Maybe you have a stash of scraps leftover from all your Valentine-card making.  Maybe your stash of supplies is an overflowing mess. Or maybe you just need some inspiration. Whatever the case, Ask the Masters: Making the Most of Your Scrapbook Supplies is a great resource overflowing with ideas for using your old supplies and tools in fresh, unique ways.

Get inspired by innovative uses for brads, eyelets, patterned papers, charms, ribbons, cardstock scraps, cutting templates, and much, much more. Check out ’07 Memory Makers Master Brooke Bartimioli's interesting take on using cursive letters:



Trust me, the Masters’ ideas and the step-by-step techniques will reinvigorate your papercrafting and inspire you to dig deep into your supply stash.

The Memory Makers Masters are always full of great ideas, and the class of 2008 is no exception. Check out their blog for some great project ideas like using heritage photos, making a mini book from tags, creating a glittery mini album, and lots of layouts. And visit to the forum to talk about using patterned paper and sifting through your stash.

Today is one of my favorite days of the year: Valentine’s Day. Because I love all things pink, red and all-around girly, this holiday always fulfills my lingering craving to purchase all the pretty eye-candy I see in the scrapbook aisles of my craft store (and, yes, I confess I love real Valentine’s Day candy, too!).

This year I decided to craft some greeting card sentiments to send to friends and loved ones. My style usually leans on the simple side, but I wanted to step outside my comfort zone and include some fun embellishments. Of course, embellishments are available in every size, color and theme imaginable so I went looking for a little dose of inspiration.

As luck would have it, I stumbled upon the perfect resource: Creating Cards with Scrapbook Embellishments by MaryJo McGraw. On one of the opening pages, she features a gorgeous Valentine’s Day card accented with hearts and buttons. I went with the button idea and included a small cluster of pink buttons on the lower right of my card. A waterfall of paper hearts flows down the front, and a simple rub-on sums up my sentiment.

I encourage you to check out this little gem of a book next time you’d like some fun ideas for creating cards and using embellishments in fresh ways. MaryJo features 26 cards, plus 42 variations, using a collection of trinkets and treasures such as bottle caps, metal tags, dried botanicals and more. She shows you just how easy it is to create one-of-a-kind cards using a few basic tools, some fabulous paper and, of course, embellishments! Click here to find more information about the book.

And go to our project gallery to upload your own Valentine’s Day cards or layouts. We’d love to see your unique creations.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Amy