Victorian Rose Designs

Life Book Freebies for Tonight (Monday 10/3/11)

2011-10-03T14:28:00.001-07:00

Everyone who comes to the Life Book Chat tonight at 9 pm ET will get this Quick Page FREE. This week we will be working on our subject's School Days.

Everyone who uploaded a CHILDHOOD layout to the Life Book Users Gallery this week, will get this Hammered Brass Alphabet that coordinates with the Violet Family Quick Page and the Violet Girl Page Kit. :)

Hope to see you there!

Chats are each MONDAY . What to do until next week...

2011-09-13T09:20:00.001-07:00

Blogspot automatically sends out emails to my followers when I post a new entry. I'm not sure how they determine when the email will be sent, but I have been notified that some of you received an email update today (as did I) saying that the Chat is tonight (which I posted yesterday, but didn't come through until today.)

So just to clarify, Life Book Chats are every MONDAY at 9 pm ET in the chat room at www.VictorianRoseDesigns.com.

If you did not get to come last night, but wish to join us in this round, I recommend that you go to the Life Book Tab on my website and read all of the getting started articles, beginning with "What is a Life Book?". Then continue reading until you get to the end of the "Cover" article.

After you have determined who your subject will be, what size book you will be scrapping, what style you will scrap in, etc. Then I encourage you to make the cover of your Life Book. (You will find some Life Book Cover Quick Pages available for FREE download in the freebie section of the site, should you choose to use them.)

You may post your cover on my site and in the Heritage Scrap Life Book Gallery, as well, if you wish. There are no limitations on what kits you may use. The only thing we ask is that you not post links to other stores in your gallery description. Do, however, give the designer credit!

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at Vicki1@victorianrosedesigns.com.
Hope to see you next Monday night!!

Hugs,
Vicki

Life Book 4 begins tonight!

2011-09-12T16:16:00.001-07:00

I know it has been awhile since I have posted. I took a leave of absence from designing over the Summer, but TONIGHT, I get back to work...

Life Book IV begins tonight at 9 pm ET in the chat room at www.VictorianRoseDesigns.com. Please come and finish up a Life Book you have been working on, or start a new one and work alongside us as we work on them together. Hope to see you there! All in attendance will receive this Heritage Mini Pack, FREE! (Click the image to see it larger.) Please try to come!! :)

Life Book - Holiday Break

2010-12-02T07:26:00.001-08:00

Monday was our last chat for 2010! We have now completed the first 10 weeks of our Life Book at Heritage Scrap and we'll pick up with Week 11 in January. Our topic will be Young Adult, so if you see relatives over the holidays that may have photos of your subject that you don't have, make sure to snag a scan!! :)

I would like to take this time to thank you all for your support and for coming to the chats, buying my products and walking with me on this amazing journey in creating heirlooms! I am so blessed!

Have a Merry Christmas, make memories with your friends and family and Have Fun! Looking forward to a wonderful New Year in 2011!! God Bless us one and all! :D

Life Book Week 10: Friends

2010-12-02T07:19:00.000-08:00

“A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are.”

Welcome to Week 10 of the Life Book Challenge where we will be preserving memories of FRIENDSHIP.

This week, your assignment is to scrap about your subject's friend(s). This could be childhood friends, life long friends, sisters/brother/cousins as friends (imaginary friends if you wish ) ... A friend is something that everyone has, and hopefully you are fortunate enough to have a picture of your subject with a friend. (It doesn't even have to be a human friend. Sometimes a dog is man's best friend. )

This is probably a good time to say that you may need to shuffle your pages when you are finished to put them in chronological order. Some of us will be doing childhood friends, while others are doing a layout about a friend later in life. Obviously, you will want to put this page wherever it fits chronologically in your book.

Here is a page Helene did about her life long friend, Marilyn. In this layout, she documents their friendship from their school years through the present.

This page I made for Millie's Life Book tells some stories about her two best friends. I didn't have any pictures of them, but I did include a picture of Millie when she was little with her sisters.

When your Layouts are done, please post them in the Life Book Gallery for Week #10: Friends.

Please try to come back here and post a link to your layout when it's in the gallery so we don't miss it.
If you need directions for posting links, please see my tutorial in the forum.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss anything about this Section of your Life Book, please post here in this thread.

Thanks! Can't wait to see the gallery this week!

Life Book (TM) Content Copyright 2010 Vicki Pasterik Victorian Rose Designs

ANNOUNCING! My New Web Site!!

2010-12-02T07:12:00.000-08:00

Come visit my NEW Website!! www.VictorianRoseDesigns.com

What's on the site?

LIFE BOOK: Information to help you make your own Life Book
GALLERY: Sample Life Books for Inspiration - Upload your own album to win a prize (Coming Soon - Details to be announced.)
PRODUCTS: Links to my stores at Heritage Scrap and my new store at Scrapbook Max (coming soon)
FREEBIES: I'll be adding more soon!

The site is still under construction with LOTS of content still coming, including "how-to" articles on genealogy and scrapbooking, but check it out and see what you think. :) We've only just begun!

Life Book Week 9: Childhood Home

2010-11-16T05:21:00.000-08:00

Good Morning, and welcome to Week 9 of our Life Book Challenge!

This week, we will be scrapping about our subject's HOMETOWN, and/or CHILDHOOD HOME(S).

It's always interesting to talk to people about where their roots are. We are so influenced by the places we've lived and each place adds an extra layer to our life experiences. Growing up in an apartment in a large city may shape us into someone different than if we had grown up on a farm in the country. Our everyday life experiences are what mold us into the people we become.

There are two ways to approach this week's topic. You may choose to scrap one or both of these variations on the theme.

First, you may choose to scrap about the hometown your subject lived in. This will require some research on your part. What was the geographical location? What part of the state was it in? See what you can find out about the area. What trades were there? Where did people work? What was life like there? What were the hang outs? Try to find details that would apply to your subject. Simply do a search for the name of the town or county. Many historical societies even have old vintage photos of the town from the era your subject may have lived there!

This layout from my great, great grandfather's Life Book demonstrates how to use information found on line on a scrapbook page. I combined the facts I learned about the area with the family information I had about the time he lived there.

If you would rather not include information about your subject's hometown, you might consider doing a layout about their childhood homes, especially if you are fortunate enough to have photos of them. Some of the census records include the street and house number for each family. If you can find that information or if you know the physical address, you could find an aerial photograph of the area from Google Earth or Mapquest. Newer versions of Google Earth even enable you to view old maps and satellite imagery of the area, allowing you to virtually go back in time! You might be surprised at what an internet search will bring up on your subject's childhood home. Give it a try and see.

My grandparents were living with my Grandmother's Mom when my Dad was born. She ran a boarding house, and my grandfather moved in when they were married. My Dad and his older brother were both born in that house. Then when my grandmother was expecting their third child, my grandfather built their first “real” home. Those are the two houses my Dad lived in growing up. Even though they moved into their own home, it was near the boarding house, and he spent a lot of time at his Grandma's.

This two page spread documents those two homes, as well as the last home my Grandpa built after all their children had moved out...

This page was done as a sample for my Photo Album Quick Page (which you can grab free in the HS Store!)

Remember, this is your life book, so please do as many pages as you need to do to get your story told. You may be able to make a layout for both the hometown and childhood homes, or you may not know much about one or either. Just try to preserve as much information about this topic as you possibly can. And don't forget that if you don't have many pictures, you may be able to find old photos of the hometown online that you can use.

You can find my Home Sweet Home Word Art Set, also in the store:

Here is a Quick Page that you might find helpful for this theme as well.

It is also available in 8"X10".

As always, if there is any specific word art you need for your pages, please let me know.

When your Layouts are done, please post them in the Life Book Gallery for Week #9: Hometown.

Please try to come back here and post a link to your layout when it's in the gallery so we don't miss it.
If you need directions for posting links, please see my tutorial here.

One winner will be randomly chosen from the gallery next Monday, just before the chat. Please try to have your layouts posted by about 8:45 pm (ET). Layouts using at least 50% Heritage Scrap products will be eligible for the drawing. Layouts using at least 50% of my products will be eligible for a posting bonus.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss anything about this Section of your Life Book, please post here in this thread.

Thanks! Can't wait to see what you come up with!

Life Book (TM) Content Copyright Vicki Pasterik - Victorian Rose Designs 2010

Check out my blog:Victorian Rose Designs

Life Book: Week 8: Family Memories

2010-11-09T07:24:00.000-08:00

Good Morning, and welcome to Week 8 of our Life Book Challenge! By the end of this week, you should have at least 8 pages of your book finished!

This week, we will be preserving FAMILY MEMORIES.

This is a rather broad topic and will be specific to whatever Family Memories you happen to have for your subject. This could include Family Trips, Family Pets, Family Events, Family Holiday, Family Quilts or objects passed down, Celebrations, Birthdays, or Family Cars, just to name a few. (We will be doing our Homes later, and Hometowns next week, so try to find something not related to home for this chapter.)

Remember, this is your life book, so please do as many pages as you need to do to get your stories told. You may be able to make a layout for each of these topics and more, or you may be struggling to come up with one. I'm sure you can think of something that your descendants will find interesting.

Some of our Life Book Veterans offered these suggestions: If you don't have a specific memory, why not scrap your memories of your subject? Or do a page about something that happened in history or other traditions that were common during your subject's lifetime.

Here is a page I did about a Family Trip my Dad made with his family when he was a boy. He told me about the trip, but his sister (the little one struggling to “hold it” until after the picture was taken ) also told me her memories of their trips to visit their cousins. I included both of their memories in the journaling. (Click image to view larger in the gallery.)

I found a photo of the Model T Ford that was like the one they took on their trip and blended it into the bottom of the page to add a little historical interest. (The Studebaker that his grandfather owned was used in the Word Art at the top. This word art can be found in my Antique Car Page Kit which would work well if you are scrapping memories of a family car or trip.)

Here is a page Vintage Vicki made highlighting a Family Reunion. Reunions always create family memories! You can see she included a lot of journaling on this page, but the pictures also tell the story.

This is such an interesting topic and I can't wait to see what you all come up with!!

THIS WEEK IN THE STORE:

I've included several kit suggestions throughout this post. You'll find some Family Memories Word Art in my Family Word Art Set that would work well for this week. And if you came to the chat this week, you got a nice Family Word Art Set free!

When your Layouts are done, please post them in the Life Book Gallery for Week #8: Family Memories.

(And be thinking about your subject's Hometown for next week – that may take a little advanced planning.)

Please try to go to the Week 8 thread in the forums and post a link to your layout when it's in the gallery so we don't miss it. If you need directions for posting links, please see my tutorial here.

One winner will be randomly chosen from the gallery next week. Please try to have your layouts posted by about 8:45 pm (ET) or so. Layouts using at least 50% Heritage Scrap products will be eligible for the drawing, and those using 50% or more of my products, get a posting bonus.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss anything about this topic of your Life Book, please post here in this thread.

Thanks! Can't wait to read your family memories!

Hearth and Home FREEBIE - Just for my blog readers!

2010-11-02T14:28:00.001-07:00

To celebrate the Hearth and Home Collab, I made this extra Cluster Frame to coordinate with my portion of the Collab. just for my Blog readers. Click on the preview to download. Enjoy!

Gimme my bonus, please

2010-11-02T07:09:00.000-07:00

NEW in Life Book III. Those who use at least 50% of products by Victorian Rose Designs on your Life Book layouts will receive a posting bonus. To receive your posting bonus, PLEASE post a link to your layout in the Forum called "Gimme my bonus, please". Once verified, you will receive a PM with the link to your bonus. (You MUST post a link there to be eligible for the bonus.)

THANK YOU!!

Life Book Week 7: Siblings

2010-11-02T06:39:00.000-07:00

by Victorian Rose on 02 Nov 2010 07:45

Good morning, Girls! Welcome to Week 7 of our Life Book Challenge!

This week we will be focusing on our subjects' SIBLINGS.

Please note: If your subject does not have siblings, feel free to do another page in your life book for the challenge. Just be sure to post the link here in this thread. You may wish to do cousins, friends or even another page about something we've already covered. It's your book, so it's up to you.

Brothers and Sisters are flowers from the same garden.

Who knows us better than our own flesh and blood? They've been there from the very beginning. They know everything about us, and they usually aren't afraid to tell it – especially the not so nice parts.

This week in our Life Books, we are paying homage to our subject's brothers and sisters. We are going to document for future generations, the details and relationship between our subject and his/her siblings. You may wish to include just the facts; i.e. names, dates, etc. or you may wish to include stories and memories your subject or other family members have told you about their siblings.

Depending on how many siblings your subject has, and how much information you have about them, you may wish to do one layout, or a two page spread that includes all of the brothers and sisters, OR you may need to do a separate page for each sibling. It's up to you how much room you'll need to get your stories told.

Monday night in the chat, we talked about how to find information about your subject's siblings. Here are a few of the sources that were suggested:

Census records: All members of the household are listed as well as their relationship to the head of the house;
Will of the parents: Often lists living children and their heirs;
Marriage License: Often a brother or sister acts as a witness;
Land Records: Especially if the father leaves land to his children;
Obituaries: Lists family members, both surviving and deceased.
Living Family Members: ask them who the siblings were
also check Grave registration of veterans, cemetery records, family bibles, county biographies, and baptismal records

Some samples for inspiration:

Helene has done a beautiful page that includes all of the siblings on a single layout. She did the journaling on a mat and included the photos in a very creative way. This is a great example of a siblings page.

This two page spread I have done for my Dad's Life Book is a Dragnet Page - (“Just the facts, ma'am”.)
It documents how his family grew from one child to six. (Click on images to see the larger version in the Gallery.)

You will notice that these pages don't have any journaling, other than the names and dates of the children.

However, these pages out of my Dad's cousin, Millie's Life Book have funny stories she told us about her sister and include several photos of her sisters and brothers.

Remember, this may be all the information your grandchildren have about your subject, so make sure to include as much information as you can. This may take several pages, so feel free to make as many as you deem necessary to get your stories told!

I have a Sisters Word Art Set and a Brothers Word Art Set to help adorn you layouts.

So, the directions are the same as always. Please put your layouts in the Week #7 Siblings Gallery. To be eligible for the drawing, use at least 50% Heritage Scrap products, and have your layout(s) in the gallery by 9 pm Monday – just before the chat.

Can't wait to see this week's gallery!!

Life Book (TM) content copyright 2010 Vicki Pasterik Victorian Rose Designs

November Collab in store now!

2010-10-30T06:09:00.001-07:00

The November Designer Collab - Hearth and Home - is available now in the Heritage Scrap Store. Filled with Fall colors and the comforts of home, these kits are perfect for scrapping your Fall Family Memories.

The Collab kits are all on sale for $2.50 each for the month of November.

Click on the preview of my kit to go to the Heritage Scrap Store for more information.

Life Book Week 6: Grandparents

2010-10-30T06:06:00.000-07:00

by Victorian Rose on 30 Oct 2010 07:16

Welcome to Week 6 in our Life Book Challenge.

This week we are documenting our subject's Grandparents. This is the week we will be working on our parents' parents. Since we are branching out, you should have at least 2 layouts this week – or possibly 4 – depending on whether you choose to do a layout for each grandparent, or each couple.

As with parents, you may choose to do basic information, or do a more in depth layout.

Do you know who your subject's grandparents were? Or have you hit a brick wall? One thing you may wish to try is going to http://www.ancestry.com/. You can now type in the information you know and using information entered by other users, you may get a “leaf”. If your ancestors are already in their system, it will present you with a descendants chart that other users have entered, and give you some clues on where next to direct your research (please note: some information they give you is free, other information is only available through subscribing to their service, but it's worth a try to see what you can find!) Of course, you will want to verify any information you may find, and see if they give sources for where they obtained their information.

If you have access to your subject's birth certificate or baptism or christening documents, their parents will be listed. If you have their parents information, you can find their parents. Otherwise, you can begin to check census records for the years your subject's parents were living. For instance, if you are making a life book of your father's life, and he was born in 1908, look in the 1910 census for the county and town he lived in. Hopefully, you can find his family. (Your father would be listed as a two year old in the household.) From the census records, you will learn the names and ages of each person in the house at that time. Be sure to look at the other families on either side and down the road as you will often find other family members nearby. You may also learn (depending on what year you are looking at) what the head of the household did for a living, where each person and his parents were born, how old they were and whether they could read and write. Census records are fascinating and should be checked for each decade of your subject's life.

There are other sources that may also give information, including tax records, land lists, local newspapers, etc. Please check out the Heritage Hunting information by Vicki or attend one of her chats and share your dilemma. Vicki and the others at her chat will be able to give you some ideas for how best to direct your search.

Good luck!

Helene has been working on Life Books since the first round and I would encourage you to take a look at her albums. Here are some of her grandparents pages, which are good examples of Life Book layouts.

THIS WEEK IN THE STORE:

You may choose any kit that you would like that would work for your subject's grandparents.

My Grandparents Word Art:

My “Loving Couple” Quick Page would also work well for grandparents or parents.

Also available in 8 x 10.

Please post your completed layouts in the Week #6 Grandparents Gallery, and try to come back and post a link here so we can all go and leave you some love.

So that's it. Have fun and I'm looking forward to meeting your subject's grandparents!

Check out my blog:Victorian Rose Designs

Victorian Rose: Designer

Week 5: Parents

2010-10-19T07:52:00.000-07:00

Week 5: Parents

by Victorian Rose on 19 Oct 2010 08:44

Hello, Ladies!

How are those Life Books coming? I'm enjoying your layouts and getting to know you (and your subjects). Your journaling is great and you are preserving memories for future generations that will be priceless! Great job!

This week we are going to focus on our subject's parents. How could we possibly tell a person's life story without telling where they came from?

One cannot know his destination if he does not know where he is coming from. Nor can one know who he is without knowing his past. -- unknown

If you are doing yourself (or your children) then you will have no trouble coming up with information about your subject's parents.

However, what do you do if your subject is the end line of your chart and you don't know who their parents are? Those end line ancestors are entirely frustrating and I often feel like a dog chasing its tail when researching them! So many documents were lost in courthouse fires or floods and where do you go when your regular methods of discovery don't work? If I were doing a life book of an endline ancestor, I would put all the details I had, along with my theories and maybe at some point, someone else down the line will be lucky and use your information to find the answers.

But, let's assume you do have photos of your subject's parents and know the details about them. What will we put on these pages? Remember that this Life Book will contain all the information about your subject that you want future generations to know. Unless you are also making a Life Book for your subject's parents, try to put as much information as you have about them. You may need to do multiple pages for different chapters in your book to get your stories in print.

You've already told the details of your subject's birth on your birth pages, and your childhood pages may or may not have contained details about your subject's parents. The parent pages are the places to focus on who the parents were and may include information such as:

Their names and dates of birth/death
How they met/married
Where they grew up
Jobs they had
Specific memories of them
Their later years/death (if they are deceased)

We will be doing pages later on “Family Life”, so we will have opportunity to put more details about the subject's family, vacations, pets, etc., so now we will focus primarily on Mom and Dad.

There are situations where one of the parents was not part of your subject's life due to Mother dying in childbirth or Father dying young or abandoning the family. While those memories are painful, I feel that it is important to document the facts for posterity. Did Grandma and Grandpa raise your subject? Definitely include those details, but also explain why. I'm sure we all know the frustration of finding information and asking “Why did that happen?” Don't make your descendants have to ask, “Why?”

Here are the pages Theresa (Forget Me Not) made that includes Pictures and Details of her subjects' Parents. This is an excellent example. She chose to make a separate page for each parent and give details of each...

And here are the pages I made for my Dad's book about his parents. These pages use my Quick Page Deluxe sets, For the Ladies and For the Men.

Now, as for recommendations for kits in the Heritage Scrap Shoppe, I think these pages that will fill the gallery this week will be as varied as your subject's parents. There is not one specific kit that says “Parents”.

You may choose a kit that complements the time frame you remember most, or you may have special memories about a certain flower or hobby – maybe Mom loved Forget Me Nots or Sewing. Maybe Dad worked on the Railroad. I'm sure you'll be able to find just the right kit to scrap your pages. If not, let us know and we'll make one for you!

I did a search in the store for Mom and Dad and several options came up, so this week, just have fun and enjoy scrapping your pages.

I have done a Parents Word Art set as well as a Mother Word Art Set and Father Word Art Set. You can find them in the Heritage Scrap Store.

Please post your completed layouts in the Week #5 - Parents Gallery, and try to come back and post a link here so we can all go and leave you some love.

So that's it. Have fun and I'm looking forward to meeting Mom and Dad this week!

Life Book (TM) Content Copyright 2009-2010 Vicki Pasterik Victorian Rose Designs

Check out my blog:Victorian Rose Designs

Week 4: School Days

2010-10-19T07:49:00.000-07:00

** I was on vacation last week and didn't get Week 4 posted on my blog, so here it is. **

Week 4: School Days

by Victorian Rose on 11 Oct 2010 06:10

Welcome to Week #4 of the Life Book Challenge!

If you have just found us, feel free to jump right in and go back as you have time and finish the other pages we have done together.

Before we begin with our School Days pages this week, I just wanted to remind you that while we are running this as a challenge, you are making YOUR book, so I want you to put whatever you want in your book. If it takes you 4 pages to tell about a certain part of your subject's life, by all means, get those stories told! We are here to offer suggestions and guidance as we do this together. Please make these pages with a picture in the back of your mind of your grandchildren and great grandchildren reading this book someday in the far off future, and tell the stories and scrap the pages you want them to have.

Now then, let's talk about School Days! Every time I see the words “School Days”, I can't stop humming, “School Days. School Days. Dear old golden rule days.” That's the feeling of nostalgia I get when I scrap school days memories. You may be feeling nostalgic, too, as you think about one room school houses and McGuffey readers, or “Dick and Jane” or maybe you are scrapping your children's school days that may have very different memories of big 80s hair or neon Crayolas. In any event, many of the memories are the same – new school supplies in the Fall, friends, text books and new shoes.

I was VERY fortunate to be able to find a picture online of the school my Dad went to! And thankfully, my grandmother kept everything, so I have in my collection school pictures of my Dad and his brothers and sisters from the 1943-44 school year which made for a really great layout for my Dad's Life Book.
(Click on images to see larger versions in the gallery.)

I wanted to include my Dad's school memories, so I did a two page spread and included the journaling from my interview with him on the second page. I added another school photo at the bottom to break up the monotony of all the journaling.

My Dad's cousin, Millie went to the same school, so I did a similar layout for her life book using the same picture.

My favorite school layout, though, is this companion page from Millie's book. My cousin took his mom to a school reunion and someone had a picture of Millie's class when she was a little girl going to a one room school house. He managed to get a copy of the picture and sent it to me to use on this page. Millie was so thrilled to see that picture as she had never seen it before.

I was able to find websites about many remaining one room school houses in the U.S. by Googling. If your subject went to a one room school (or even a more modern school) you may just find a photo on line you can use.

If you don't have any photos of the school, look for a photo of your subject when they were school aged to include on your pages. If they are alive and you interviewed them (or are interviewing them as you go as I am doing), find out what they remember about their school days. Write those memories down to preserve them. Ask them what classes they remember. Who were their teachers? What did they have for their lunch? How did they get to school (up hill both ways in a snow storm? ) Do they have any special memories? Did they win the spelling bee? Did they marry their school days sweetheart? Do any school projects stand out in their mind? Those are the details that make an interesting page.

I have run into a brick wall with my Great Great Grandfather. The earliest photo of him is when he was a teenager. I know very little about his childhood except what I have learned from census records, regarding where he lived, etc. Then I had an idea. The census records tell what district he lived in as a child. I went to the website for the county he lived in and asked in the forums on GenWeb if anyone knew anything about the schools in the area around the Civil War, and where he might have gone to school. I'm hoping that someone might have some information for me based on what I know.

If your information and photos are limited, do some research on the type of schooling your subject would have had. The internet is full of information that you can use. If you don't have many pictures, I have some school themed sets with ephemera and elements that will make your pages come alive...

I have made a jam packed word art set for you which includes a School Days overlay, a page frame, a tag, titles and much more. You can find it in the store here...

There there is the School Days Element Set...

And, I also have a School Days Life Book Quick Page that is available in both 12 x 12 and 8 x 10 for your scrapping needs...

School Days Life Book Quick Page in 8 x 10

There are other School Themed Kits in the store - just type "school" in the search box to see everything Heritage Scrap has to offer.

So that's it. If you have any questions, or would like to discuss anything, please feel free to post in this thread.

Please post your layouts to the Life Book – Week #4 School Days Gallery by about 8:45 pm PT (just before the Chat) on Monday night, October 18th. Then we'll see you at the chat at 9 pm PT. Just go to the Heritage Scrap Chat Room - http://www.heritagescrap.com/Lets_Chat/

Have a great week and I can't wait to see that gallery start filling up!

Check out my blog:Victorian Rose Designs

Life Book Week 3: Childhood

2010-10-07T05:42:00.000-07:00

Week 3: Childhood

by Victorian Rose on 07 Oct 2010 06:37

Welcome to Week 3 of the Life Book Challenge!

Our babies are growing up now, and we are moving on to the Childhood stage of life. This week should not be about their school days, as we will be doing that chapter next week. This page should demonstrate your subject's early childhood before school, or their life outside of school. It can include siblings, as they were a large part of your subject's childhood.

Remember, journaling is the key! If you didn't include information about what was happening in the world on your birth page, here's another chance. What kinds of things did kids do when your subject was a child? How much did they pay to go to the movies? Who starred in them? What songs did they listen to? This is a page everyone should be able to do, even with limited personal information.

If you don't know much about your subject's early childhood days, do some research into what was happening in the world during those years. If you have a photo of your subject, that's great. If you don't, concentrate on the journaling. What was life like for a typical child at that point in history? Who was their primary care giver? Did they have brothers and sisters to play with? Think outside the box!

When my cousin interviewed my dad's cousin, Millie, most of the stories she told him about her childhood had a lot to do with the things she did with (and to ) her sister growing up, so I did this page about sisters: (click for larger view in the gallery)

The other stories she told about her childhood, I just put together on a page I called Cherished Memories. I didn't have any pictures to go with the journaling, so I found some on the internet and asked a cousin who still lives in the area to take another one for me.

If you don't have any information at all about your subject's childhood, you may wish to do something like I've done here, in this layout called Two Generations as children.

Here's a page I made of my Dad and two of his siblings as children. (This uses my Childhood Quick Page.)

And speaking of kits and quick pages...

Here are some suggestions for you of my products that go well with the Childhood theme from the Heritage Scrap Store. There are also many other products by other designers that go well with the Childhood Theme.

QUICK PAGES

Life Book QP - Childhood (12x12) by Victorian Rose Designs

Childhood QP also available in 8 x 10

WORD ART

Chapters of Life: Childhood - Word Art by Victorian Rose Designs

This Good Old Days word art set might also work well for this page:

Good Old Days - Word Art by Victorian Rose Designs

So that's it for this week. Please post your layouts in the Life Book: Week #3 - Childhood Gallery and try to post a link back here in this thread.

Have fun! I can't wait to see your layouts!

©2010 Vicki Pasterik Victorian Rose Designs

Check out my blog:Victorian Rose Designs

Life Book Week 2: Birth

2010-09-29T07:59:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Week 2 of the Life Book Challenge - Birth

It happens to all of us. It is the one thing we all share in common. We were born.

This is a page we should all be able to make for our life books. Whether you have a lot of information about your subject's birth, or a little.

If you are fortunate, you will have found a photo of your subject as a baby. If so, you will want to include it on your page. But what if you don't have a baby picture?

First, make sure you include all the facts you can find - Who, When, Where - Baby's name, parents' names, who attended the birth (if you know), Date of Birth, Place of Birth.

If you only have a little information on your subject's birth, you may want to fill the page with information about what was happening in the world the year they were born. This is a great way to add detail and nostalgia to the page. Your subject and their descendants will enjoy reading about how much a loaf of bread or a gallon of gas cost when they were born, or what the hit song was or what was happening politically or economically. This is a sure fire way to connect HIS story with HISTORY!

There are several websites that will give you that information. My favorite is:

http://www.thepeoplehistory.com

There are more at:
http://www.blogthings.com/whathappenedtheyearyouwerebornquiz/
http://dmarie.com/timecap/

You might want to check them all as I found different information on each site.

Here is a sample page that will show you how to incorporate this information into your page. (Click image to get a larger view in the gallery.)

Another suggestion given by a former LifeBooker was to include the newspaper clipping announcing the birth. (I have done that on this layout...)

Jan suggested that if you don't have the actual clipping, you can make one using the Newspaper Clipping Generator which can be found here.

Remember that you are writing this story for many generations to come. Include information that you wish you knew about your great grandparents. Someone will appreciate it one day! Add as much information as you can find. Remember that journaling is of utmost importance in a Life Book!

Theresa has mentioned that one of her ancestors didn't have a birth certificate, so they had to have an affidavit to prove his birth. That is interesting information that may help future researchers in her family and would be nice to include in the Life Book. And speaking of Birth Certificates, if you happen to have one, what a great idea to scan it in and include it – even if it is tucked behind other items on your page!

To help you with your pages, there are several kits in the store that you may wish to use.

Theresa has a brand new kit called Vintage Lullaby that would be a perfect choice for this topic.

My “Birth” word art set includes much more than word art. In it, you will find a birth announcement stamp, a sweet baby card, It's a girl and It's a boy text circles, and titles in black and metallic finishes.

My Vintage Baby Elements are nice to include on layouts that have no pictures - but there are frames for those who do have photos.

And if you love the idea of making a Life Book, but just don't have the time or need a short cut, check out my Life Book Quick Pages in the Store. All the work is done for you – all you have to do is layer your photos behind the .png page and add your text. They come in both 12 x 12 and 8 x 10. This week, I have two different styles:

Victorian Baby for the more elegant Life Book,

Click here for Victorian Baby in 12 x 12

and Tattered Baby for the more vintage style...

Click here for Tattered Baby in 12 x 12

You can pick up the Quick Page of your choice for $1.25 each throughout the course of the Life Book Challenge.

And if these are not enough for you, just do a search in the store for “Baby” and you can see several other options!

So there you have it! Have fun being detectives and seeing what you can find out to leave clues for future generations. I can't wait to see your pages in the Life Books: Week 2 – Birth Gallery!. Please try to remember to come back here and post the link to your page, and don't forget - one of you will be randomly chosen from this week's gallery to win a gift.

This challenge is open from now until Monday night, September 4th, just before the chat at 9 pm EST. (You can still post layouts after that time, but it will not be eligible for the drawing.) I will announce the winner at the chat, probably somewhere around 9:15 pm. See ya there!!

Copyright 2010 Vicki Pasterik Victorian Rose Designs

Check out my blog:Victorian Rose Designs

Life Book Week 1: Getting Started

2010-09-20T20:24:00.000-07:00

And now.... the moment we've all been waiting for!

Let's get those LIFE BOOKS started! (If you're not sure what a Life Book is, please go back and read the thread, "What is a Life Book".)

By now you should have:

1.) Chosen your subject (the person whose life you will be chronicling); and

2.) Either interviewed them or made arrangements to interview them, if they are living, or started gathering all of your information if they are not.

This week we are going to focus on two things: Writing the text of the Life Book and Scrapping the Cover.

ABOUT WRITING THE LIFE BOOK:

For me, the easiest thing to do is to type out the text of the Life Book in my word processing program. Of course, I know that some of you just prefer to write it week by week as you go along. Whatever works for you...

You may choose to write it in the first person (i.e. "I was born on April 16, 1932") or the third person (i.e. "Anna was born on April 16, 1832"). Either way will work, just make sure it is consistent throughout the book.

Once you have the text written, you can go back to it and copy and paste it as you layout your scrapbook.

Once you have it typed up, go back and separate it into sections. You may want to use the Life Book Schedule which contains the list of 26 topics we will be scrapping together to help you get your information organized. You will want to start with Birth and continue chronologically through the person's life.

Here is a sample of what your text might look like:

BIRTH (1st Person)

I was born February 12, 1809, the second child to Thomas and Nancy Hanks Lincoln, in a one-room log cabin on the Sinking Spring Farm in southeast Hardin County, Kentucky. I was named, simply, Abraham Lincoln, and was not given a middle name. (Information from Wikipedia.)

CHILDHOOD (3rd Person)

When he was nine, his 34-year-old mother died of milk sickness. Soon after, his father married Sarah Bush Johnston, with whom he became very close and whom he called "Mother". But he became increasingly distant from his father. Lincoln regretted his father's lack of education, and did not like the hard labor associated with frontier life. Still, he willingly took on all chores expected of him as a male in the household, albeit young, tall and thin. As was the custom, Lincoln also dutifully fulfilled the obligation of a son to give his father all earnings from his work for third parties until age 21. In later years, he would also occasionally lend his father money. In 1830, fearing a milk-sickness outbreak, the family settled on public land in Macon County, Illinois. (Information from Wikipedia.)

That should give you some food for thought.

ABOUT SCRAPPING YOUR LIFE BOOK:

You will want to be thinking about what supplies you will use to make your Life Book. Of course, you are free to use any kits you would like, but it's nice to have some consistency throughout the book. Take a look in the Heritage Scrap Shoppe. We have several kits that would make an awesome Life Book and many of the Designers' Kits coordinate very well together. I also have several Quick Pages which can be used to make Life Book layouts quickly. All you have to do is add your photos and text. The rest is done for you. (Don't forget – if you use 50% or more of my products (Victorian Rose Designs) on your layouts, I'll throw in a posting bonus.)

This week, while you are working on writing your book, go ahead and Scrap the Cover. You can see some sample covers in the Life Book Gallery under Week 1: Cover that were made by Life Bookers in the last round.

And while you are at it, you might want to go ahead and do a dedication page if you will be presenting the Life Book to the subject when you are finished with it. I did a simple one for my Dad's cousin, Millie that looks like this.

Once you have your cover done, please upload it to the Week 1: Cover Gallery, and post a link to it here in this thread. You have until just before the Chat next Monday (9 pm EST) to get them done. At the next chat, we will move on to the first chapter: Birth.

So, there you go! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to post them here in this forum, email me at vicki@pasterik.com, PM me, or Facebook me. Have fun!!

All Life Book Content Copyright 2010 Vicki Pasterik Victorian Rose Designs

Tentative Schedule for Life Book III

2010-09-20T06:35:00.000-07:00

Life Book III – Schedule 2010-11

Here is the tentative schedule for the next round of Life Book. If you are unable to join us at the beginning, feel free to jump in midstream. You can always go back and get caught up as you go.

9/20 Week 1: Cover/Getting started
9/27 Week 2: Birth

10/4 Week 3: Childhood
10/11 Week 4: School Days
10/18 Week 5: Parents
10/25 Week 6: Grandparents

11/1 Week 7: Siblings
11/8 Week 8: Family Memories
11/15 Week 9: Hometown/Childhood Home
11/22 Week 10: Friends
11/29 Week 11: Young Adult

----------Holiday Break--------------------
Month of December

1/3 Week 12: Dating/Courting
1/10 Week 13: Marriage
1/17 Week 14: Home
1/24 Week 15: In Laws/ Extended Family
1/31 Week 16: Kids

2/7 Week 17: Kids (cont'd or Scrappers Choice)
2/14 Week 18: Jobs/Careers
2/21 Week 19: Hobbies/Sports
2/28 Week 20: Transportation

3/7 Week 21: Medical/Health
3/14 Week 22: Faith
3/21 Week 23: Holiday Memories/Traditions
3/28 Week 24: The Golden Years

4/4 Week 25: Grandchildren
4/11 Week 26: What happened in History during subject's lifetime
4/18 Week 27: Pedigree Chart

Those of you who have done Life Book before, please help me add to the Scrapper's Choice List by posting types of layouts you have done that weren't on the schedule. :) Thanks!

Life Book III to begin Monday!

2010-09-19T12:42:00.000-07:00

Life Book III will begin Monday, Sept. 20th at 9 pm (ET) in the Heritage Scrap Chat Room.

What is a Life Book, you ask?

"This is Your Life" was a TV Series that aired between 1952 and 1961. Ralph Edwards was the host. Each week, an unsuspecting celebrity would be lured by some ruse to a location near the studio. He would then be surprised with the news that he was to be the featured guest. Next he was escorted into the studio, and one by one people significant in the guest's life would be brought out to offer anecdotes. At the end of the show family members and friends would gather about the guest who would then be presented with some gifts. These usually included jewelry, a scrapbook of memories, and a home 16 mm projector and camera. (Plot summary taken from IMDb.)

Doing a "Life Book" is like putting that show onto paper... we're going to be making the Scrapbook of Memories without the big Hollywood production (or budget!)

Life Book classes at Heritage Scrap will help you to take a person's life story and break it down into bite sized pieces, so to speak. We will scrap one topic each week - things like birth, childhood, school days, etc. We'll help you organize your information so that scrapping a loved one's life story is "do-able".

When starting the book, we have to approach it a bit differently than we normally do heritage scrapping. Journaling is usually the last thing I put on the page. With a Life Book, it is important to do all the journaling first.

You start by interviewing the subject (if they are still alive) or family members or someone who knows their life story. You can just let them tell you their story, or you can spur them on with questions like "When and where were you born?" "How many brothers and sisters did you have?" "What were your parents' names?" "What was your childhood like?" "What did your Dad do for a living?", etc. (It may be helpful to print out the Life Book III Schedule which includes the list of topics to guide you in asking your questions.)

At the Life Book Chats (each Monday at 9 pm ET) we will discuss the topic for the week and our seasoned genealogists will give tips for finding information about the topic and your subject, experienced digi scrappers can help answer questions about scrapping techniques, there will be freebies and challenges, and a lot of fun just chatting about life and stuff.

Please come join us Monday night as we embark on another fun and satisfying year of Life Book!

I will be posting each week's directions here on my blog and in the forum at Heritage Scrap. Please see the Life Book III forum for more information.

Birthday Sale and FREEbie!

2010-09-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

Saturday (September 18th) is my birthday, and YOU're getting the presents!

Go to the Heritage Scrap Shop and grab this little beauty... a Birthday element and word art set to help you scrap those Birthdays - Absolutely FREE!

PLUS! All Victorian Rose Designs Products are 50% off on Saturday!

Buy 1, Scrap 1, Get 1

2010-09-17T08:38:00.000-07:00

Come join in my newest challenge...

1) BUY the Live Laugh Love Page Kit;
2) SCRAP a layout with it, upload it to Heritage Scrap and post a link in the forum;
3) GET the Faith Family Friends Kit FREE!

Surprise Sale!!! 50% OFF everything in my store!

2010-08-27T20:37:00.000-07:00

Including my newest kit...

Now, just $2.00!! Sale ends Sunday - hurry and grab your products at this crazy low price! Don't forget -- LIFE BOOK III begins September 20th. All Life Book Quick Pages are also HALF PRICE - this weekend only!!!

Buy 1, Scrap 1, Get 1

2010-08-19T06:03:00.000-07:00

Come join in my new challenge! It's as easy as 1-2-3!

1) Buy my Raspberry Morning Page Kit...
2) Scrap a Layout with it... (Please put it in the Victorian Rose Designs Gallery at Heritage Scrap by August 31st and post a link to it in the Forum.)
3) Get the Raspberry Morning Companion Kit FREE!!

And don't forget my Sale!..

Need Word Art?

2010-08-02T09:16:00.000-07:00

In the coming week, I am going to be working on several new word art sets. Please let me know what you need. Do you need titles for your pages? Quotes? Page Borders? What type of themes? Love? Genealogy? Family? Is there something specific you are looking for? Please let me know!

You can email me at Vicki@Pasterik.com OR leave a comment on the Victorian Rose Designs page on Facebook!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Heritage Scrap!

2010-08-02T09:08:00.001-07:00

Heritage Scrap is 2 years old!!

To show our appreciation for your patronage and support of our special shop, we have lots of specials, promotions and fun planned for the entire month.

There are gifts with purchase, freebies, challenges, and sales galore!

AND our new collab, Heritage Builders Vol 2 is now available!!!

Check this out!

2010-08-02T09:03:00.000-07:00

August Collabs now in the store

2010-08-02T08:28:00.000-07:00

The HERITAGE BUILDERS Collab Kits at Heritage Scrap - a collection of kits to help Genealogists scrap their family tree - was a big hit in August 2009. Now we are introducing HERITAGE BUILDERS, VOL. 2, to build on last years' collab. Now you have even more options for getting your family history into your scrapbook!

All Kits in the Heritage Builders, Vol. 2 Collection, as well as all the kits in the original collection, are on sale for just $2.50 for the month of August!

Here is my portion of the collection...

Two New Kits now at Heritage Scrap!

2010-07-12T06:43:00.000-07:00

Click the preview to go to the store to see more details! :)

June Collab released today! At Last!

2010-06-15T09:34:00.000-07:00

At last my love has come along. My lonely days are over...And life is like a song.

Are you fortunate enough to have old black and white or sepia wedding photos in your stash of parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles? Or maybe you have some of your own wedding photos you have never scrapped?

At Last - you can get those photos out of the filing cabinet or photo album and onto a stunning layout! This month's collab kit at Heritage Scrap is called "At Last" and is a vintage styled, wedding themed set filled with ribbons and laces and brads and photo corners and luxurious papers. Come check out the whole collection at the Heritage Scrap Shop!

Below is my contribution to the collection. Click on the preview to go to the Heritage Scrap Shop. Click on the layouts to see them larger in the Heritage Scrap Gallery.

WIN THIS ALPHA!! Simply make a layout using my portion of the collab kit and post it on my facebook fan page and you will get this alpha absolutely free!

Morning Glory Page Kit now in store!

2010-04-16T06:16:00.001-07:00

If you're looking for a bright, fresh page kit that works well for both heritage and modern layouts, this one's for you! Done in shades of morning glories, this kit is full of wonderful possibilities! You get five lovely papers, two frame options, a journaling mat, tied tags, a torn paper, a ribbon, a brad, butterflies and word art! And if you grab it now while all of my products are 30% off, you can pick this beauty up for only $2.79! Enjoy!! (Don't forget to join in the Designer of the Month Challenges Vintage Vicki is running at Heritage Scrap! Use my products in your layouts and win prizes!)

Free Spring Beauty Quick Page for Facebook Fans!

2010-04-14T05:53:00.000-07:00

Click on the Fan button in the right column to head over to the Facebook Fan Page and pick up this FREE Spring Beauty Quick Page!

New Spring Beauty Kit in Store now!

2010-04-14T05:43:00.000-07:00

Spring Beauty is my new page kit and I am so excited about it! In beautiful shades of light blue, teal and purple, this kit combines my love of embroidery with my love of scrapping. Click on the Previews to get a closer look and full description in the Heritage Scrap Shop.

Challenges for YOU! Win Awesome Prizes!

2010-04-05T08:08:00.000-07:00

Vintage Vicki, one of our Creative Team Members (and my BFF!), has introduced some fun Designer of the Month challenges for you at Heritage Scrap. The challenges are fun and the Prizes are AWESOME!

Here are the Details:

There will be THREE different ways to win...

1) First prize will be for using the most KITS from Victorian Rose in your layouts.

For example, if you make a layout and use pieces from five of my kits, you will get five points!! Remember to credit properly in the description portion of the layout posting and use 100% Victorian Rose Designs products.

If YOU are the lucky winner, this kit will be named after you (or a friend, or grandchild or whomever you choose). It will be done in your favorite colors and you can choose what style the kit will be and offer suggestions for what types of elements and papers you would like in the kit. When the kit is finished, it will be put in my Heritage Scrap Store for sale! (YOU will get it free!)

Custom Page Kit will include:
6 papers; and
6-8 elements.

2) Second prize will be for posting the most layouts, one point per layout.

Layouts have to be 100% Victorian Rose Designs products. The prize for this winner will be a custom Word Art Set made just for YOU from Victorian Rose Designs!

If YOU are the lucky winner of the Custom Word Art Set, you will choose the theme. Are you making a scrapbook for your daughter? Maybe you would like an Overlay with her name? Her name done in several styles, fonts and finishes, her favorite quote or Bible verse? Her High School Class Motto? You tell me and I'll make it! Maybe you are scrapping your parents' 50th Wedding Anniversary and would like Word Art for their scrapbook? Or a class reunion? Or a travel album? You get to choose!

Word Art set will include:

At least
1 overlay;
5-6 titles; and
2-3 quotes.

3) Third prize will be a totally random drawing out of all of the layouts submitted to the Victorian Rose Designs gallery this month that are made with 100% Victorian Rose Designs products and that are properly credited in the description of the layout. The prize for this winner will also be a customized product from Vintage Vicki. (See the Designer of the Month Forum at Heritage Scrap for more details!) You will have to register at Heritage Scrap to read the forums if you haven't already. (It's free!)

The gallery is filling up already! Hurry over to get started in these challenges to win these very cool prizes! :)

Designer of the Month Bio

2010-04-05T08:03:00.001-07:00

Vicki Pasterik of Victorian Rose Designs has been an avid scrapbooker for nearly thirteen years, starting first with paper scrapping, and then switching completely to digital a few years ago. In February of 2009, she joined the design team at Heritage Scrap, first focusing on Word Art and then adding alphabets and full page kits to her store.

Vicki worked professionally as a graphic designer for many years and then traded her ink and paper in for needles and thread to start an embroidery business under the same name, Victorian Rose Designs. When she and her family moved in 2002, she found that she needed to devote her time to helping to grow their family farm, where they raise free range chicken, beef, lamb, pork and children. ;) She closed her embroidery business and used her creative energy to promote the farm through website, logo and literature design. Now that the farm business is underway, she finds that designing and scrapping helps her to relax after a busy day of homeschooling five of her eight children, the youngest of which was born in December.

When Vicki was in high school, she started working on her family tree for a school project and was hooked. She contacted a cousin who was also working on their genealogy and they teamed up to track down their ancestors together. She has now created an extensive Heritage Album where she gets the genealogy information they have found out of the filing cabinet drawer and into a format that can easily be shared with other family members.

When Vicki found Heritage Scrap, she immediately realized that it was a site that combined both her love of scrapbooking and her genealogy hobby. She loves the romantic, Victorian style and prefers old things with character over things that are brand new. Her vintage farmhouse is decorated in the same romantic cottage style that adorns her scrapbook pages.

In addition to scrapping and designing, Vicki enjoys once a month cooking, scouring flea markets and antique stores for vintage finds, taking walks on country roads and Bible studies and church activities with friends. She keeps in touch with many of them through Facebook and you can find her new fan page there along with freebies for Facebook Fans.

Vicki hosts the Life Book Chat here at Heritage Scrap on Monday Nights at 9 pm ET in the Heritage Scrap Chat Room. Life Book participants choose one of their ancestors and each week they add another page to their subject's Life Book, following a schedule that Vicki has created.
Each topic is discussed in the chat, a winner is chosen from the previous week's gallery to receive a coupon for the Heritage Scrap store, and chat attendants also receive a freebie. The current Life Book Class will be wrapping up in a couple weeks, but Life Book III is set to begin in the Fall.

Check out Vicki's blog at http://victorianrosedesigns.blogspot.com/ for details of new products, challenges and freebies at Heritage Scrap!

BIG NEWS!

2010-04-05T07:29:00.000-07:00

I am so pleased and honored to announce that I have been named Designer of the Month at Heritage Scrap! What this means for you is that all of my products are 30% off for the whole month of April!

It also means lots of fun, freebies and challenges!

I have so much information to give you, so let me start with a Freebie!

Please go to Heritage Scrap and Pick up your FREE PAGE KIT - Spring Fresh! Click the preview to go download it now!

Special Thanks!

2010-03-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

I just HAD to share the portrait Linda made of my little Bella. It's AMAZING! Thanks again, Linda! (Linda is on our Creative Team at Heritage Scrap!)

New Facebook FREEBIE!

2010-03-23T08:37:00.000-07:00

Are you a fan yet? If you are, you can download a FREE Page Kit called Spring Fling. (If you aren't, click here to become a fan!) But wait! There's More! :) Use the kit to make a layout, post it in the Fan Pages Album or in Fan Photos, and win a FREE Spring word art set! So let's see, that's - a page kit and a word art set - all FREE, just because I love you! :D Can't wait to see what you come up with!

My Wild Irish Rose now in the store!

2010-03-23T08:16:00.001-07:00

And it's on sale! Save 17% for the month of March - grab it now for only $3.31!

And if you didn't make it to the Life Book Chat last week, you can now get the Timeline Element Set in the store. ALSO on Sale for only $1.87! (Click on previews to get them!)

This layout, done by Theresa Limestahl is exactly what I had in mind when I designed this set! Great job, Terri!

Sneak Peek!

2010-03-15T18:48:00.000-07:00

Pages made with my upcoming kit - My Wild Irish Rose. Keep watching for details!

New Facebook Fan Page - Get a FREEBIE!

2010-03-08T17:13:00.001-08:00

Join my new fan page at Facebook and get this Cobalt Blue Quick Page FREE!!

New Kits at Heritage Scrap!

2010-03-08T17:04:00.000-08:00

An elegant Cobalt Blue kit which looks great with those vintage photos or for your more modern ones. Available now at Heritage Scrap!
For the Bird Lovers! Check out my new Flights of Fancy Kit at Heritage Scrap!

A Valentine Freebie for you!

2010-02-11T10:23:00.000-08:00

Need some Vintage Valentines to print out and give to your loved ones? Here they are! And they are free - a gift from me to you! :) Click the image above to download the PDF. ENJOY!

The Age of Romance Collab - now in the store!

2010-02-11T10:17:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't need a little romance in their life? The designers at Heritage Scrap have designed the February Collab kits in the style we are so well known for - romantic and vintage.
Check out ALL OF THE COLLAB KITS in the Heritage Scrap store for only $2.50 each!

Click on my contribution above to go to the Heritage Scrap store...

Life Book Chat to resume Monday!

2009-12-30T11:02:00.001-08:00

Just a reminder that the Life Book Chat will resume Monday, January 4, 2010. Please join us at 9 pm ET in the Heritage Scrap Chat Room. We will be picking up our subject's life with Love and Marriage and all that comes with it. (Well, maybe not ALL... lol) Hope to see you there!

Happy New Year! Free Mini Kit!

2009-12-30T10:59:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year! I've made a little Mini Kit for you which you can grab for a limited time free by clicking on the preview. Enjoy and Have a blessed 2010!

Sample Arabella Layouts

2009-12-20T12:54:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd share some pages I made using the Free Arabella Joy Page Kit. You can still grab this kit at 4shared by clicking on the preview in the previous post...

Free Arabella Joy Page Kit to celebrate!

2009-12-19T10:11:00.001-08:00

Arabella Joy is one week old today! Here is a free page kit for you to celebrate! (Grab it now while you can - it will be available for a limited time only for free download before being offered for sale.) Click preview to download from 4shared! Enjoy! :)

Arabella Joy has arrived!

2009-12-13T13:24:00.001-08:00

The Facebook Album (which you can see even if you're not on FB): http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2041628&id=1533677448&l=6ba437c94a

And her web announcement...

http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a/arabellajoy/

I will be posting a free kit in her honor as soon as possible. Stay tuned! :)

Digital Scrapbook Day Sale!

2009-11-06T09:08:00.000-08:00

November Collab Released - Vintage Kitchen!

2009-11-03T08:26:00.000-08:00

Vintage Kitchen

Our November Designer Collab is centered on the warmth and comfort found in the traditions of family recipes & the vintage kitchens of childhood memories.

Each kit is specially priced for the month of November at $2.50 each

If you buy my collab Kit, you will also receive a printable sheet of canning jar labels, recipe cards, and gift tags on s separate 8 1/2" x 11" as well as .png files to use on your scrapbook pages! Here's mine...

New Products and Life Book Directions to go up on my blog!

2009-11-03T07:41:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in a couple weeks, but I wanted to share a couple new products I have in the store. I also decided to start posting my Life Book Directions each week on my blog for those of you who prefer to get the info this way.

We are starting Week 8 this week, but I will go back and load the first 8 weeks in order and put Tags to make them easier to find. :)

Here are some new products in the store...

For the Men and For the Ladies Quick Page Deluxe sets!

2009-10-15T09:28:00.000-07:00

Here is an interesting twist on the Quick Page. Deluxe Quick Pages include a .png file of the page with openings for your photos, and space for journaling, just like a Quick Page - but Deluxe QPs also include additional elements to personalize your page to fit your needs! All you have to do is layer your photos behind the .png, choose elements that come with the Quick Page Deluxe, or from another kit, and add your text! Voila! You're all finished, ready to print and place your layout in your Album!

These QPD's will work well with Weeks 4 and 5: Parents and Grandparents in the Life Book Series, or any layout about the men or ladies in your life and are available in both the 12x12 size and the 8x10 size. The "For the Men" QPD and "For the Ladies" QPD coordinate to make a two page spread-perfect for scrapping your favorite couple! Look for other Quick Pages in the Life Book Quick Page series by Victorian Rose Designs!

For the Men 12 x 12
For the Men 8 x 10
For the Ladies 12 x 12
For the Ladies 8 x 10

Chat Tonight! Here's the Freebie!

2009-10-12T13:35:00.001-07:00

Don't forget tonight's chat at Heritage Scrap - 9 pm ET in the Heritage Scrap Chat Room. This week we will be working on our subject's parents, so since I made a Mother Word Art Set last time around, I thought I would make the Father Word Art Set to go with it. You can get it free by simply attending the chat tonight. If you aren't able to make it, it is in the Heritage Scrap Store. Hope to see you there!

Life Book Quick Pages - School Days

2009-10-05T18:05:00.001-07:00

The School Days Life Book Quick Page is now in the Heritage Scrap store. This comes in both 12 x 12 and 8 x 10 size. Click on the size to get a closer look at them in the store. :)

October 5th Life Book Chat Freebie!

2009-10-05T15:30:00.001-07:00

This week in Life Book, we will be doing "School Days". To help you out with those pages, I have created this Element and Word Art Set. Chat Freebies will not be available in the Heritage Scrap Store, but I will have an announcement very soon about how you can get them. Stay Tuned!

Just had to show you the freebie for tonight's chat!

2009-09-28T14:27:00.001-07:00

This morning, I was in a panic, wondering what in the world to make for the Life Book Chat Freebie tonight. The creative muses must have been smiling on me today, because in between giving the kids their tests, I put together this 5 paper embellished paper pack for your Childhood themed pages. All five papers fall under the Childhood theme, so choose the one that best suits your needs for your Life Book. Come to the Life Book Chat tonight at 9 pm ET to get this free!

Childhood QPs and Blank Album QPs for Life Book!

2009-09-27T16:30:00.000-07:00

Good news! Two new Quick Pages (each in 2 sizes) are now in the Heritage Scrap Store.

The topic we are working on next week is "Childhood", so I made an old album ready for your pictures and journaling, complete with some fun elements, like a childhood tag, a string (always found in a boy's pocket!) and some marbles (in case you have lost yours, as I have! LOL!)

This QP, again, comes in both 12 x 12" and 8 x 10" sizes.

AND... since there were requests for the Life Book Cover QP to be done as a blank cover to be used for other albums, I went ahead and made this QP in a blank album to be used for any topic for your Life Book, or just for your layouts of any type. Feel free to add additional elements to go along with the theme of the page your are working on!

Click on each preview to see a larger image in the Heritage Scrap Store. And be thinking about what you will include on your "Childhood" Layout next week. See ya at the chat!

Birth Themed Quick Pages Available for Life Book

2009-09-23T12:04:00.000-07:00

This week I have two options for you. Some of you are doing a more elegant, Victorian style of Life Book and others are doing a more vintage looking book, so I have made two different styles of Quick Pages for those wanting a short cut for your Life Book.

First, I have "Victorian Baby", and this comes in both 8 x 10" and 12 x 12".

Secondly, I have "Tattered Baby", which also comes in both sizes.

Please click on the previews to take a closer look in the store at Heritage Scrap.

And be sure to join us on Monday Evenings at 9 pm ET for our Life Book Chat at Heritage Scrap.

Life Book Cover Quick Pages are now in the store!

2009-09-18T11:07:00.001-07:00

You can go to the previous post and click on the links to go to the Heritage Scrap Store.

I also wanted to let you in on a little secret I just figured out...

Assuming you are registered at Heritage Scrap and are following the Life Book Forum, go to the Life Book II Forum, scroll down to the peach/gold bar at the bottom and click on Subscribe Forum. This should notify you of any new posts in the Life Book II Forum by email. I thought I was subscribed, but I haven't been getting any notifications. Now I see why.

Thanks, and have a great day!

Life Book Quick Page - Sneak Peak!

2009-09-14T17:53:00.000-07:00

The first Quick Pages are done for this week and are in the Heritage Scrap store! I've done the same cover in both 8 X 10 and 12 X 12 sizes. Click on the previews to go to the store. :) If you don't have time to scrap or are just starting out in digi scrapping, here is an easy solution for you! Simply add photos and a name and your cover is finished.

Watch for more Quick Pages in this series!

Life Book II (finally!) starts tomorrow!

2009-09-13T13:37:00.000-07:00

Hello Life Bookers!

We had planned to begin Life Book II on August 31st, but due to the death of my brother in law on Aug. 28th, followed by my Dad having a serious stroke for which he was life flighted to Cleveland Clinic on Aug. 31st, we postponed the start. Last Monday was Labor Day, so now that Summer is "unofficially" over in the US, we are ready to settle into a Fall routine, and we hope you will make Life Book a part of your weekly routine!

So, let's get started...

The Life Book II schedule will be slightly altered this time around. I will be explaining this in more detail in the first chat on Monday, Sept. 14th at 9 pm EST. You can join the chat by going to http://www.heritagescrap.com/Lets_Chat/.

When the site opens, you will be asked to log in. Please use your Heritage Scrap Username. The chat room requires Java, so please make sure your computer is Java enabled and you have the latest version of Java on your system.

Once you are logged in, the chat box will open. Please click on the "Rooms" tab in the right column, and choose Weekly Life Book Challenge by double clicking it. Now, you will be ready to start chatting with the other "Life Bookers" who attend the chat. You can see a list of those in the chat room under the "Users" tab.

To chat with the other Life Bookers in the chat room, simply place your cursor in the bottom window and type what you want to say, then click on "Send". There are lots of fun sounds and smilies included in the chat room, as well as the ability to change the color of your text, etc. You might want to spend some time checking out all of the features the Chat Room has to offer!

WHAT'S NEW in LIFE BOOK II?

In this round, the format will be changed slightly. The new week will begin in the weekly chat on Monday Evenings. In that chat, we will discuss what the topic will be for the week, and some ideas for scrapping it. Immediately following the chat, I will post the topic information in the forum, and I will also include some sample layouts and kits that might fit well with the topic. (These are just suggestions, not requirements.)

You will have from Monday following the chat to Chat time the following Monday to get your layout finished and uploaded to the gallery. Just before the chat begins each week, I will choose a random winner of the new layouts in the gallery for the week. I will announce the winner at the beginning of the chat so we can all congratulate them!

As often as possible, I will try to have a Freebie for all of the chat attendants. As you can see, the chat is a big part of the Life Book Challenge. It's sort of like the weekly meetings at Weight Watchers - you could do it on your own, but it's so much easier hanging out with other people facing the same challenges each week!

The Chat Schedule will look something like this...

9:00 - 9:10 pm (EST): Meet and greet (welcome new members and chatting until everyone gets there)
9:10 pm: Weekly Winner Announcement!
9:10 - 9:30 pm: Discussion of weekly topic along with suggestions and ideas for layouts
9:30 pm: FREEBIE!!
9:30 - 10:00 pm: Random chatting about whatever...

REQUIREMENTS for the WEEKLY DRAWING

Each week a winner will be chosen randomly from the submissions in the weekly gallery. I use random.org to choose a number and I will count from the top down to that number to find the winner. The more layouts you submit each week, the greater your chances of winning.

To be eligible for the drawing, you must:
1) Not be a member of the Heritage Scrap Creative Team or Design Team; and
2) Use Heritage Scrap Products for at least 50% of your layout; and
3) Include which Heritage Scrap Products were used in your description on your layout.

We look forward to seeing you all there, and hope you will make Life Book part of your routine! Please tell other digiscrappers and/or genealogists about this challenge! It is a great way to get an album done for an ancestor or loved one in your life!!

Please check the Life Book II forum for details of "What is a Life Book?", and the "Life Book II Schedule" for more information!!

Life Book II to begin Sept. 14th

2009-09-07T08:57:00.000-07:00

You would not believe all the things that have happened since my last post rescheduling Life Book for today!

Just a brief rundown so you know my frame of mind:
Friday, Aug. 28th - my sister's husband died/trip to Mansfield to stay with her
Monday, Aug. 31st - while preparing to go to the funeral home for calling hours, my dad had a stroke and was life flighted to Cleveland Clinic
Monday, Aug. 31st - 3 miles from the exit for Cleveland Clinic on Rt. 90, my car broke down!
Monday - Thursday - stayed by my Dad's bedside in Intensive Care around the clock, taking turns with other family members, all while taking care of my Mom who is also in poor health
Friday, Sept. 4th - My Dad was transferred from Cleveland Clinic to a local Rehab hospital near his home (which is 2 hours from my home). While waiting to hear that he had arrived, my husband called to say that his aunt died.
Saturday, Sept. 5th - borrowed my Mom's car to drive home to avoid driving the car that broke down - my Mom's car broke down 1 hr. from home! DH came to pick me up. When I finally got home, my sister called to say they were taking my Dad back to emergency for something that suddenly came up. Thankfully, things checked out OK and they took him back to the rehab hospital.

So, today I'm resting, then Tuesday and Wednesday, we have calling hours and funeral for DH's Aunt. I'm so thankful for all of his support. He's been working full time (from home), taking care of 6 kids (I had our oldest DD with me), helping them with their school work and handling meals (thank God I had done my monthly cooking and had 30 meals in the freezer!)

Anyway, when I rescheduled Life Book, I wasn't thinking clearly enough to realize that today was Labor Day. I talked it over with Theresa, the CT Leader at Heritage Scrap, and we decided that since today is the unofficial "last day of Summer" here in the U.S. and many of us are enjoying the day off with family, we will once again postpone the start of Life Book II for NEXT Monday, Sept. 14th (barring any other crisis!)

I'm so sorry for all the confusion! I will post next Monday with all the details and the link for the Life Book Chat. Have a great day and enjoy!!

Life Book II - DELAYED - Please read!

2009-08-30T11:45:00.000-07:00

Due to a death in my immediate family, the Life Book Challenge that was to begin Monday, Aug. 31st will be delayed one week. We will now begin Life Book II on MONDAY, SEPT. 7th. The Chat will begin at 9 pm EST/6pm PT.

I considered asking someone else to cover the chat this week, but we will be changing some things this time around and I need to discuss those changes with you.

I'll be updating the forums later in the week to reflect this change in the schedule.

Thanks so much for understanding! See ya next week!

Coming Soon! Life Book Quick Pages!

2009-08-27T08:09:00.000-07:00

OK, so I've been talking to some of you about doing a Life Book with us in the next round (which starts Monday, by the way!!) I've heard some concerns from some ladies who are genealogists, first, or maybe have some paper scrapping experience, but are just getting started in digital scrapbooking. Also, some of you are busy and not sure you can handle doing a layout each week.

My good friend, Vicki, suggested that I make some Quick Pages for circumstances such as these.

What I will do is make a Quick Page (or two) for each of the topics we will be doing in Life Book. Each Quick Page will have openings for photos, so you can just layer your pictures behind it. They will also have areas for journaling, so you can just add your text in the appropriate place, and *voila* your page is done. This will be a quick and easy way to get a Life Book done without all the "scrapping" involved. It will already be done for you!

I'm working on the first one now, and will post the information as soon as it is available!!

Have fun, and I hope to see you Monday night at 9 pm (EST)/6 pm PT in the Heritage Scrap Chat Room!

Abigail Rose Page Kit now in the store!

2009-08-22T06:44:00.001-07:00

Click on the Preview to go to the Heritage Scrap Store for more information! :)

Life Book II to begin August 31st

2009-08-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

A "Life Book" is a scrapbook that tells the story of a person's life. Scrapping such a book may seem like a daunting task, but we have broken it down into small pieces to make it easily attainable!

Beginning August 31st, we will begin our second Life Book Series. We begin by choosing the subject we are going to scrap, and then interviewing them (if they are still alive) or family members to find the information needed for journaling. In week one, we will begin compiling our documents and information, and make a cover for our book.

We will do one layout a week for 26 weeks. By the end of March, you will have a completed book ready for printing. The book will include layouts about your subject's birth, childhood, parents, school days, siblings, young adulthood, marriage, children, homes, etc. Each week I will post detailed instructions to give you ideas about things you can include on your layout. I will also give you some sample layouts to look at and suggest some kits in the store that may go well with the topic.

As an added incentive, we will choose one random winner from the gallery each week to win a $5.00 gift certificate in the Heritage Scrap Store!

Please consider joining us, and pass the word to other digiscrapping friends or genealogists who may be interested in this challenge!

In the meantime, you can take a look at the forum threads from our previous Life Book Challenge, and check out the galleries for some inspiration!

We will kick off the 2nd Life Book Challenge on August 31st at 9 pm EST (6 pm PT) in the Heritage Scrap Chat Room. The directions for each week will be posted on Mondays just before the chat, and the winner from the previous week will be announced at the chat, as well.

I have posted the tentative schedule for Life Book II in the forum at Heritage Scrap. Feel free to take a look and plan to join us on August 31st!

Creative Team Call

2009-08-14T09:23:00.000-07:00

Heritage Builders - for your Family Tree!

2009-08-14T09:02:00.000-07:00

The August Collab kits are in the store at Heritage Scrap. This month, we've all done kits to help you make your family tree charts. Here is my contribution to the Collab.

I prefer to make my Heritage Scrapbooks in an 8 X 10 size to make them easier to share with family members and even to frame! It is also convenient to include in my research notebook in this size. While I normally design in a 12 X 12 size and then adapt them to fit my layouts, I have done this kit for you in an 8 X 10. If you are using them to make a 12 X 12 page, simply place them on a 12 X 12 background! All of the kits use the same color scheme, so they mix and match perfectly and they are all on sale for the month of August at $2.00 each!!

I have used kits that have the spaces for children already printed on them, and it seems I never have the right number of spaces and have to fudge with them to get them to work. In this kit, I have made the frames and info blocks separate so you can add as many as you need on the Family Chart. There is also a traditional Pedigree chart, A Family Register made from a vintage Victorian form, and a vintage Marriage License and Certificate. The crowning jewel in this kit is the Victorian Fan Chart. What a unique way to present your Pedigree! This file is a .png with an opening for a photo should you choose to include one.

This month we are celebrating the ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of Heritage Scrap and you will find sales of up to 50% off everything in the store thoughout the month! Check it out!!

Emily Grace Page Kit is now in the store!

2009-07-20T07:53:00.000-07:00

Please check the last blog post for links. I've updated it and included links to the kit and the freebie at the Heritage Scrap Store!

Have a great day!

Don't forget the Life Book Chat tonight! :D

A FREEBIE for you - Emily Grace!

2009-07-17T04:40:00.000-07:00

Good morning!

I promised you a freebie a couple days ago, SO... I've put together a FREE Quick Page with my new Emily Grace Page Kit.

Named after my third daughter, Emily, this kit is rich in her favorite colors of blues, golds and yellows. She LOVES kitties and you will find some pretty Victorian kitties in this kit! The yellow roses add to the femininity, but there are enough "not so feminine elements" to actually make a masculine layout with this kit as well.

AND here's a Preview of the Free Quick Page. Click on the Preview to download it! If you've never used a Quick Page, it's just what it says! Simply pull the one .png file into your software program (just as you see it here). Layer a couple of pictures behind the frame, Add some text to the tag and journaling mat, and that's it! You have a QUICK page, all ready to print for your album! :D

Hugs!

Vicki

Two New Products- and a Coupon!

2009-07-12T14:55:00.000-07:00

Hello!

I just wanted to pop in today and let you know about two new items I have in the Heritage Scrap Store.

If you have some old family pictures of the vintage cars your family owned, this Antique Car Kit is the kit for you. Featuring vintage cars from the 10s to the 40s, this kit includes the papers and elements you need to document those Family Cars, or Family Trips for future generations! To see some sample layouts done by Helene, one of our Creative Team Members, please take a look in my designer gallery!

Also, to coincide with the Faith Section of our Life Book Challenge, I made a Faith and Heritage Word Art Set. This set features several scripture verses that go so well with Heritage Scrapping!

You can find the Faith and Heritage Word Art Set in the Heritage Scrap Store.

To see some sample layouts done with this Word Art Set, take a look at the Life Book: Faith Gallery!

Would you like to get this Word Art Set for free? Well, now you can! For the whole month of July, when you buy any of my Page Kits (valued at $3.50 or more), get any of my Word Art Sets FREE!

Keep watching this space. I'll have a Freebie Quick Page for you as soon as it hits the Heritage Scrap Store, using my new kit, Emily Grace! :D

Happy 4th of July!!

2009-07-02T12:26:00.000-07:00

We at Heritage Scrap are all about the good old days. As we think about the 4th of July, we think of those Old Fashioned 4th of July Celebrations. You know the ones - the ones with parades and marching bands and decorated bicycles; kids carrying drums wearing sailor hats made of newspaper. We think of fireworks and sparklers and flags and buntings. Those are the "feel good" comfortable memories from our past.

This week in the Heritage Scrap Store, you will find the Fourth of July Designer Collab. kits for only $2.50 each. Here is my contribution to the Collab. I also have a Fourth of July Add on kit which will be in the store shortly.

Click on the previews to take a closer look in the store! May you and yours enjoy that warm fuzzy feeling that comes with celebrating an Old Fashioned Fourth of July!

Scrappers Resource

2009-06-24T08:19:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon a website I wanted to tell you all about as I was looking for vintage fishing equipment to use in my Gone Fishing kit. I know several of you are interested in other types of crafting and also have websites that you may need graphics for.

Scrappin Doodles offers creative clip art for all your computer crafting and website needs. All of their graphics can be used for personal and business use, please read their Conditions of Use for more information.

Graphics are created at 300dpi for the best quality. Graphics can be used for all types of craft projects and printables including labels, note pads, lamp shades, light switch covers, chocolate bar wrappers, scrapbooking, wood crafts, tiles, bookmarks, checkbook covers, paint cans, painting, stickers, cocoa packets, gift tags, glass blocks, to decorate your website and so much more, your imagination is the only limit.

All graphics, Printables & Websets are available for instant download as soon as your checkout is completed.

Click on the Scrappin Doodles graphic above to check it out!

Happy Crafting!

Designer Call at Heritage Scrap

2009-06-24T08:10:00.000-07:00

For more information, please click the ad above to go to the Designer Guidelines at Heritage Scrap.

I'm Back! New and Improved (Hopefully). :)

2009-06-22T10:54:00.000-07:00

First off, let me apologize for the sad, neglected state this blog has been in. At the end of February, we discovered (much to our surprise) that we were expecting #8. My joy was soon mingled with misery as I experienced the worst morning sickness I have ever known in my life! (And yes, I've done this many times before!) It wasn't until just recently, as I settled into my 2nd trimester, that I could get through the day without being "sick" or falling asleep wherever I happened to be at the time!

I am now 16 weeks along, our homeschool year has ended, and I am back from enjoying a most refreshing week on Prince Edward Island. Now that I am rejuvinated and feeling much better than I have in a long time, I can safely say... I am BACK!

My head is spinning with ideas, and I have begun work on a new series called "Favorite Pastimes". The first in this series has just been completed and is in the store at Heritage Scrap (Click on preview below to go to the store to see additional views). I also have some kits in mind inspired by my trip to the island, so watch for more details on those coming soon.

GONE FISHING

If you, or someone in your family enjoys fishing, or if you have any old photos of those who have gone before you holding up their prize catch, this kit is for you!
In tones of greens, blues and browns that evoke memories of that favorite fishing hole, this kit has vintage elements, cardboard frames, lures, silver charms and beautiful papers to help you scrap those "fish tales".

I have scrapped a page using this kit that documents the fishing history of my Dad and Uncle. We are fortunate to have a pond on our farm stocked with bass, and a couple years ago, my Dad and Uncle were here for Memorial Day and we all went to the pond to try our luck. It was so exciting for me to watch my kids getting pointers from the "old pros". I learned that day that it doesn't really matter if you catch a fish or not. It's more about the experience, and spending time with those you love.

ELIZABETH ANNE

Another new kit I have in the store is my Elizabeth Anne kit - named for my second daughter. As I designed the kit, I consulted her about what things she would like to see included. She suggested a rose wreath, pretty frames, flowers, and lots of ribbons and bows and lace. Oh, and of course, a butterfly! She had to have a fairy paper, and other "papers that look like wallpaper". The resulting kit was just what she wanted...
It is currently on sale in the Heritage Scrap Shop for just $2.99. Click on the kit preview to go to the store to see additional previews.

My other daughters are planning their kits, so stay tuned for Victoria, Emily Grace and Abigail Rose. ;)

As always, if you have any ideas for kits and/or word art that you would find useful on your pages, please let me know!

As You Wish...

2009-04-02T07:06:00.000-07:00

Click on the Faith Page Kit to buy it in the store. Click on the Companion Kit Preview to go to the forum to offer suggestions...

The Princess Bride is one of my favorite movies and one that I watch over and over. In the movie, every time Buttercup orders her "Farm Boy" to do something, he replies, "As you wish". As the movie progresses, that quote, "As you wish", reveals an exciting secret that changes Buttercup's life forever. I LOVE that! :)

So, now you all have the chance to order me around. Please come play along in my Designer Challenge. Take a look at my Faith Kit, and decide what papers and elements you would like to see in a Companion Kit. As suggestions are made, I make them and include them in the Companion Kit, and anyone who buys the Faith kit, makes a layout with it and posts it in my gallery at Heritage Scrap will get the new kit FREE!!

You'd like a paper with the Beatitudes? "As you wish." How about a heart shaped crocheted doily? "As you wish." How about a frame to match the cross necklace? "As you wish."

Come join us and play along.

Here is what we have so far. What else would you like to see in the kit? Just leave a comment on the preview in the gallery, or come to the Designer Challenge Forum and leave your suggestions in the Faith Companion Kit Challenge Thread.

NEW Products in the store!

2009-03-30T16:55:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share the three new kits in the Heritage Scrap Store this week (in addition to the Blue Willow Kit below). Click on the preview to go to the store for a better look. :) Happy Spring!!

April Collaborative Kit Release!

2009-03-27T20:47:00.000-07:00

Blue Willow! Just the words bring thoughts running through our minds, of blue and white china, lace and afternoon tea; English cottages and love stories. The designers at Heritage Scrap have each done a kit in this theme. And they are all on sale for only $2.50.

Do you know the legend of the Blue Willow Plate? Here's a little poem that tells the story...

My Willowware plate has a story,
Pictorial, painted in blue
From the land of tea and the tea plant
And the little brown man with a queue.

Whatever the food you serve, daughter
Romance enters into the feast,
If you only pay heed to the legend,
On the old china plate from the East.

Koong Shee was a mandarin’s daughter
And Chang was her lover, ah me,
For surely her father’s accountant
Might never wed pretty Koong Shee.

So Chang was expelled from the compound,
The lover’s alliance to break,
And pretty Koong Shee was imprisoned
In a little blue house by the lake.

The Doughty old mandarin reasoned
It was time that his daughter should wed,
And the groom of his choosing should banish,
That silly romance from her head.

In symbols the dress she should wear,
Her headband of scarlet lay waiting,
She should ride in a gold wedding chair.

He was busily plotting and planning,
When a message was brought him one day,
Young Chang had invaded the palace,
And taken his sweetheart away.

They were over the bridge when he saw them,
They were passing the big willow tree,
And a boat at the edge of the water,
Stood waiting for Chang and Koong Shee.

The furious mandarin followed,
The groom with revenge in his eyes,
But the little boat danced on the water
And traveled away with the prize.

But vengeance pursued to their shelter
And burned the pagoda, they say
From out of the flames rose the lovers
A pair of doves winging away.

They flew toward the western heaven
The pretty Koong Shee and her Chang
Or so says the famous old legend
From the land of the Yangtze Kiang.

I wouldn’t be one to deny it,
For the little blue dove and her mate
Forever are flying together
Across my Willow ware plate.

Here is my contribution to the Blue Willow Collaborative Kit...

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-16T21:07:00.000-07:00

For starters, let's get the good stuff out of the way. :) A FREEBIE!!!

If you are wearin' o' the green today, here's a cute little St. Patrick's Day card (print some out, sign them and pass them out like Valentines!), a bookmark with the Legend of the Shamrock, and a Celtic Cross element for your scrapbook pages for you to download free. Just click on the image to go to the download page.

I've been doing research on my Irish Heritage and was so psyched to be able to trace a direct line from myself to my ancestors several generations back who hailed from County Armagh, Ireland. County Armagh was the religious capital of Ireland and the very place St. Patrick chose to build his church. The Connelly brothers (who later changed the spelling to Conley) came to America and were instrumental in the settling of the colonies - particularly in South Carolina and specifically Charleston. This line has very interesting stories attached to it.
One of my ancestors served in Braddock's Army at Ft. Duquesne (and to think I worked in Pittsburgh for years and didn't know I had a personal connection!) His son was a Captain in the North Carolina Militia. He was married to Ann MACGREGOR, a member of the Clan MacGregor one of the oldest and most historic as well as the most persecuted of the Scottish Clans.
My great great great grandfather was a civilian who was killed by Rogue Confederates during the Civil War because they suspected he had Union ideals. His daughter married John C. Oney, who in my mind was a hero in the Civil War. I am currently working on an album documenting his service as part of the Civil War Challenge at Heritage Scrap (running through March 22nd). Their daughter was my great grandmother, my paternal grandmother's mother.

Here is the page I did that put all of this research together. It was for the Celtic Heritage Challenge at Heritage Scrap which closes at midnight tonight if you'd like to submit a layout! (Click on the image to go see it closer in the gallery.) There's also a Celtic Font challenge going on.

I love the challenges at Heritage Scrap, because they really do challenge me to dig deeper and discover a little more about my roots, and therefore, myself. And of course, there's also the opportunity to win prizes from the Heritage Scrap Shoppe, too! If you would like to know where you came from, or maybe you already do, but have all that research in a filing cabinet, come on over to Heritage Scrap and start putting it into layouts that you can put into the hands of your children and grandchildren. Heritage Albums are a Living Legacy that will become family heirlooms and passed down for generations! And that's no blarney! :)

Sale Time!

2009-03-16T19:32:00.000-07:00

My NEW kit and a FREEBIE!

2009-03-06T15:30:00.000-08:00

Happy Spring!! (It's almost here!) Even here in the Snow Belt, the thermometer hit 60 degrees, and that's the magic number where the kids are allowed to go outside without a coat, so everyone is happy. :)

To celebrate, I have my new and very Spring-y Forget me Not Page Kit in the store, along with a matching FREE alpha for you to download. Just click on the images to go to the store to get them, now. And keep your eyes open for a challenge to win a free page kit when you make a Forget Me Not Layout!

While you are at Heritage Scrap, browsing through the Gallery, please be sure to take a look at Theresa's very touching layout, Danny, that she did with the Forget Me Not kit, and leave her some love. Thanks for using my products!

FREEBIE ALERT!

2009-02-25T12:06:00.001-08:00

I have a freebie for you beautiful ladies! If you like my new kit, Mother's Photo Album, and want to try it out for free, come on over and pick up my free quick page at the Heritage Scrap Shop. For even more variety, join in on my Designer Challenge and win the Companion Kit free, as well. These kits come with several vintage frames that are all slightly lifted off the page to give your layouts a look of realism. People will be trying to pick up your photos! ;)

Thanks for using my products!

Come join my Challenge and WIN A FREE KIT!

2009-02-23T12:50:00.000-08:00

Here is the Mother's Photo Album Companion Kit that you can win free in my Mother's Photo Album Challenge! You will find all the details in the Designer's Challenge Forum at Heritage Scrap.

Simply buy my Mother's Photo Album Kit (see below) and make a layout with it. Upload it to my gallery and you will get this kit FREE!!

We have started the Life Book Challenge, but it's not to late to join in. You will find details of that challenge here.

Looking forward to seeing you around the Forums at Heritage Scrap! (And keep watching. I'll be putting up a Freebie soon!)

A "Real" Kit

2009-02-20T07:21:00.000-08:00

(Click image for a larger view)
Hi Lovely Ladies!

I had never made a whole kit before - just word art, alphas and elements. So I've been doing lots of tutorials and learning how to do neat things with my new software and I am the kind of person that has to just TRY something to prove to myself whether I can do it or not. So, as the Little Engine said, "I think I can. I think I can." :)

Here is the result of my first try. As soon as it hits the store, I'll come back here and post the link for you. Watch the Forum at Heritage Scrap because very soon, I'll be hosting my first designer challenge. Buy this kit from the store, use it to make a layout, post it in my gallery, and you will get the add on pack for free! Ooh, this is SO exciting!

Come see us on Facebook

2009-02-14T17:16:00.001-08:00

Heritage Scrap is proud to announce our new Facebook Group. If you're on Facebook, please come join us, write on our wall or join in a discussion. We'll keep you informed of challenges and sales and anything else you need to know about us through Facebook Messages. Can't wait to meet you face to face(book). ;)

Come be Challenged!

2009-02-14T11:06:00.000-08:00

We, at Heritage Scrap are beginning two new challenges today.

The first one, the Life Book Challenge, is my baby. ;) I am hosting a "scrap together" challenge for those of you who are interested in making a Life Book for someone in your life (or even yourself). It starts with the person's birth and goes chronologically through their life. This week we are gathering information and making the cover of our books. One person who uploads a layout to the gallery each week will be chosen to win a $5.00 gift certificate for the Shop, so why not come on over and join us? Life Books make great gifts for birthdays, Christmas, etc. Consider making one for a parent, grandparent, sibling or child!

The other challenge that's starting is the Family Recipe Layout Challenge - February 14th through 27th. This challenge is to highlight a favorite family recipe or food tradition in your family tree. Please scrap a single layout - can be a single or double page layout, with journaling. All entries will be put into a drawing for a store gift certificate.

Prize will be awarded on Sunday, February 28th and selected layout posted in our weekly newsletter.

It's SALE Time!

2009-02-12T18:05:00.000-08:00

Our Valentine Sale is going on this weekend at Heritage Scrap. All my sets are on sale at 30% off. I've just added three new items, so come on over and grab them for $1.58. You can get almost 3 sets for the price of a cuppa joe at that famous coffee place! ;) So give yourself a little love and buy yourself some word art! (Pick up that freebie while you are there!)

Check out our challenges, too. The Life Book Challenge is set to start this weekend! Check the forum for details. And HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

Come and Grab a Freebie!

2009-02-10T11:14:00.000-08:00

I have just finished a 12X12 word art overlay for all your layouts showing your everlasting love. Click right over to the store and pick it up for FREE!! Enjoy!

Welcome!

2009-02-09T15:29:00.001-08:00

Welcome to my new Victorian Rose Designs blog! Let me begin by telling you about how I came to be Victorian Rose Designs.

For many years, I was a graphic designer, working primarily for two major banks in Pittsburgh (along with several other smaller clients). Eventually, I traded my paper and ink in for thread and focused my attention on custom embroidery designs (dba Victorian Rose Embroidery). I finally put Victorian Rose to bed when we moved to our farm a few years ago and I put all my time and effort into remodeling our farmhouse (from retro 70s to Victorian cottage), and enjoying my family and our new farm.

Two years ago, my husband (and my computer geek ;) bought me Digital Scrapbook software for Christmas. As I got more and more into digi scrapping, I spent my evenings and free time preserving memories for our children. I am a very serious genealogist and have been blessed with many pictures of several branches and generations of my family. I joined my love for genealogy research with my love for digital scrapping and got to work on my Heritage Albums. For two years, I honed my skills at Digital Scrapbook Place and garnered some honors and recognition for my work.

Then, one day I was looking something up on the internet, and stumbled across a site called Heritage Scrap. As soon as I saw it, I knew I was home! Heritage Scrap combines the Victorian decor, the Heritage scrapbooking and the genealogy research that I enjoy, all in one place! The kits in the store were just gorgeous! I was SO in love! :)

I started posting in the forums and posted a link to my heritage album. There was an opening on the Creative Team, and based on the heritage album I had been building for two years at DSP, I was asked to come on board the team.

A few days later, I dusted off my old graphic designer hat and answered a design call, applying to be a designer at Heritage Scrap, doing primarily word art and text elements. Kate enthusiastically welcomed me aboard, and here I am. One thing that really caught my eye at Heritage Scrap was Kate's introduction in the store. In it, she says,

"The art of heritage scrapbooking is based in the warmth of traditions, the comfort of family and the desire to build a lasting and meaningful connection between our past and our futures. You are the storytellers - the keepers of the gate to your own family's rich and fascinating history, and a priceless legacy that is now yours to build upon and share with the generations to come."

I look forward to creating designs that will help others preserve those priceless heirlooms for future generations! The Victorian Rose is no longer dormant. May she bloom with vigor as we move forward!