Our January Layout Challenge is proudly sponsored by Crafting In Style - and Jill had the fabulous idea of a layout that represents a 'Year In Review'. We'd like to see a layout that showcases some of the events in your life for 2008 (or those of your children, partners, friends or family members.) You can do a single page, or get creative like Sue Madex (below) and do a whole mini album!

Thanks to our generous sponsors for supporting the challenge, and happy scrapping! Layouts can be uploaded to the 2009 Competitions folder in the gallery, and must be entered by midnight 31st January 2009.

Please Note: We are not running a Product Challenge in January - it will be back in February!

Time to announce the winners of our Dec 08 competitions...

Our Layout Competition was sponsored by us here at Aussie Scrapbooking. We're donating a Kaisercraft Days Of Christmas set along with Kaisercraft papers and embellishments to match. The winning entry was "Chocolate Balls" by Cathryn (pictured below)...

Chocolate Balls by Cathryn

Our Product Competition was sponsored by Crafting In Style. The winning entry was "Head Full Of Butterflies" by chookie5 (pictured below)...

Head Full Of Butterflies by chookie5

Our Sketch Competition wwas sponsored by Heaven-Sent Scrapbooking. The winning entry was "Big Helper" by Tayler5931 (pictured below)...

Big Helper by Tayler5931

Congratulations to our 3 winners and a very big thankyou to our generous sponsors.

The winners should email Jill with their details, so that prize delivery can be arranged.

Thanks to everyone who participated! :)

A Page From My Sketchbook's January Sketch will be revealed on 7th January 2008 (that's today!)

Make sure to come along and check out the sketch and also the gorgeous layouts the team have created, we hope it gets you inspired to create a layout for us.

And while you are there make sure to check out all the layouts from the December Sketch Challenge, they are just gorgeous. We would love to see a layout from YOU too!

Happy Scrapping, Liz Weber

Happy New Year everyone. I love this time of year. Time for crisp new diary refills and fresh starts. Time to slow down for a bit and reflect on the year that has just gone and make plans for the year ahead.

The relaxed pace of the holidays has highlighted for me that I let my life get a bit out of balance at times in 2008. (Don’t we all hey!) I wanted to record the questions I’ve been asking myself so that I can look over them during 2009 if I find myself with my priorities a bit skewed now and then.

I decided a little 6 x 6 album would be perfect. To keep this project speedy and simple, I gathered together just a few supplies and got started.

It was such a quick one to put together that I’m actually finished already, and we’re not even into double figures yet in January - amazing!

Read on for more...

Oh gosh, someone forgot to tell me it was January already ;-) and it is time for some new competitions at Aussie Scrapbooking! It's so lovely taking a break from the routine, l hope you are all having a lovely post-christmas break.

Our Layout Sketch this month is a half page sketch or 'Half Map' from Pagemaps. You can use it for a half sized layout, or if you prefer it can easily be adapted to a full size 12x12 (or 8.5x11) just by adding an extra background piece. The winning sketch prize is provided by Joyful Scraps who have a website chock-full of scrapbooking goodies, with loads of your favourite manufacturers. Thanks ladies, and happy scrapping everyone - you can see a full size version of the sketch in our gallery HERE, or to see examples of layouts using Half Maps, check here! Entries must be uploaded to the Jan 09 Sketch Gallery by 31st January 2009.

Heaven-Sent Scrapbooking - Monthly Scrapbooking Kit - January 2009
Our monthly kit is ready to be ordered! The kit includes products from the 'My Little Shoebox Tulips' range:

* 1 die cut sheet 12" x 12"  (RRP $ 4.95)
* 3 matching double-sided patterned papers (please note you see six sheets in the picture, but you only receive three sheets, RRP $ 1.50 each)
* 1 box of self-adhesive matching Chipboard Alphabet (RRP $ 12.95)
* 1 overlay/ transparency 6" x 12" (RRP $ 3.95)
* 1 clear acrylic album 6” x 6” (RRP 19.95) PLEASE NOTE: the clear album is not shown in the picture, but will be included in your kit!

You will also receive the printed instructions to create this beautiful album (see pictures below), which is made by Beverly Warwick, our wonderful Guest Designer of the month! If you would like to see larger pictures of the clear album, please check the gallery HERE. This kit can be bought for $ 30.00 (+ postage). This is a saving of more than 35 % of the regular price if bought separately! The postage within Australia is $ 5.00. We only have limited quantities of this kit available, so be quick to avoid disappointment. Please note that this kit can be combined with regular purchases from our shop. The kit can be ordered HERE.

  HALF YEARLY CLEARANCE SALE!

COMMENCING FROM SATURDAY 3RD JANUARY TO SATURDAY 17TH JANUARY 2009:

RECEIVE A GREAT 30% OFF NEARLY EVERYTHING IN STOCK excluding Divalicious Kits, Bazzill Cardstock, the already reduced patterned paper and NEW IN DECEMBER.

RECEIVE 10% OFF ALL DIVALICIOUS KITS

Please note l have tried to ensure stock levels are accurate - if something is out of stock you will receive a refund or store credit.

We are now up to Kitbash Vol.4, and because this Kitbash is HUGE, we have decided to split it up into 3 parts, which have been released over 3 months. This is Part C, and contains samplers from 6 of our own Picklehead designers! Click on the image below to be taken to the product in store at Pickleberrypop!

What is a Kitbash?

A Kitbash is Pickleberrypop's way of providing you a try-before-you-buy experience from our designers. The Kitbash contains a small sample from various designers, so it isn't a collaborative kit as such, and the contents don't necessarily match, but that doesn't mean it isn't useful! And best of all...it's FREE! Sign up for our shop newsletter while you're at it, to be notified when we release our next Kitbash volume!

Enjoy, and if you like what you see, please come back and consider purchasing some fantastic digital goodies!

This post is the nineth in a series. You might like to go back and read the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth instalments. If you would like your scrapbooking blog featured in this series, read this.

Our nineth featured reader's blog belongs to Kristine Collins...

We asked readers to tell us a little about themselves. Kristine says:

"'My name is Kristine Collins and I live in sunny Queensland which I love. I started scrapbooking around 4 years ago when my son was born, gave it up for a short time and then got the urge again following the birth of my daughter (funny that!) I love the idea that my kids are going to have a memento of their lives from my perspective and I usually document all the little stuff that happens from day to day rather then the "big" events like birthdays, christmas etc. I want to remember the quirky little things my kids did - stuff that I would have forgotten all about otherwise.
 
I tend to focus on a good photo when I scrapbooking and usually stick to 12x12 although I have been known to try 6x12 every so often as well. I am also an avid cardmaker - it is a newer hobby of mine but I am just as obsessed (maybe a little more if I am honest) with cards as I am with scrapbook pages. I can be found lurking around several online forums and do design team work for Katja Schneider at Designing Memories as well as Chatterbox. I love to use inks, pretty ribbons, flowers, stamps and rub ons in my work but also love to try new products out - especially stuff that initially I would never have thought to use (DT work is great for getting you trying new things!)"

(Read on...)

Our 1st online class will be held on January 30th with our Design Team member, Renee.

The kit is up in the store now. We have a limited number, so be quick to secure your copy of the kit today.

My Recipes

This kit includes the following items:

• A4 Chipboard Album with 5 pages.
• My Recipes chipboard word.
• Entrees, Mains and sweets cardstock words.
• Wooden spoon cardstock embellishment.
• 4 sheets of A4 colourCord cardstock in Black.
• 4 sheets of A4 colourCord cardstock in Red.
• 4 sheets of A4 colourCord cardstock in Blue.
• 3 metres of ribbon.
• 4 rings to bind your album.
• Full instructions provided in our forum.

Other items you may wish to purchase for this class:

• Paint colour of your choice
• Patterned paper of your choice
• Doublesided tape
• Glue pen
• Embelishments of your choice (we have left these out of the kit so that each recipe album can be individual).

NOTE: The above picture is an example of the front of the album painted and decorated using Vagabond papers from Kaisercraft.

Looking for some projects to do over the holiday period? Why not check out this great resource?

It's a site called Instructables which, as I understand it, is a site which accepts DIY submissions from the public on all sorts of topics. You can read their "about" page here.

So how is this useful for us scrappers? Do a search for "scrapbooking" or "craft" and you'll find things like:

• Simple Paper Flowers
• Christmas Medallion Card

(Read on...)