Scrap Big

Create a super quick layout

Yes, I know… it is December 21st and you probably have millions of things to do...but why not take just 30 minutes for yourself to create a little something? I grabbed an outtake from the Christmas card photo shoot I did earlier this month, a couple of sheets of patterned paper and some stickers, and in just a few minutes, I had a fun layout.

Do you love creating layouts? Then you’ll want to join us for Lisa Day’s workshop: The Challenge of Me. During this 4-week workshop, you’ll create 24 layouts that focus on the details of your life. Plus, as an added bonus, anyone who registers for The Challenge of Me is eligible to win one of four $25 BPS Gift Certificates!

 

 

It is officially the winter holiday here at Big Picture Scrapbooking.   We welcome you to your refuge from all the shopping, baking, and present making!   We are excited to share with you our version of holiday cheer.  Our official Santa’s helper Lisa Damrosch is going to take you on a holiday express full of fun activities, scrapbooking challenges and holiday reflections for the month of December.  Check back each day for a new post! 

Silent Night

Silent Night was written in 1818 by Austrian priest Joseph Mohr. He was told the day before Christmas that the church organ was broken and would not be prepared in time for Christmas Eve. He was saddened by this and could not think of Christmas without music, so he wanted to write a carol that could be sung by choir to guitar music. He sat down and wrote three stanzas. Later that night the people in the little Austrian Church sang "Stille Nacht" for the first time.

Fact from Santas.net

 

 

It is officially the winter holiday here at Big Picture Scrapbooking.   We welcome you to your refuge from all the shopping, baking, and present making!   We are excited to share with you our version of holiday cheer.  Our official Santa’s helper Lisa Damrosch is going to take you on a holiday express full of fun activities, scrapbooking challenges and holiday reflections for the month of December.  Check back each day for a new post!

Hang it up

I created a mini garland using patterned paper, label and letter stickers, and circle tags. Grab some supplies and toss together a mini garland of your own. This would be fun hanging on a wall or on a package. Today, sneak away and make a little something!

 
  

 

It is officially the winter holiday here at Big Picture Scrapbooking.   We welcome you to your refuge from all the shopping, baking, and present making!   We are excited to share with you our version of holiday cheer.  Our official Santa’s helper Lisa Damrosch is going to take you on a holiday express full of fun activities, scrapbooking challenges and holiday reflections for the month of December.  Check back each day for a new post!

Take a Ride!

By now, the neighbors have the lights on their houses (and hopefully they will take them down before Valentine's Day). Every year, we make a point to go on at least one adventure to find the night time holiday spirit around town. It is fun to get out and away from the to-do list and hang out as a family...squealing as we find houses covered in lights! Be sure to bring your camera and when you do, leave your flash at home!

 

 

It is officially the winter holiday here at Big Picture Scrapbooking.   We welcome you to your refuge from all the shopping, baking, and present making!   We are excited to share with you our version of holiday cheer.  Our official Santa’s helper Lisa Damrosch is going to take you on a holiday express full of fun activities, scrapbooking challenges and holiday reflections for the month of December.  Check back each day for a new post!

Tell a Story

Take a look around at all of the signs of Christmas around you and give yourself a moment to reflect on the stories behind the objects. We all have holiday ornaments or decorations that we see only once a year, but they remind us of other times in our lives. Today, as you make that connection in your mind, snap a photo of the item and write down the story. You may not decide to scrapbook it until next summer, but when you do, you’ll have all of the information you need. I took this photo and wrote a blog entry about it in December 2006. I created the layout October 2007…and I’m so glad that I did.

If you’re interested in telling more of your story, we hope that you’ll join us for Design Your Life in January, February, and March. The fabulous Cathy Zielske is back-by-popular-demand to teach her 12 week class about the principals of design. To learn more about what Cathy’s class has to offer, please watch the video below and check-out the class details!

 

It is officially the winter holiday here at Big Picture Scrapbooking.   We welcome you to your refuge from all the shopping, baking, and present making!   We are excited to share with you our version of holiday cheer.  Our official Santa’s helper Lisa Damrosch is going to take you on a holiday express full of fun activities, scrapbooking challenges and holiday reflections for the month of December.  Check back each day for a new post!

The Spirit of Giving

The Network for Good is a great website that provides the opportunity to donate to many charities all from one place. It is also a place where you can make a list of your favorite charities to share with your friends and family. If you are looking to make some charitable donations this holiday season, or want to encourage others to do so, you can learn more at the www.sixdegrees.org. I made a list of my favorites here!

 

It is officially the winter holiday here at Big Picture Scrapbooking.   We welcome you to your refuge from all the shopping, baking, and present making!   We are excited to share with you our version of holiday cheer.  Our official Santa’s helper Lisa Damrosch is going to take you on a holiday express full of fun activities, scrapbooking challenges and holiday reflections for the month of December.  Check back each day for a new post!

Photo a Day check in

How is it going with that Photo-a-Day challenge? Are you snapping away? It doesn’t have to be too late. Grab the camera today, and take some photos, around your house, around your town. Christmas is all around us...so capture it with your camera.

 

It is officially the winter holiday here at Big Picture Scrapbooking.   We welcome you to your refuge from all the shopping, baking, and present making!   We are excited to share with you our version of holiday cheer.  Our official Santa’s helper Lisa Damrosch is going to take you on a holiday express full of fun activities, scrapbooking challenges and holiday reflections for the month of December.  Check back each day for a new post!

Now that you've baked those cookies...

You might want to share them with the neighbors...but don't just put them on an average plate.  Dress up that paper plate with some pretty paper and ribbons. First I cut a piece of patterned paper to fit on the plate. Then I punched some holes around the outer rim and wove a ribbon through them. Last, I tied ribbons to each hole and added a tag! All in all, this took me about 20 minutes, but the neighbors will think it took a lot longer!

 

It is officially the winter holiday here at Big Picture Scrapbooking.   We welcome you to your refuge from all the shopping, baking, and present making!   We are excited to share with you our version of holiday cheer.  Our official Santa’s helper Lisa Damrosch is going to take you on a holiday express full of fun activities, scrapbooking challenges and holiday reflections for the month of December.  Check back each day for a new post!

Write it down...

I want you to take ten minutes and journal. You can do it...just write...your thoughts today...two weeks before Christmas 2009.

HOLIDAY CHEER:
After you write in your journal, leave a comment below and wish your fellow BPS friends a Happy Holiday!   We will randomly pick two people to attend Fit-to-Be-Scrapped Holiday Letters for free!

 

 

It is officially the winter holiday here at Big Picture Scrapbooking.   We welcome you to your refuge from all the shopping, baking, and present making!   We are excited to share with you our version of holiday cheer.  Our official Santa’s helper Lisa Damrosch is going to take you on a holiday express full of fun activities, scrapbooking challenges and holiday reflections for the month of December.  Check back each day for a new post!

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Thank you for all of the wonderful comments! We have randomly selected two posts, and the winners will be automatically enrolled in Fit-to-Be-Scrapped Holiday Letters!

Merry Christmas everyone! Thanks for all the great classes this year, and can't wait for next year!

Posted by: Mel | December 13, 2009 at 08:25 PM

Merry Christmas to all of the awesome folks at BPS!

Posted by: Shae | December 13, 2009 at 07:25 PM

mmm mmm cookies

You gotta love a chewy sugar cookie...these are particularly yummy.

You can also roll the cookies in the sugar sprinkles before baking.

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup softened butter
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 to 4 tablespoons buttermilk
• Sprinkles or colored sugar, for decorating

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in dry ingredients. Add enough of the buttermilk to moisten the dough and make it soft, not wet.

Roll rounded teaspoons of dough into balls and place on a ungreased cookie sheet. With a brush or fingers, moisten the top of each cookie with the remaining buttermilk and slightly flatten the top of each cookie. Sprinkle with raw sugar or colored sprinkles.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until slightly golden. Let stand for 2 minutes before removing to cool on a rack.

Source: Food Network

 

It is officially the winter holiday here at Big Picture Scrapbooking.   We welcome you to your refuge from all the shopping, baking, and present making!   We are excited to share with you our version of holiday cheer.  Our official Santa’s helper Lisa Damrosch is going to take you on a holiday express full of fun activities, scrapbooking challenges and holiday reflections for the month of December.  Check back each day for a new post!