Scrap Big

Give the Gift of Words this holiday season

On Thanksgiving Eve in the United States, we think about all for which we have to be thankful -- and there is much.  We also think about more, well, temporal matters: what we will (or won't) eat during a Thanksgiving feast, and where we will (or won't) shop on the day after Thanksgiving.  "Black Friday" typically kicks off the holiday shopping season, with eager shoppers waiting outside stores in the wee hours of the morning to try to snatch up some fabulous sale items for gifts (or for themselves). 

This year, though, I encourage you to think about giving the Gift of Words -- instead of hoping that a sweater, or a gadget, or a box of candy conveys your feelings for someone, why not write your feelings down and present a word-gift?  If this idea has you unsure or intimidated, I encourage you to check out Amy Sorensen's back-by-popular-demand workshop, The Gift of Words.  A gifted writer and avid reader, Amy is ready to share with you some strategies for creating word-gifts, so that you can tell someone exactly how much that someone means to you. 

Word-gifts may be inexpensive to create, but they are truly priceless.  If you'd like to skip the throngs outside the big-box stores at 4:00 a.m., then consider giving some word-gifts this year.  Or, if you know someone who wants to write meaningful little notes in those holiday cards, but gets stuck with pen in mid-air, then consider gifting this class to yourself or to a friend...the skills you gain will stick with you far after the holiday season!

Please tell us someone for whom you'd like to write a word-gift.  We'll randomly select one lucky winner to get a seat in Amy's class -- so leave a comment before 11:59 p.m. PST on Monday, December 1st.  If you're signed up already, we'll refund your fee -- and class starts on December 4th, so you'll have plenty of time to get your gifts written!

p.s. If you're interested in writing a holiday letter to send to all of your friends and family, then you'll love the complementary strategies offered by Amy Sorensen and by Lain Ehmann in Fit to Be Scrapped Holiday Letters, too!

Cocoa, Daisies, and STACY!

We invite you to join Stacy Julian in a brand-new, fun, and totally FREE Projects Plus class at Big Picture Scrapbooking!  Based on her fabulous November kit design for Cocoa Daisy and her fun 1-2-3-4-5 acrylic album, this class is sure to inspire you to create a special project and several new layouts, too.  Join us as we introduce you to a new type of Projects Now class at BPS -- Projects Plus!

Click here to learn more and register!

Announcing our "4Experts" in 2009

The anticipation is over and the line up for expertise instruction is HERE.

We're bringing back two phenomenal workshops and adding two more to the mix.

Wendy. Allison. Jenni and Ali

This is BIG.

Grateful for the daily essentials... edited to add a winner!

As Thanksgiving rapidly approaches here in the United States, I start to think about all of the things, big and small, that I am thankful for: from family and friends to a cup of hot tea (my current favorite is Acai Green Tea) and a quiet moment snatched from a busy day.  I think it's so important to think about those little things when we think of what we are grateful for....and to reflect on the little routines that make the good days great and the not-so-good days a little bit better.  What are your daily essentials?  What do you consider part of your routine, and what would you miss if it disappeared?  If you're not sure of the answers, or if you just want to take more time to reflect on these little blessings, then I hope you'll join us for an encore presentation of Lisa Cohen's Daily Essentials workshop. 

In Daily Essentials, Lisa will walk you through the discovery and design process as you create a fabulous mini-album documenting your daily essentials.  Plus, Lisa has designed some great digital scrapbooking and hybrid scrapbooking templates for those of you who already love or haven't yet tried to incorporate digital elements into your pages.  While the designs are perfect for those of you who love your scissors and glue, this is a great little project if you want to try out digital or hybrid scrapbooking!

Please join us in this fun and meaningful class.  You can read more and register here, and I'd love to give one of you a seat for free!  Just leave me a comment and tell me about one of your daily essentials before the stroke of midnight on Friday, November 21st (PST).  I'll select one lucky winner at random over the weekend -- and remember, if you've registered, your fee will be refunded!

p.s. to get to know my friend Lisa, check out her blog!

Winner! Winner! Here's our lucky winner...and we're lucky to have such an insightful comment to read here -- but I do encourage you to read through all of the comments as they are filled with little bits of wisdom! thank you all for responding, and here's the winning comment: In the last year my daily essential has been to leave work at work when I leave at the end of the day. I am working at not checking my messages, leaving at a decent hour, and being in the moment wherever I am after I leave. If I am cooking, I enjoy cooking, reading or talking to my husband that is where I need to be focused at the moment. This is essential to my wellbeing. As a social worker this is hard because I worry about the children and families I work with, but know that I will do a better job if I take the time in life. Posted by: Lori | November 18, 2008 at 08:40 PM Lori! Please contact admin@bigpicturescrapbooking.com! Thanks!

It's our birthday!

It's our birthday, and that means a gift for YOU! Please use the coupon below to enjoy $5 off any workshop!

We're thrilled to announce...

Big Picture Scrapbooking is thrilled to announce that in 2009, we'll spend a year with Kolette Hall to create A Life Well Crafted! A Life Well Crafted spends 12 months covering different aspects of living the best life possible. In her signature style, Kolette will help you create beautiful, meaningful scrapbook projects, all while offering inspiration and encouraging you to discover more about yourself! Anna Quindlen wrote, "It's easier to write a resume than craft a spirit." Crafting anything worthwhile takes time, thought, and sustained energy. We want you to take the first step toward crafting your spirit with Kolette Hall in 2009! She will help you find the strength to take risks and create a better life! For added inspiration, Jason Hall will join Kolette in class chats and audio messages -- so we're thrilled to have the Halls team up to teach us in 2009! As an added bonus, we are offering an "audio-only" option for your non-scrapbooking family and friends. They'll be able to share the life-enriching experience of Kolette and Jason's motivational audio messages, even if they're not scrapbookers like we are. To accommodate everyone who is interested in taking this class, we have four different enrollment options: $170 (for 12 months) In this enrollment package, you'll get everything: you'll join Kolette and Jason for 12 months of fantastic projects and inspiring messages. Enroll for the entire year for a 20% savings! REGISTER FOR THE YEAR-LONG FULL VERSION $95 (for 12 months) In this enrollment option, you'll experience 12 months of inspirational audio messages from Kolette and Jason. Enroll for the entire year for a 20% savings! REGISTER FOR THE YEAR-LONG AUDIO-ONLY VERSION $18 (per-month) You also have the option of enrolling month-to-month. You'll still receive all the fabulous materials from the year-long full version, but you'll need to sign up each month -- and we know you'll not want to miss a thing after you experience one month with the Halls! REGISTER FOR THE JANUARY FULL VERSION $10 (per-month) You also have the option of enrolling month-to-month. You'll receive all the same inspiration and motivation from the year-long version, but you'll need to sign up each month. REGISTER FOR THE JANUARY AUDIO-ONLY VERSION Class begins January 1st! To find out more and enroll, visit the Life Well Crafted class description. We do hope you'll join us in 2009 on a journey to creating a Life Well Crafted! P.S. To enter for a chance to win a seat in the year-long, full version (valued at $170), please leave a comment and share your favorite quote! A winner will be randomly selected Monday, 11/10 at 9:00pm PST! ______________________________________________________________________ Congratulations Desiree de Monye! You've won a free seat in A Life Well Crafted! This is a portion of a Ralph Waldo Emerson quote that means a lot to me: "Success... to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!" I would be so happy to be a winner of this fabulous class - I am so broke and I really want to take it!!!! Posted by: Desiree de Monye | November 08, 2008 at 10:17 PM