Scrapbook Oasis

We're Here!

We are so excited to be in Chicago at this summer's CHA Show! The doors open soon and we are filled with a ton of anticipation to see all the new products that await us inside. We will keep you posted on all the treasures we find!

We received a message last night that Southern California Edison will be doing repair work around the store today from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm and we will be without power. As a result, we will be open from 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm today (we figured it's a little difficult to shop in the dark!). Let's all keep our fingers crossed that they fix the neighborhood problem quickly. =)

Our Muse...

Yes, she's local and yes, we are rather fond of her... but dang this women has talent! Thank you Nora for creating these layouts for us and for allowing us to share with everyone else. We love how you used Jenni Bowlin's new Play Date line and is that one of the Maya Road Star Pins we see in there??? And the use of the new Hambly Rub-ons? Well... well done! Well done our muse...

Cute Layouts!

A few weeks ago we stumbled across these cute layouts we thought we would share with you because it always a good idea to keep the inspiration flowing. They are all from My Little Shoe Box and we hope you enjoy them! We sure did!

We are open late both nights this weekend (Fri/Sat) for cropping so be sure to come in and join us.

        
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Congratulations!

We want to congratulate Georgette on her recent engagement! Georgette became engaged over the Holiday weekend and came to crop at the store and shared her exciting news with us. We are very happy for the lucky couple and wish them all the happiness life has to offer!

White Balance – Solved!

Have you ever taken a bunch of pictures at an event and had inconsistent color in all the shots? Doesn’t it bug you? I know it bugs us… With so many features in modern DSLRs you’d think we’d all be taking pictures like the pros!

One of the things we’re on the lookout for are things that make life easier, especially when it comes to photography. Anything we can do to keep us from pulling out the manual is a real treat. Recently we’ve discovered a handy little accessory that puts the joy back into picture taking. Introducing the: White Balance Lens Cap.

This little gadget will pay for itself the first time you use it. All you have to do is figure out how to put your DSLR in a custom white balance mode, put the cap on, snap a picture (yup, with the cap on), take the cap off and then fire away. With a little tinkering you should see even color, even lighting and better contrast in all the pictures taken during the same session.

This little gem is definitely worth the price of admission and it will make a great stocking stuffer or birthday gift for your all your shutterbug friends.

Photoshop on the Cheap

If you’ve ever wanted to find a good alternative for Adobe’s Photoshop that wouldn’t cost a proverbial “arm and a leg”, look no further than Paint.Net. After spending some time with GIMP and other alternatives for our PCs, we have really begun to appreciate the look and feel of Paint.Net. Of course, the icing on the cake is that the program is free!

Paint.Net provides most of the features of Photoshop without all the complexity and should suit most users for quick photo editing tasks and some intermediate ones as well. Even if you have some experience with layering and photo montages you should feel right at home with Paint.Net.

We’ve managed to handle all of our editing challenges with Paint.Net and love the fact that it’s fast and doesn’t take up a lot of room on your hard drive.

Give it a try and start working on those pictures, your Scrapbooking projects will love you for it!

Reflections 2010

We are thrilled that Reflections has announced the opening of registration for Reflections 2010! It's so exciting to see that registration opened earlier this year because it allows for an excellent payment option to be offered to everyone. All those details will be explained in just a moment. First, let's go over some of the finer points of Reflections 2010!

The dates have officially been secured the! Reflections 2010 will be on April 30th - May 2, 2010 with registration beginning on Thursday, April 29, 2010.

The Highlights

Here's the full scoop… During your 3 day extravaganza you will be treated to:

·         3 full days of classes
·         7 amazing designers   
·         3 hour long, technique packed classes
·         Breakfast provided - Friday
·         Lunch provided - Friday, Saturday and Sunday
·         Make 'n' Takes
·         Isle Carnival
·         A special event on Saturday night
·         Getting Ready Crop Thursday night
·         Crop rooms open until midnight on Thursday, Friday
          and Saturday

Plus lots and lots of surprises along the way!

Other Great News

The pricing for Reflections 2010 is only $459, which includes all the great goodies listed above! You won't need to pay extra for anything. You get it all! Plus, if you pay in full you will receive an exclusive project designed just for you!

To allow all of you to attend Reflections 2010 we are offering an amazing payment option. Contact Reflections to find out about your payment options today!

The Teachers

Now for the news we are most ecstatic about… The line up of teachers we have thus far! The additional 3 instructors will be announced soon, but the first four pack quite a punch!

Kelly Goree
Maggie Holmes (Back by popular demand!)
Elizabeth Kartchner
Katie Watson

3 more amazing artist will be announced soon!

Each instructor will create a special project that is exclusive to Reflection attendees and will not be available anywhere else. This is our way of ensuring a unique experience for everyone.

Location, Location, Location

The Hyatt Regency, Newport Beach is a gorgeous facility that will provide you with a warm, inviting location to make you feel welcome and at home. Unparalleled service awaits you within this beautiful hotel. Whether you live in the area or are from out of town, we invite you to experience the uncompromising hospitality and outstanding personal attention that awaits you.

The Hyatt Regency Newport Beach is the quintessential Southern California seaside resort. At Hyatt Regency Newport Beach you will be spoiled with spacious guestrooms, three sparkling swimming pools and beautiful grounds. It is Hyatt's attention to detail and exceptional customer care that makes it the perfect fit for Reflections 2010.

The best part however are the amazing room rates we have secured for all Reflection Attendees. We will be announcing all these details shortly!

Start Planning

To start your planning contact us directly at, info@reflectionsevent.com and we will answer any questions you may have. We look forward to seeing all of you at Reflections 2010 for an amazing scrapbook retreat!

Thank you - Reflections!

iCandy for your iPhone

Flickr currently reports that the camera that is most used by it’s members is… you guessed it – the venerable iPhone. If you’re among one of the many people that take most of your pictures with this handy gadget then we’ve got a great way to punch up your pictures and turn them into some serious ‘artwork’.

Web | Urban Software has released a real gem in its FotoMuse App. With a couple of clicks and swipes you can turn even the most mundane picture into something that will turn heads both on the screen and in your latest scrapbooking project.

Of course, you’re limited to the resolution provided by the iPhone itself but we’ve had great results with the new ‘high res’ version all the way up to the 5x7 photo size.

FotoMuse is definitely worth the price of admission and allows you to create some really great pictures without all the technical stuff getting in the way. If you need a little inspiration you can get some ideas from the FotoMuse Flickr group. Get a copy and start having fun today.

Always exploring

It seems that photographic styles are endless and when you add Photoshop to the mix, things can really get out of hand. Lomo, HD, InfraRed, Vintage, B&W, Bokeh – where does it all end..?

We’re constantly looking for new ways of having fun with pictures and now we’ve discovered one more app to add to our arsenal: TiltShift Generator.

Though it’s a bit hard to explain, you basically use the website/App/iPhone App (use one or use them all) to create the effect of old vintage photo stock or if you’re clever enough, you too can change your pictures to look “miniature”.

This little app opens up another avenue to make good pictures look better and great pictures look incredible. The best part is that it’s quick and easy and doesn’t require a lot of “in depth” knowledge to get started. If you’re curious about some examples you can take a look at what other people are doing with it on Flickr.

Get yourself a copy and start having fun today…

Keeping your camera secure

Every DSLR comes with a neck strap and most of the time that will be all we’ll ever need. There are a variety of different products to help keep your camera secure including designer straps and over the shoulder versions of the trusty neck strap. Sometimes these options work and sometimes they create other problems while solving others…

Here’s a clever alternative for all those of you who fancy themselves “DIYers”. With a little patience and some simple tools you can create a stylish, yet simple way to keep your baby safe and secure.

If you’re feeling a little adventurous, here are the steps to help you make your own “Dashing DIY Hand Strap”.