Counting Down My Top 5 Faves From NettioDesigns’ First Year

POSTED ON February 28, 2012 IN 1st Anniversary, Announcements, the Faves

With the NettioDesigns 1st Anniversary celebration coming to an end this week, I wanted to spend today sharing some of my favorite NettioDesigns related-moments from the past year. I have to say, going back through my blog archives was a fun reminder of just how much I have done this past year, so I hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane!

Fave #1: Opening Day of NettioDesigns

I don’t think any faves list for the past year would be complete without starting at the very beginning: February 16th, 2011, NettioDesigns’ official grand opening day. The circumstances surrounding the grand opening were well, crazy.

In the midst of getting everything ready for the shoppe opening, I’d also volunteered to help my little sister drive back from Florida to California (I was on call for the Florida to Texas leg). Which meant behind the scenes, not only was I furiously working to create new product and get the shoppe up and running, but I was also driving long days and dealing with some of the craziest weather I’ve ever encountered – 30 degree weather in Florida, tornados and crazy rain in the South and snow and ice in Texas.

In the end, it simply wasn’t possible to get everything done in time and I had to postpone the grand opening by a week. But all the waiting and hard work proved to be worth it because I’ll never forget the sense of pride I felt in seeing those first sales come through and realizing that hey, maybe this crazy idea of mine may just actually work.

Fave #2 – Blog-tastic Events

Two of my favorite blog-related moments from the past year would have to be the Great Computer Spring Clean-a-thon I did last March and my 5th Scrap-i-versary celebration last April. In both cases, I came up with this idea for a week-long series of posts for the blog and while things didn’t always go exactly as I planned, the posts from both of those series are still some of my favorites. There’s a quirky honesty and joy to those posts that feels 100% me. I may even have giggled a time or two as I read through them all again, hehe.

Fave #3 – A Week In the Life 2011

It’s hard to deny that my A Week In the Life photo book wasn’t a bit of turning point for my this little website of mine. It got me noticed by a larger audience and as a result, opened doors for some fun opportunities that probably wouldn’t have happened otherwise. The icing on the cake? It’s still my absolute favorite scrapbooking project from 2011.

Fave #4 – Teaching at Masterful Scrapbook Design

Teaching has always been something I’ve wanted to do as part of NettioDesigns but I’ll admit the large upfront time cost compared to creating a set of digital scrapbooking templates kind of scared me. So when the lovely Debbie Hodge asked me if I would be interested in guest teaching at Masterful Scrapbooking Design, I jumped at the chance. And I have to say, I loved it. Not only did it make me realize just how much I love chatting about the process and design side of scrapbooking, but it was a nice little reminder that maybe my goals and dreams aren’t as so out there after all. (And yes, the fact that I taught a class alongside one of my fave paper scrappers, Kelly Purkey, totally boggles my mind.)

Fave #5 – The Faves 2011

If there was one product line for NettioDesigns that represents year 1 it would have to be my Monthly Faves and Holiday Faves Mini Album templates. But the reason the Faves makes this list is not so much for the Faves themselves but because they represent the heart behind NettioDesigns – the importance of taking time to document and celebrate your awesomeness in a fun and unique way.

The Faves are what pushed me to begin this crazy adventure in the first place and so it seems only fitting to end the 1st anniversary with my final installment of the Faves template series, FAVE-O-RITES Vol 5: Sept, Oct, Nov & Dec Faves.

These templates are up in the NettioDesigns Shoppe now and like everything in the shoppe are 20% off (30% off if you’re a subscriber!) through the end of February in honor of the 1st Anniversary Celebration. Go check them out here!

And of course my final fave on this list would have to be getting to chat with all of you. Like most bloggers there are definitely days when it feels a bit like I’m rambling to myself, but those moments when someone shares a layout or leaves a comment and totally gets it makes this crazy adventure all worth it. So at the risk of being mushy for a sec, I hope you know just how much it means to me when you take time out of your busy day to stop by and share your thoughts and layouts with little ol’ me.

So with that, that wraps up my 5 Faves from the 1st year of NettioDesigns! I’ll be back tomorrow with my final 1st Anniversary post and to announce the winners of the Show Off Your Awesomeness Contest. In meantime, if you’ve been eyeing something in the shoppe, make sure to pick it up before the anniversary sale ends tomorrow!

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Ask Nettio: How Do You Remember Your Faves?

POSTED ON October 18, 2011 IN Ask Nettio, the Faves

As I mentioned in my last post, after getting a bit behind over the summer on my 2011 Faves layouts, I have finally gotten caught up through August. Only September left to go!

But that brings up a question I have been asked quite a few times and that is:

How do you remember your Faves when your scrapbooking, say, a July page in September or a June page in October?

Well as much as I’d love to say I’m a super organized scrapbooker who keeps a running list of her Faves each month, I am most definitely not, haha.

But that’s good news for you because it means YOU can use the same tricks I do for creating your own awesome Faves pages long after any month is over.

So without further ado, here is a list of my go-to tricks for remembering my Faves each month:

1) Browse Your Photos

As a scrapbooker I take a lot of photos over the course of the month on a random variety of topics: events, places, people, things.

So the first place I look when I’m starting a new Faves page is my photos from that month.

Not only do they provide a visual representation of all the moments that mattered to me most that month but odds are if I took the time to document something, there’s a good chance it’s a fave of mine.

2) Browse Your Completed Layouts

In the same vein as photos, the stories I scrapbook say a lot about what matters most to me at a given time. If I take the time to scrap a certain story, like my love for Pinterest or our trip to Sea World, it’s probably something I was lovin’ at that time.

3) Check Your Social Media Accounts

Facebook, Twitter, IM, texts, emails and forums are all great places to look for your Faves because thanks to the wonders of technology, it’s easy to go back in your history and see what loves you’ve been chatting about recently.

4) Include an Old Standby

We all have those favorite things of ours that don’t change month to month. For me this would include things like: hanging out with Adam, my iPhone, American Eagle jeans, cheese, margaritas, traveling, etc.

So anytime I need a few more Faves for my monthly list, I know I can call on one of these stand-bys to fit the bill.

5) Don’t Stress About the Date

Number 5 on this list is perhaps the most important lesson I have learned in 2 years of doing this Faves project, and that is this:

No one, including you, will remember a year or even a couple of months from now, whether something was actually a Fave of yours that specific month or not.

So if all you can remember is you loved a certain television show over the summer but don’t know whether it was on in June or July, don’t worry about it.

Yes, the foundation of the Faves project is themed around the idea of monthly Faves, but the truth is the date doesn’t matter. What is most important is that you took the time to document you and your Faves in the first place.

Don’t let your date perfectionism get in the way of getting more of YOU into your scrapbooks.

So there you have it! Five of my go-to tricks for getting my Faves scrapbooked. I hope this helps you get your Faves scrapbooked too!

Psst…Want a little extra help documenting your Faves? Be sure to check out my FAVE-O-RITES templates Volumes 1, 2, 3 and 4 in the NettioDesigns Shoppe.

Psssst…have a burning question you’d like to see answered in a future installment of Ask Nettio? Send me a note or leave a comment and let me know!

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Getting Caught Up With My FAVE-O-RITES

POSTED ON October 13, 2011 IN Announcements, the Faves

My quest to get caught up on my 2011 Faves layouts has been going along swimmingly.

I am now caught up through August which means I only have September left to do and I’ll be officially caught up. I’m not one to use the phrase “caught up” in scrapbooking very often but in this case I’m pretty excited to be able to say that.

Don’t they look fun together?

The good news for you Faves fans is this means I have a brand-new FAVE-O-RITES template super pack being released in the NettioDesigns Shoppe today!

FAVE-O-RITES Vol. 4 Super Pack

FAVE-O-RITES Vol. 4 includes three 12×12 digital scrapbooking templates based on my June, July and August Faves layouts.

My June Faves layout (I heart that photo, haha):

Credits: Full Throttle by Fee Jardine; Blissful Stitches: Curves by Traci Reed; Alpha from Birthday Girl by Zoe Pearn; Teeny Type Alpha by Zoe Pearn (retired); Choose Happiness by Kristin Cronin-Barrow and Shawna Clingerman; Everyday Moments by Lauren Grier and Jenn Barrette; Pumpkin Parade by Heather Roselli; Font is DJB Lynnette by Darcy Baldwin

And the June Faves template:

My July Faves layout:

Credits: Beautiful You by Zoe Pearn; Blissful Stitches Straight by Traci Reed; Teeny Type Alpha by Zoe Pearn (retired); Font is DJB Lynnette by Darcy Baldwin

And the July Faves template:

My August Faves layout:

Credits: Indian Summer by Zoe Pearn; Alpha from Those Who Want to Sing by Zoe Pearn; Blissful Stitches Square by Traci Reed; Bad Sewing Machine XXIV: Small 'N Round by Traci Reed; Font is DJB Lynnette by Darcy Baldwin

And the August Faves template:

And of course, what’s a New Release day without some NettioDesigns Team Awesome inspiration!

I always love seeing their take on my templates because they really show just how versatile these templates they can be.

The FAVE-O-RITES Vol. 4 Super Pack is up NOW in the NettioDesigns Shoppe and is 20% off thru Friday, October 14.

Pick up FAVE-O-RITES Vol. 4 right here.

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Are YOU Ready to Scrap Your FAVE-O-RITES?

POSTED ON August 5, 2011 IN Announcements, the Faves

If you’ve been following NettioDesigns or my scrapbooking for awhile, it’ll probably come as no surprise to you that I love scrapbooking Faves layouts.

You can read more about why I believe every scrapbooker should scrap a Faves page here in this post, but it’s pretty safe to say that being a part of the NettioDesigns family means you’re on board with the whole Faves layout lovin.’

So it seemed only fitting that for their first task as members of the NettioDesigns Creative Team (or Team Awesome, as I like to call them around here, haha), I asked my team of lovely ladies to get their Faves scrapbooking on and boy, did they totally rise to the occasion!

We have Monthly Faves from Aly & Alexis…

Summer Faves from Rebecca, Jen & Kathleen…

Fall Faves from Inga…

Vacation Faves from Natalie & Heather…

Birthday Faves from Jen…

Family Faves from Kim…

A cool spin on my April Faves from Crystal which I am now dying to try…

Another spin from Brynn who really made the March Faves template her own…

And of course my monthly Faves layouts that served as inspiration for it all…

And look! I’ve even got Adam jumping on the Faves bandwagon now…

This is what I LOVE about templates.

You can give a team of people the same three templates and topic and yet each layout is completely different and unique because each of our lives and stories are totally unique.

The solid modern paper-lovin’-style design may stay the same but by adding in a touch of your own scrapbooking awesomeness, you end up with a layout that is so-very-YOU.

And that’s exactly what these ladies did.

Feeling inspired to scrap your own Faves now?

Check out the FAVE-O-RITES Vol. 3 March, April & May Super Pack.

It’s NEW in the NettioDesigns Shoppe today.

Looking for more Faves templates? Check out FAVE-O-RITES Vol. 1 & Vol. 2.

Scrapbooking some Faves layouts may be the perfect way to beat the summer heat this weekend, I’m just sayin’. ; )

Have a great weekend everyone!

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Why Every Scrapper Should Scrap a Faves Page

POSTED ON April 19, 2011 IN 5th Scrapiversary, the Faves

As I mentioned in my last post, April 7th 2011, was officially five years to the day from when I created my first digital scrapbooking layout. Boy how time flies.

This week, in celebration of my 5th Scrap-i-versary, we’ll be continuing our trip down digiscrappy memory lane by revisiting some of my favorite digital scrapbooking hits and misses over the past five years, beginning with one of my absolute favorite scrapbooking projects ever: the Faves layouts. Or as I like to lovingly refer to it: the little scrapbooking project that would forever shape my future scrapbooking layouts. (Oh yeah, it’s that awesome.)

It’s All About the Faves

All you gallery stalkers out there have most likely seen my Faves layouts floating around in the digi galleries before, but for any of you newbies out there, here’s a quick refresher of what my Faves layouts are all about.

Back in January 2009, I decided that every month for that year, I would create a digital scrapbooking layout documenting my top ten favorite things from that month. My faves could be anything I wanted: people, places, things, experiences – anything and everything I was loving at that moment was fair game.

But I did set myself a few loose guidelines:

My list had to include exactly ten items – no more, no less.
Journaling had to be in list form but numbers were optional.
The title for the layout had to include the month followed by the word FAVES.
Each layout had to include a NEW self-portrait taken during that specific month. (I know some of you camera-shy peeps out there are cringing at the very thought of this, haha.)

Everything else was entirely up to me – color, design, kit, etc. (Well technically it was ALL up to me, but, uh, you get the idea, haha.)

The one thing I didn’t do was set myself a specific timeline for completing the layouts. No layout must be finish by the 8th minute of the 15th hour on the 1st day of the new month requirements here. If I scrapped my April faves on April 28th but didn’t scrap my May faves until July, I was totally ok with that. As much as I believe in the power of a deadline, I knew setting deadline for myself might quickly make this project a chore which I definitely wanted to avoid.

The Faves: the 2009 Edition

By the end of the 2009 Faves project I had scrapped these 12 layouts which I absolutely love:

Uh…December?…December?…Come in, December…

Or uh, these 12 11 layouts.

Confession time…

Yes, I discovered as I was writing this post thatapparently I never actually scrapped a December 2009 Faves page. Oops. Looks like I have a little bit more scrapbooking to do, haha. (Guess it’s a good thing I didn’t set a deadline to complete these, huh? LOL)

Anyway, *clears throat* moving on…

By the time December 2009 rolled around, I was ready to be done with the Faves layouts. Don’t get me wrong. I loved loved loved creating these layouts. They were most definitely one of my favorite scrapbooking projects I had ever done. Just looking at them makes me smile a big goofy grin.

But by the end of 2009, Adam had been deployed for a total of six months and the stress of him being gone had slowly taken it’s toll on my scrapbooking mojo. (Which is to say my digi mojo pool was at the bare minimum.) So I decided to take a break from the structure of the Faves for awhile and see where I ended up.

The Faves: the 2011 Edition

As 2010 progressed, I found myself more and more really missing scrapping my Faves layouts.

I missed the simplicity of the list journaling. Seriously, easiest journaling ever.
I missed having new monthly photos on hand for All About Me layouts. I know, I’m weird. Haha.
I missed the challenge of coming up with fun, creative ways to scrap each month’s list in a new way.
And I really missed having that monthly snapshot of my life to look back on. Having a moment captured in time like that is so cool to me.

So when January 2011 rolled around, I decided to begin my monthly Faves layouts again.

Same rules. New faves. Two years later.

This is the lovely layout I scrapped back in February to document my January 2011 Faves:

And for reference purposes, here’s a larger version of the layout I scrapped documenting my January 2009 Faves:

Seeing these two layouts – ten faves, two years apart – reminds why I LOVE these Faves layouts oh-so-very-much. (And not just because my drop shadowing has clearly improved, haha.)

In the two years between when I scrapped these two layouts, I’ve:

been through a year-long deployment
sold a car
sold our first house
moved to a new city and state
bought another car
made three trips to Disneyworld, trips to Chicago and Hawaii and numerous trips to California

To say my life is different today from how it was in January 2009 would be an understatement.

And yet when I look at these two layouts, I’m reminded again that while my world around me may have changed (such is life as a military wife), so much about me has remained the same.

Like my love for driving my Nissan Murano. Oh how I love that car.

And my obsession for home decor blogs. Young House Love is my newest fave.

This Is Why I Love the Faves

If I were to ask you today what your top-ten favorite things were back in January 2009, would you be able to tell me? Lord knows I wouldn’t be able to remember. But the beauty of these Faves layouts is I don’t have to.

Because my Faves? They are right there. On.these.layouts. Documented for all time.

And that right there is why I love scrapbooking.

Because it allows me to document all those little bits and pieces of life that would otherwise be forgotten. Those little bits that truly make up who we are. And that is oh-so-very-cool.

Why Every Scrapbooker Should Scrap a Faves Layout

Pardom me for a moment while I step up onto my little digi soapbox to say this:

I truly believe that every scrapbooker should take the time to scrap their very own Faves layout.

Why?

Because a top ten list is one of the easiest forms of journaling you can possibly do. For real.
Because a list of your personal faves will say more about you than a travel/event/birthday layout ever will
Because it’s an awesome way to make sure YOU are featured in your scrapbooks too

And if that wasn’t reason enough for you, I’m about to make creating your own very Faves layouts mind-blowingly easy.

Introducing FAVE-O-RITES Vol. 1 – The January Faves Edition

One advantage of my being one of the slowest digiscrappers ever? Despite it being now uh, April, haha (seriously, HOW did that happen??), I have only scrapbooked one 2011 Faves layouts – my January 2011 Faves. Which means, good news for you, there is still plenty of time for you to join me in scrapbooking your 2011 Monthly Faves! Woohoo! Go Team Slow Scrapper!

Today I am releasing the first in a series of digital scrapbooking templates based on my Faves layouts: FAVE-O-RITES Vol. 1 – The January Faves Edition.

Today’s release includes two templates: The January Faves No. 1 and The January Faves No. 2.

Each template can be purchased individually or you can purchase the template two-pack to save a little cash. These templates are not only perfect for documenting your own Faves layouts but they’re a great way to scrapbook any kind of top ten list for yourself, your spouse or your kids.

Here they are in all their digiscrappy goodness…

FAVE-O-RITES Vol. 1 – The January Faves Edition

FAVE-O-RITES Vol. 1 – The January Faves No. 1

FAVE-O-RITES Vol. 1 – The January Faves No. 2

Now It’s Your Turn

And with that my 5th Scrap-i-versary tribute to my most favorite project in the past five years comes to an end. But now I want to hear from you.

Have you scrapped your own Faves layout? Did you love the end result? Have you thought about it but just never taken the plunge? If so what are you waiting for?

Hit reply and let me know in the comments and if you’ve scrapped your Faves, be sure to link me up to your page so I can check it out! And if you use one of my brand-spanking new templates, be sure to link me up here in the comments too so I leave ya some love. I can’t wait to see what you create!