There Are Going to Be Some Changes Around Here! Illustrator Class & New Digital Scrapbooking Site!

illustrator101_iconIt’s a season of change around my house. Josh started work with a new law firm, Siri has lost tooth number 2, Felicity has been trying out her new potty, and I’ve got some great new projects in the works. The first is this brand new online class for Illustrator, which goes on sale TODAY at Jessica Sprague.com! After teaching Illustrator at DSE, this last September, I was overwhelmed by the number of people asking for an online course. So here it is folks! A four week long Illustrator course that is completely self-paced and easy to use. The videos are broken into smaller tasks so it’s easy to go back to a tutorial. I’ve also included 3 Bonus lessons, digital scrapbooking kits, and vectors in the course.

While I created this course initially for digital scrapbookers, I would recommend it to anyone who is even thinking about getting into design. I’ve incorporated everything I would teach on Illustrator in a university-level introductory graphic design course.

So want to see what the class is going to be all about? Go straight to the Jessica Sprague site to see the introduction video, purchasing information, and the Lesson break downs. You can also go to YouTube to see the video. I recommend watching the video because it will show you a short tutorial of a class lesson along with everything you will need (aka technology requirements) to take the course.

With all change, there is also some sad news. I have decided to move my digital scrapbooking store from Two Peas. You will still be able to find all of my 2008-2009 digital designs there, but I will be moving to a new store come January 1st, 2010.

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I’m pretty excited to have been asked to come to the new store (which isn’t even open yet) because it will be site with designers that are so amazing! The name of the site is Design House Digital (http://www.designhousedigital.com/) and the list of designers going there is UNBELIEVABLE! I can’t spill anything yet, but you ought to check out the place holder blog to grab the newsletter freebie (it’s FABULOUS!). And while you are at it, sign up for twitter https://twitter.com/designhousedigi since I was told that people will get updated with the new freebies and store updates there.

Well, that’s it for now. I’m working away at a christmas line for fabric and paper and enjoying my little ones during this holiday season. Hope you are having a happy December too!

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25% Off Sale

I can’t believe it is the week of Thanksgiving! My, how time flys! I have two events to report. The first is that my 2 year old and 5 year old officially started fighting over who got what cereal box to look at as they ate breakfast this morning. Do you remember doing that as a kid? I mean, what was so GREAT that we all had to stare at the back of the cereal box at 7:00am in the morning?

The other big event is that Siri has her first loose tooth! I officially feel old (although it may just be the impending 30th birthday that is one week away).

In celebration of just, well, life…my digital scrapbooking store at 2pecarinagardner_25designerspotlightbanneras is having a 25% off sale all this week. Yep, all 213 products. Not a bad deal.

Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I’m planning on lounging in pjs for the parades and then an early family dinner. Oh, and I have a great Christmas project I am working on this week that I will post over the break! Yes, that means some free goodies for you! So stop by between your shopping schedule for a great download.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Love Nest at Hobby Lobby – Glitter Happy!

lovenestIt’s glittery and oh, so pretty! My darling Love Nest Glitter Pad that you can grab exclusively at Hobby Lobby! This is my first glitter pad and I am so excited about all the projects I have waiting for me! There are 18 patterns and 54 papers in all! You can also grab the digital versions of Love Nest (for all you digital scrapbookers!!!) in the Sweetheart, Love Nest, and Love Nest 2 Paper Sets (although some designs have been changed for print). You like this in paper? I’m going to let you in on a little secret…I’m currently getting love nest ready for FABRIC! Northcott will be producing the line (which takes a year to manufacture so this is very early news indeed), but I wanted you to look forward to this happy little line that I will certainly be making lots of little girl’s goodies out of!

lovenest2Oh, and I haven’t forgotten about Halloween. In fact, I already finished my batty wreath using Spiders web…just need to get around to taking a picture of it! Spider’s Web can be picked up in digital or paper.

Love the Spider’s Web line? Be sure and check out the My Mind’s Eye Blog! They’ve added some of the most adorable projects on that site using the line including some scrap-happy layouts and a haunted house fold out album! It’s all so very yummy!

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The Digital Scrapbooking Experience

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DSC_0030Finally! After a crazy two days I have a chance to write about DSE! Thursday afternoon I taught an Illustrator class  at the Digital Scrapbooking Experience in Provo, Utah. Jen Allyson flew in from San Francisco to help me out.

I had a WONDERFUL time with the students! After teaching 5 years of college, I had completely forgotten how wonderful it was teach students who are eager to learn (and everyone in my class was!). Thank you ladies + Gary for participating in my class! I’m glad I did it because it opened my eyes to what people can do with a little bit of education on the programs. I’m constantly asked about becoming a designers and I may have just had my eyes opened to some new possibilities for these people. I’ll let you know on the developments.

I also hosted a table with a cute little flower make-and-take, candy, and my papers from My Minds Eye (and if you haven’t figured it out yet, papers that get printed can also be bought DIGITALLY from me). Jennifer Allyson and Garden DSC_0056Girl Gennifer Bursett both helped me. In fact, I probably owe Ms. Gennifer since I managed to forget my camera and I all these photos are hers! I showed off my digital book that was printed from My Pic Tales and Silhouette Machine, which made all my make-and-takes (and I couldn’t live without at this point!).

You can make our make and takes too! All you need to do is go to the Paper Flower Wreath post and download the pdf. The flower shape we used can be used as a pattern and hand cut out, or I also provide .gsd files for you to use on your own silhouette. Here’s DSC_0031photos of Jen and Gen sporting the barrette version you could make. We also had laundry clips and pipe cleaner for attaching to badges or making wristlets. The papers we used for the table all came from my Paris and Co. and Bella Bella Paper Pads that can be bought exclusively at ACMoore.

Some of my favorite moments at DSE? I loved meeting the other instructors (I was so happy to see Crystal Wilkerson there!), I throughly enjoyed Jessica Sprague’s Keynote address, and (my most favorite moment of all) when one of my students (of whom I will refer to as the “Atlanta Gelato Queen”) slipped a chocolate gelato onto a box I was carrying out.

DSC_0055Thanks for all the fun everyone! I could only go to one day of DSE (sorry everyone! I just couldn’t get up there yesterday and today is packed!) because we closed on our house yesterday! Yippeee!!!!!! And now, the work begins…or might I say, the true Project Mania begins! September might end (and I have a few projects yet to finish up!) but in October I’ll be posting all my house fix ups.

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Working on a new Digi Book

I’ve been a digi designer for a year and a half now and I finally feel like it is time to buckle down and finish a full book! Because I like consistency, I’m working on a book that covers 2009 and I am only using Sproutlets, Sproutlets Album, Imprints, and PhotoCuts. It makes the book look put together (and definitely helps the flow!). Sproutlets covers my paper and color scheme, Imprints takes care of my brushes, and PhotoCuts helps me with on my frames and masks. It’s an easy combination that will make me several beautiful layouts really easily.

Hopefully, I’ll have this book finished for Project Mania next month and get it printed to show off. But for now, here’s a peek…

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WareHouse Walk at 2Peas 8.18.09

Check out today’s Warehouse Walk at 2peas with MellyPea. You’ll notice the awesome shout out by MellyPea for my new Spider’s Web line out in paper and just barely hitting stores! Oh, and digital folks, don’t think I have forgotten you on this one…just a few more weeks…

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Join me at DSE for Tips and Tricks in Illustrator

tipsandtricksinillustrator_1Finally! I can post one of my news bits that I haven’t been able to post until now: I’m teaching a Tips and Tricks in Illustrator Class at DSE, Digital Scrapbooking Experience on September 24th in Provo, UT. Come join me for this very cool course! It’s an Al La Carte Course on Thursday from 2pm-3pm. See the course description here. Course Description

If you’ve had an urge to learn more or refine your digital scrapbooking (or even product building for digital designers) skills, Illustrator is a tool that can really help you build better product. I’m excited to teach this little course and get people started on my favorite Adobe program! I’ll be going through the ins and outs of the program, drawing tools, building templates, and so much more. I’ll have tools and handouts to help you get started. I’m really excited about the course and I hope you’ll join me!

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PhotoCuts Collection—Photographer’s Tools

photocutsadI just wanted to give you a preview of the line coming in two weeks! I’m so excited about it because it will be a photographers tool set! These digital kits will be SO much more useful than for just scrapbooking…it will include overlays, masks, filmstrips, and frames of all kinds. It’s the kind of set that will really be useful for any type of photography! So the countdown is just 2 weeks away….

BTW, you’ll be able to pick them up at TwoPeasinaBucket.

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Two Peas Releases Today!

Hello all! Here are my Two Peas Digital Scrapbooking Release today! Take a look! More Bella Bella 2 and a Hybrid Project!

Here’s the Hybrid Project! I’ll be posting more pictures and instructions on putting together your own Tiny Town soon!

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More Bella Bella 2! Links will be up soon for these! Just go to my regular 2Peas shop area for now!

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I thought I’d give you a sneak peek at next weeks releases because I could also show you some great ways to use the Bella Bella Products (examples from the album!)

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Here’s a closeup of the layout from some pictures I took of Siri on the playground.

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More products for next weeks release: one more Bella Bella 2 accesories and a digikit—April Showers!

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Bella Bella: Find it in Paper, in Digital, and at Two Peas in a Bucket

So I didn’t plan on posting twice today but as I was browsing 2Peas, I noticed that my PAPER line Bella Bella from My Minds Eye is on sale there now!!!!!! To top it off, I’m have a 15% off sale coupon at 2Peas with my digital products which includes the digital release of some of my new Bella Bella 2 line. 

Melanie, the Community Manager at 2Peas also just featured one of Bella Bella’s packs on here blog. Check it out here. I’m in seventh heaven right now!!!!!

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A Couple of My Digital Scrapbooking Layouts

Here are a couple of layouts I did using my Paris and Co. Collection at 2Peas. These layouts will also be on sale on Feb 10th with the Paris and Co. 12 x 12 Album! I used the French Frame Ups, Mixed Up Alpha, Princess Papers, Lazy Days Doodles, French Solids, Lil Traveling Journal Bits, Ribbon Stash, Elementary 2 Stitching, Journaling Stamps, Elementary 2 Card Board Cutouts, Elementary 2 elegant alpha brushes.

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