!

We have been so fortunate to have Karen Grunberg as our Guest Designer for the Sweet Summertime collection this month. Her layouts have, of course, been superb, and I hope you've taken the time to check out Karen's blog and been inspired by her amazing art journaling and her daily diary, in which she documents the ins and outs of everyday life and remembers to be grateful for something every day. And so much more.

So today, with a touch of sadness, I bring you the last layout from Karen. (But don't worry she's always just a click away!)

Here's Karen's final Q&A:

LYB:  Are you an "events" or "moments" scrapbooker?

Karen:  Moments. Through and through. Even when I am scrapping an event, I will choose a moment that was poignant for me and scrap the event through that.

LYB:  Are you a sit down or stand up scrapbooker?

Karen:  Sit down. I don't know how people can stand up for two hours!

LYB:   Do you have a favorite quote?

Karen:  Yes, it's by Mark Twain: "Keep away from those who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you believe that you too can become great.”

LYB:  Are you a neat scrapbooker or is your space a mess?

Karen:  While I scrap, I tend to make a huge mess but after I am done I always clean up and cannot start another layout unless my space is clean.

LYB:   What is your best time or money saving tip?

Karen:  Money: For me it's punches and sewing machine. They are both more expensive than a small embellishment but they can be used again and again. I use both on every single layout so it saves me a lot of money in the long run.

Time: I print all my photos in batches. A month at a time and then cut them up and put them in a drawer next to my table. This way, when I have time to scrap, I am not wasting any of it on choosing or printing photos.

LYB:  Do you have a favorite adhesive?

Karen:  Nope. I have a frustrating relationship with all adhesives. I dislike them all equally. My favorite way to adhere to a page is by using my sewing machine.

LYB:  Describe your style.

Karen:  I don't know that there's a word that you can use to describe my style. If I had to use one word, I would pick "meaningful." I know that "clean" is probably what most others would pick but, for me, the most important part of the layout is the story and a lot of the design choices I make are related to that priority. For example, I tend to favor long titles because it's a great way to summarize the main point of my journaling and I figure that even if you only read my title, you'd still know why I made this page. I also favor multiple, series photos. This, too, is my way of enhancing the story by demonstrating it using sequential photos to give you the feeling of motion. You can almost see the story playing out on my page. And, most obviously, I hand-journal on every page.

___________________________________________

What a great quote! How many of you are now planning on using that on a scrapbook page some day?

OK here's Karen with her final post!

For my last layout with Sweet Summertime I wanted to share something that actually has a summer theme. I rarely scrap themed pages but I bought this outdoor table for my kids for the summer so that they could play together outside while I work, so I thought it would be the perfect photo to go with this line:

Here's another example of several embellishments stacked together to create a new one. This particular corner has the chipboard cloud, lemon ribbon slider, lime chipboard, red chipboard button, and a fabric favorites sticker.

here's a closer look at the middle section where I placed my photo on top of three layered envelopes from the envelope album kit. I love using envelopes on my layouts.

I also added extra color to the chipboard elements by adding colorful chipboard buttons in the middle and a sticker on top.

Like my other layouts, I added elements to the edges to keep your eyes coming back to the middle of my page.

And here's the journaling on this layout:

My sweet boys, I know summer can be a lot of work for a work at home mommy like me and I am trying to make sure you have a lot to do so that I can work without interruption as much as possible. But I am also looking forward to summer so much because it means David will be home everyday and I can watch the two of you play together. That is my very favorite thing to do lately. It makes me feel so very grateful and deeply happy.

Thank you very much for letting me share all my layouts with the beautiful Sweet Summertime collection. This collection is perfect for summer or for people who like bright, happy papers. I absolutely adore every paper and embellishment in this line because just looking at them makes me happy and these colors and patterns are my favorite to scrap with so it's been a pleasure and honor to get to create with them.

A big thank you to Little Yellow Bicycle for the opportunity and thanks to all of you letting me share.

_____________________

And a great big thank you right back to YOU Karen Grunberg! We will miss you!

Peg

Hello friends! Hope you're enjoying the Sweet Summertime!  Have you picked up your Sweet Summertime collection yet at your LSS? It's a rainy day here in Connecticut today (not complaining, because we have had some gorgeous weather lately...but today it's a little drab and wet) ... so I'm looking forward to playing with these beautifully colored papers to bring a little bit of scrappy-sunshine-in-a-package and happiness to my day!

Today Biker Chick Tania Willis is back with another fun and easy LYB Training Reel! She'll show you how to make a shimmery-summery set of cards using layered flower embellishments, featuring the brand new Sweet Summertime collection from Little Yellow Bicycle!

First, take a look at these four fun cards you can create with elements from the Sweet Summertime collection (and a little help from Tania!) ... remember complete instructions are available in a downloadable pdf at the end of this blog post!!

And now, here's Tania with the video. Watch it and then scroll down for more close-up pics and complete instructions!

Here are a few close ups of the cards and layered embellishments Tania has created:

Hello Sunshine ... You Make Me Happy:

and a close up:

When Life Gives You Lemons ...

and a close up:

Sweet Summertime:

and a close up of this one:

And finally, You Make Me Happy:

...and a close up!

And here is a pic with whole bunch of flowers that you can make by layering paper flowers with LYB embellishments to make a unique assortment. Be sure to click on the photo to enlarge it and get a better look!

Now download the PDF by clicking below...

Download Sweet Summertime Cards by Tania Willis

... and get started!  And if you loved these cards, head over to Tania's blog by clicking here, and tell her! She'll be so happy to hear from you!

Have fun!

Peg

Hi everyone! Are you ready for another Sketch Challenge? Tomorrow is the FIRST official day of Summer (ok everyone, get up from your computer screen and do a little happy dance with me) ...so we asked Biker Chick Liz Qualman to do a little Sweet Summertime Sketch Challenge for you!

Hooray!

Here's Liz to introduce her sketch!

Summer in the Rocky Mountains can be a little unpredictable, especially with the weather, but that does not stop my family from getting out and having a good time.  Last summer we went boating on Lake Dillon, which has an altitude of about 9,000 feet. You can imagine it can be a little chilly, however, these gorgeous Sweet Summertime papers still capture the feeling of this exciting summer day and may even cast a bit of a warmer glow upon it.

The Chipboard Shapes with glitter accents in this collection add just the right amount of summer fun and include a tiny bit of glitter to make them pop off the page.  I added a Fresh Verse sticker to this cute chipboard cloud to add another sentiment about our wonderful day.

I love the combination of the Sweet Summertime chipboard kite with the journaling card.  The tail of the kite winds around the journaling card and photo to tie them together beautifully.

The journaling cards in this collection are not just for writing.  I used the beautiful shape and color on this one to matte the wallet sized photo so it would stand out just a bit more from the other two photos and an additional sentiment to my title, "Happy Summer." 

______________________________

Another amazing layout. Thanks Liz! And if you love sketches don't forget to check out Liz's Blog for more simply fabulous sketches!

Here is the Sketch:

And here are the rules:

-  Use Liz's sketch as your guideline. However, feel free to flip it, modify it or make it your own.

-  Please submit your layouts to "peg@mylyb.com" or post on LYB's Facebook Wall.

-  Contest runs from now until July 15, 2011. 

-  Submissions should be 75% from the Sweet Summertime, Tiny Princess or Baby Saurus collections.

-  Liz will choose three finalists. Each of the finalists will win a $25 LYB prize pack.

-  Then we'll post the three finalists so you can vote for your favorite. The grand prize winner, who receives the most votes on our blog and Facebook page, will win a $50 LYB prize pack!

Thanks so much for participating in our recent sketch challenges. It's so much fun to see what you have created.

Good luck to everyone, and thanks again to Liz for another fantastic sketch!

Hello friends! Back again with another amazing layout by our Sweet Summertime Guest Designer Karen Grunberg! I'll get right to it but first, a little more LYB Q&A with Karen!

LYB:  Do you have a favorite scrapbooking snack?

Karen:  Coffee. I don't eat when I scrap but I often drink coffee, tea, or water.

LYB:  Any unique tips or techniques you use?

Karen:  Besides the super-long titles, I use a lot of stitching on my pages. I stitch through my titles, my embellishments. I like the imperfection and texture it adds to my pages and it's a perfect adhesive.

LYB:  Describe your biggest scrapbooking ‘mishap’?

Karen:  Hmmm….I tend to just go with the flow and I am a clean scrapper so I don't have a lot of mishaps. However, I've consistently been unable to use sprays on my pages. Last time I tried, I sprayed all my fingers orange and it wouldn't come off for days.

LYB:  What are your favorite scrapbook magazines?

Karen:  I don't read any magazines, scrapbooking or otherwise. I made the decision a while back that I prefer to read books so I use my magazine time to read books.

LYB:  Do you have a favorite die cutting system?

Karen:  I have a cricut and a wishblade. I haven't used either enough to comment with confidence. However, I do use punches a lot.

LYB:  Are you a morning bird or night owl?

Karen:  I think I am naturally a night owl but I have two young kids so I am often up between 6 and 6:30am and I tend to scrap both early in the morning and late at night.

And now, here's Karen!

______________________

Hi everyone!

I am delighted to be back with another layout from the Sweet Summertime collection. I am a huge fan of the Canvas Banners and the Crepe Paper Lace Stickers in this collection and I've used almost all of them on my layouts. Here's the one for today:

I often tend to layer my embellishments and this one is no exception. I added the smaller Lemon Banner on top of the big one and then cut up the Clear Cuts Sun and layered a green Chipboard Lemon on top of that and topped the whole thing with the number four (there are four of us in my family.) This way there are lots of bits of color but nothing is too distracting.

I also loved the stickers and decided they went perfectly with my theme so I stacked them on the bottom right side of my page and stitched right through them. I love putting elements on the edges of my pages because my pages always have a white background and having elements on the edge forces your eye back on my page and stops it from wandering away.

The journaling on this page reads:

In the beginning of 2011 I decided we would take full family photos weekly. I knew that even if they were posed and in the same spot, I would love having them. What i didn't know then was how we would invent tickle time at the end of each session and how I would cherish those photos even more!

See how amazing the colors in this line are? They go perfectly with the colors my young kids tend to wear.

Thank you for letting me share another layout with you!!

______________________

Thank you, Karen, for another beautiful project! Hope everyone enjoyed it! Be sure to check out Karen's blog by clicking this link, and let her know we sent you!

Have a great day, folks! Create something beautiful!

Peg

We were so happy when Karen Grunberg agreed to be our Guest Designer for the month of June, using the brand new Sweet Summertime collection! If you are not familiar with Karen's work (gasp!), do yourself a favor and click the link to check out her blog. You are in for a rare treat.

In addition to having a clean, cool, and unique scrapbooking style, you will be wowed by her breathtaking art and art journaling, her daily diary, and her photography of her family and her two beautiful boys. I find myself scratching my head and wondering "how does she fit all this into her day??" She works full time, designs and guest designs, is a mom to two very young boys, creates art, journals, blogs, and exercises every day. So I have to ask ... Karen, do ya ever sleep?

But I digress...and seriously... we just love Karen's work. So here is a little more about Karen!

LYB:  What is your ‘go to’ embellishment?

Karen:  Alphabets. I use many many of them on my layout pages because I tend to favor very long titles. Other than that, it's anything that's in the shape of a butterfly.

LYB:  Do you prefer cardstock or patterned paper?

Karen:  My backgrounds are always white cardstock.

LYB:  What kind of music gets you in the scrappin’ mood?

Karen:  I generally watch TV or listen to podcasts while I scrap. If I am listening to music (which is rare) it's Glee.

LYB:  Do you like to go to crops or prefer to scrap alone?

Karen:  I prefer to scrap alone. I am very talkative so if I go to a scrap, I often end up chatting and not scrapping.

LYB:  What are your favorite types of projects—pages, mini albums, cards, altered projects, etc?

Karen:  I used to do a lot of mini albums but in the last year or so I've switched to exclusively creating layouts. I still do a few albums every year and I do a lot of art journaling but, my scrapping projects are most often creating layouts.

So now, here's Karen!!

______________________________

Hi everyone!

I am so excited to be here and to get to be a guest designer for Little Yellow Bicycle. I am a huge fan of all their lines but I specifically remember seeing Sweet Summertime during CHA and falling in love with all the bright colors and wonderful designs of this line. So when they asked me to design with it, I was elated.

The first thing I wanted to show you is that this line is definitely not exclusive to summer-themed layouts. While the elements are perfect for summer, the papers and embellishments in this line can be used for just about any theme.

Here's a layout I made about my oldest son:

You can see how I was able to use the canvas letters in my title to talk about my son's personality instead of the weather. I also love those letters because they add so much texture and dimension to my page:

I also used the chipboard and dimensional stickers to add more color to my page and to strengthen the "sunny" theme.

Another thing I did was to layer my embellishments so the main part of the kite wasn't visible and all you see is the string with little bits of color. I even stitched on top of it to add more texture.

Here's the journaling on this page:

There are so many things I love about you David. You're so kind and giving and generous and you're funny and sweet. You always listen to me and do what I ask without complaining, You take walks with me and give me hugs and curl up with me. But what I love the most is how happy you are. How you don't have my sad demeanor. and how you can lift me up with just one smile and you smile a lot! I love you David.

Thank you for letting me share one of my layouts, see you soon with another!

_________________________

I don't know about you, but I can't wait! We'll be back later this week with Karen's second post. Meanwhile cyber-RUN over to Karen's blog, and check it out. Tell her we sent you! Then subscribe. You'll be so glad you did!

See you soon!

Peg

Have you seen it yet?

Sweet Summertime is HERE! We began shipping last week, so if you haven't seen it already, you should see it any day now at a LSS near you.

You will go crazy for the beautiful brilliant, summery colors and juicy watermelon and lemon images. I personally love the fireflies, dragonflies, and the lemonade stand. Well, actually, I just love it all!

So here's Biker Chick Tania Willis with a lovely, summery 12x12 layout, plus a Training Reel tutorial showing you exactly how to make a three-dimensional pinwheel that exactly matches the cardstock pinwheel stickers from the collection. This is a must-see, folks.

Then take a look at the photos, and download full instructions for how to make the entire layout at the bottom of the blog!

And here are a few close ups!

Make this pinwheel by following Tania's step-by-step instructions in the Training Reel:

Don't you love the spinner, kite (look at the tail!), and dragonfly?

And another close up! I think it's so cool how Tania used the Journaling Cards as elements in this layout.

Tania did such a great job, didn't she? You can visit Tania's blog by clicking here!

Now download the instructions (click the link below), run to your LSS for some sweet Sweet Summertime, and get working people!

Download Twillis_SS_Sweet Summertime Layout Training Reel Instructi.

And I'll be back tomorrow with our first post from our June Guest Designer for Sweet Summertime! Can't wait!

Peg

Check back tomorrow for a new Training Reel from Tania, featuring the Sweet Summertime collection, and after that, we announce our June Guest Designer!

Brrr...baby it's cold outside today in CT - so it's a great day to think about Sweet Summertime and announce a few winners!

A little while back, Lori posted a little sneak peek of the Sweet Summertime collection and asked YOU to post a comment about your favorite LSS! The winners will receive a LYB bag packed with Sweet Summertime goodies when the collection ships this summer! So here they are!

-  Kim R., who shops at Papercraft Clubhouse in Westbrook, CT

-  Kathy P., who shops at Memory Lane in Quakertown, PA

-  Julie F., who shops at New England Scrapbook Company in Canton, CT

-  Pam Spradin, who shops at Paper Arts in Edmond, OK and

-  Samantha T., who shops at A Walk Down Memory Lane in Rock Valley, IA

Congratulations ladies! Please send your mailing information to "info@mylyb.com" with "Sweet Summertime Blog Giveaway" in the subject line, and we'll get those packs out to you as soon as this yummy collection is in!

And, of course, a HUGE thanks to all those Local Scrapbook Stores out there who carry LYB's collections!

Well this post was supposed to go up two days ago, but a "little" snowstorm had other ideas! After five canceled flights and a few re-routes, I lost my USB cable and couldn't download the pics! I'm pleased to report that our LYB Connecticut, Chicago, and Colorado contingents all made it home safely (though I'm still trying to figure out how I left LA a day before Ross and he got back to CT 3 hours before me, LOL!). Unpacked and unruffled, (and USB cable found), I can finally share with you the last of our CHA booth pics.

Love this little Tiny Princess card:

And another:

An envelope album! Notice these albums are a little shorter in length than the envies from some of our previous collections:

Inside of the album:

Another look:

These blocks and frame are too cute for words!!

On to more Elizabeth Park projects! You may have seen this little frame set on our website, but I'm here to tell you it is SO darling in person.

And who said Twig had cornered the market on birdhouses? Here's one made with Elizabeth Park!

This layout truly is beautiful!

And who wouldn't adore this lovely bouquet of spring flowers?

Another cute card!

Love this tray! [And, need I say it? YES! Welcome Spring!]

A close up of the Elizabeth Park flowers from the flower kit!

I {heart} spring!

The background paper is *perfect* for this layout, isn't it?

And one final peek at Baby Saurus ... remember the full CHA reveal post - when I said the picture didn't do these little felt dino-guys justice? Now you can see what I mean. Aren't they dino-licious???

Now real close up!

And one more before I go (because I love these little guys SO much!)

CHA was so much fun, but MAN it's good to be HOME!

We'll be announcing winners shortly from Sharon and Lori's comment giveaways and the Cupcake Love sketch challenge! Hooray!

So much going on here at LYB getting ready for CHA! We're packing boxes ...

Preparing Class kits ...

And of course, we'll be bringing lots and lots of LYB tote bags!

and crossing our fingers and toes hoping that this next round of snow doesn't prevent us - not to mention all of our boxes of goodies - from getting to LA in time for CHA Winter! Still, amidst all of the craziness, I sometimes stop and pinch myself and think "how lucky am I?" that I get to play with these collections and all their yumminess!

And so, without further ado, I present (*dun da da daaaa*)

LYB's CHA Winter collections!!!!

Twig

First, there's Twig! As the sticker says ... "Living life on a limb." This collection is all about a celebration of the loveliness that surrounds us every day. Whether you're communing with nature or just appreciating one of life's everyday moments, there's something for you in Twig. You can see the complete collection here on the LYB website, but here are a few of our favorites!

One of my favorites in our new collections are these butterflies. They'll add dimension and glitter to your projects - and they're just so much fun! You'll also see butterflies fluttering about in the Elizabeth Park collection... lucky you!

Next ... the cardstock. There are six, double-sided, textured pieces in this collection. Here's just one example (it's called Woods/Pleased Plaid). Trust me, you'll want to pick up at least two of each!):

Fresh Verse stickers (with thermography for added texture and dimension) are a part of every LYB collection, but I just love these! [Feel free to click on the image to take a closer look!]

And OMG feathers! Perfectly coordinated and sure to tickle your fancy!

And one more little share. Our talented friend Karen Grunberg sent us several great projects she created with Twig. We'll be showing more of them after CHA, but here's one. You can follow Karen's blog here: www.karenika.com.

Don't forget to view the entire Twig collection on the LYB website! Oh and one more great thing about Twig ... it's in stores NOW!!! Ask for it at your LSS or find it in your favorite online store!

Elizabeth Park

Inspired by flowers, and birds and music on a warm spring day, the Elizabeth Park collection positively sings with happiness! Beautifully blended with a little bit of something for everyone - from flowers and birds to gardening themes, family and love!

Let's start with the Elizabeth Park butterflies I mentioned earlier (be still my fluttering heart!):

The collection includes six pieces of double-sided, textured cardstock, plus Chipboard stickers ...

And here's a close-up of the Paper Flower Kit Sharon mentioned in her previous post:

(and in case you missed it, here is the stunning layout Biker Chick Greta Hammond created with this very kit!)

And so much more! Fabric Favorites ...

Favorite Pieces ...

A little bit of bling...

Banners...

And of course, Fresh Verse!

Elizabeth Park will be in stores in February. Make sure to see the whole Elizabeth Park collection here on the LYB website!

Baby Saurus

When my son was three, he knew the name of every dinosaur who ever roamed the prehistoric planet (and therefore so did I ... really ... you can quiz me). Seriously what little boy doesn't love the dinos? Maybe that's why I love the Baby Saurus collection so much!

Let's start with the cardstock. Six double-sided 12 X 12 textured cardstocks plus specialty cardstocks. Love this little "Dinos All Over" cardstock:

And the Dino Dots!

These 12 month cards are included with both collections and make it super easy to journal those special events and milestones of baby's first year!

And my personal favorite from the collection are these layered felt ribbon dinos!

[The picture truly doesn't do these cuties justice!] Here's one more project. Wouldn't this little banner look dino-tastic hanging in a little boy's room?

Check out the Gallery on LYB's website for more project ideas!

Tiny Princess

What's not to love about the Tiny Princess collection? It's full of little girl delights for your tiny princess! All pink and purple and sparkly whimsical! We begin with six sheets of double-sided textured cardstock, plus this darling decorative edge cardstock with glitter (be sure to also see the 6X6 sizes)!

Didn't you just love the princess with the handmade dress Sharon showed us yesterday? She created it with the little princess from the Favorite Pieces (shown below) plus a piece from the collection's crepe paper lace stickers! [Don't you also love that cutie cute little lineup of birdies?]

Don't miss the glitter and jewels on the Tiny Princess Chipboard Embellishments...

 And every princess has a little bit of bling!

One of the new features of each of our CHA Winter collections are the "5 Things" pockets. A new take on our very popular "10 Things" title pockets, these are actully 5 separate envelopes with their own journaling sheet. And you can mix or match the things you love with individual stickers! You can see this fun new embellishment in this page done by Greta Hammond (and guess what ... it's not just for babies! this layout works for any little girl)!

Oh and I almost forgot this adorable chipboard spinner! The perfect embellishment - no matter what the theme!

There's so much more to show from this wonderful collection, but I must move on! Be sure to see the rest here, on LYB's website! And watch for Baby Saurus and Tiny Princess at your LSS in mid-April!

Sweet Summertime

Here in Connecticut it is snowing again, and we are on the brink of breaking the record for the most snow in a single month ever in recorded history. Do you think we need a little Sweet Summertime? Just thinking about this collection warms me up! Bright beach blanket colors, tangy lemons, juicy watermelons and my very favorite...fireflies...fills this collection with SUMMER FUN!

Here is one of my favorite papers from the collection:

See what I mean? This collection also features six double-sided, textured 12 X 12 papers, as well as this adorable glittery firefly paper! Practically glows like a firefly's tail!

The collection includes this sweet chipboard banner album:

... and these coordinating papers and pieces- pre-cut to fit perfectly!

And who doesn't enjoy a glass of sweet lemonade in the summertime?

You'll flip over these chipboard shapes (and the collection also includes transparency shapes!)

The ever-popular LYB "10 Things" pocket:

And don'tcha just love this chipboard spinner?

There's banners...

Fresh Verse...

And so much more! Summer can't come soon enough! Sweet Summertime will be in stores in late spring. See the rest of the collection here on the LYB website!

Phew! That's a lot! It's going to be a fun fun spring! Thanks for looking and maybe we'll see you at CHA!!

 Hello summer,

Are you there?  Missing blue skies, fire flies, late nights, water fights...

Please shine down on me! 

Aaaaah … Sweet Summertime, bursting with bold, sun-kissed, beach-blanket colors, life’s simple pleasures, and sweet juicy treats.  Add in a good water fight, and you have the perfect summer day! Biker chick Greta Hammond shares snapshots of a hot summer day with her little girl, Ashlyn, on this 12x12 Sweet Summertime layout.

There will be more Sweet Summertime to come!  

Tell me which favorite LSS you would like to see Sweet Summertime in and what you like best about your LSS and I will choose FIVE of you to win a NEW LBY bag loaded with goodies from CHA 2011 Sweet Summertime. 

You'll have to wait until early summer to receive the prize bags, but it will be worth the wait!

Wishing you blue skies and sunny days ahead!

Lori