I truly appreciate all of the wonderful comments and emails I got regarding my post on Friday. I am sorry that I didn't get to respond to all of them, but I read them, and was once again thankful that I have the little blog of mine. I love that I can share what is on my heart and mind and that others can find encouragement in it. There have been many times that I have been tempted to stop blogging (for various reasons) but then I have a day where I share my heart and others can find food for their own soul.
2 Corinthians 1:3,4 says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."
Back in college, when I was dealing some some serious issues from my past (and present) I clung to this verse...praying that God would take the bad in my life, walk me through it, and then allow me to use it to help others. He honored that prayer in so many ways...both then and ever since.
Some people are amazed that I open my life up on my blog. They think I am crazy for sharing with strangers the ins and outs of my day. I can see where they are coming from, but as I have tried to explain, I want to be an encouragement. I want others to see the good days AND the bad. Somehow, when we see that others are experiencing what we are experiencing, it gives us comfort knowing that we are not alone.
I hope to share more here. Lately I have done a lot more of the "what we did today" type posts. And while I enjoy that (because I have a written record of my life with little ones), I also want to share more of the internal stuff. There is a lot I don't share (this is the world wide web and virtually anyone has access!) but I want to be honest in my triumphs and my struggles.
So thank you. Thank you for reading. Thank you for supporting me. Thank you for encouraging me with stories of your own walks. Let's encourage one another.
*********************
Okay... now that that is done, on to scrappy stuff. The pregnancy hormones are slowing down and I feel like my creativity is slowing creeping back into my life. I am creating more, enjoying it more, and desiring it more.
I am especially LOVING making templates right now. Every now and then I get a renewed excitement for what I do. I LOVE the fact that others are getting more pages scrapped, more stories told, more memories cemented because of what I do. Not everyone wants to start every page they make from scratch. Some people want to focus more on the story than the creative process of designing a page. And that's okay. I love that others can take a template I made, put in their photos and their stories, and then have a precious memory for their family. When people write me and thank me for making templates because their family has many album pages because of it, I literally get giddy. I have always been about preserving memories. I love to hear stories of when I was little. I love biographies. I love hearing about the past of specific people in specific places. And now I get to be a part of more of those stories being preserved. And THAT is exciting.
So, I've been creating. Over the past few weeks I would do a little here, a little there. And this weekend I looked at what I had and realized that I had quite the stock pile. So, in the next few days, you'll see new things in my shop!
PLUS...I have two more CD album template sets coming! They are all done...just waiting to finish up my example albums (note to self: pick up prints today!). I have really loved seeing the CD albums people have made with my first template set and then also the set that Shabby Princess and I made using her CuddleBug kit. They make such FUN gifts and keepsakes. I love walking through my living room and seeing my little Levi CD album sitting in my mini-album basket. Can't wait to do these other two today!
Okay...so, you want the FAT PACK 3?
If you do...I have a little project/contest for you. I want a really good description/explanation of the benefit of templates. Tell me why you love them, why others should give them a try, why they make scrapping easier/faster/more enjoyable...whatever. Basically, just tell me why you love them and others should too! Feel free to be as creative as you want!
I will pick my favorite and that person will get the whole FAT PACK 3 for free -- a $45 value!
Just leave a comment on THIS post and I will pick a winner by Thursday. Good luck!
And here are a couple of LO's I did with some of the new templates...
Have a great Monday!
Oh me ... OH MY!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE the new Fat Pack!!! I ***NEED*** IT, LOL!!!
Your new pages are wonderful (as always).
Can't wait till you announce your new CT!
Happy Monday! :)
Posted by: sarah vrolyk | January 15, 2008 at 03:41 AM
First of all I have to say that I LOVE hearing that you are going to make more cd albums, they are my favorite! About the templates: I love that I can make a gift for someone so easy and quick without spending hours and days looking at a blank paper in Photoshop. With templates I can easily make and SHARE my layouts with my family and friends. Or if I am going to a dinnerparty I often use templates to make a minialbum 4-5 pages with photos of the family: tadaa I made an unique memory for the host, something she can keep and treasure instead of a flower that lasts for a couple of days. This is why I love templates - they make it easy for me to make friends and family happy :)
Posted by: Karen | January 15, 2008 at 03:45 AM
wow - you've been busy - another awesome fat pack!
For me - templates take the intimidation and uneasiness out of scrapping...like a head start with the vision that my pages will be great once I've added the essentials - the photos, the stories, and the extras that make the layouts mine. The creative process is still very much there, just given a little jump start so you can focus on the important stuff...using them as is or as a springboard to go crazy, flipping, moving, and adding to them.
Your templates, especially, are so well thought out (where the title would go, journaling, photos) and balanced that a terrific finished page is inevitable.
So there you have it...good luck choosing a winner:) Have a great day!
LESLIE
Posted by: Leslie (lhaslem) | January 15, 2008 at 03:49 AM
Fun new stuff, Janet! I love it when you're creative! That last LO with Levi highlighted is super cute!
Posted by: joelsgirl_Kellie | January 15, 2008 at 04:30 AM
I love working with templates because they allow me to scrap more efficiently. At first, I was resistant to the thought of using something someone else sketched out for me. But really, I find them to be more liberating than hindering. I find that because I have a sketch in front of me, I can be more creative in the choices of papers and embellishments I use. I can create things I never would have thought of on my own. And I LOVE that. Plus, the templates are just so darn convenient. They help speed up the process tremendously. I first fell in love with using them before I upgraded the RAM on my computer, and having a template predesigned really made scrapping a lot faster. Since then, I've both upgraded my RAM and purchased a new computer, so processing time isn't an issue anymore.... but I haven't abandoned using templates. I love them more than ever. They really make my scrapping fast and convenient. For me, I'm all about instant gratification when I create. The templates allow me to do that, and still inspire my creativity, too! Thanks for putting out a great product!
Posted by: denise | January 15, 2008 at 04:53 AM
What do I love about templates? Everything, I guess... I love that they allow you to start doing something and at the same time they give you enough freedom to drift away from your original ideia and end up with something totally different. The main idea is that they allow you to overcome that initial "blank page" fear...
Posted by: Paula | January 15, 2008 at 05:29 AM
Yay!!! A new Fat Pack and new CD albums!!! Is it Christmas again already?!? :)
Obviously I love your templates. Sometimes I really want to create, or have pictures that I really need to scrap while the memory of the event is still fresh. But, too often it seems, my creativity seems stuck. It's so helpful to look through my stash of your templates, pick out the perfect one and get everything started.
I also love the versatility of templates. I can either stick to exactly what you have created, not embellishing much at all. Or I can rotate or flip it, move items here or there, embellish to my heart's content. Either of these ways of using the templates will give me a gorgeous page, guaranteed.
I gave my husband's Nanny, now well into her 70s, a CD album (your template) for her last birthday. She just cried and said it was the best gift she had gotten. That was one of the best gifts to me, knowing that I had given her something so meaningful.
So, in a nutshell, thanks for all your hard work! I can't wait to see the new stuff up close! :)
Posted by: Kresta | January 15, 2008 at 05:37 AM
Oh my heavens! Look at all those templates! That is truly amazing. Can I just tell you I'm still kicking myself for forgetting to use the fat pack coupon you had in your grab bag a few (several??) months back!
I love scrapping with templates. Especially yours! It makes putting together a layout so much easier, faster and fun! I often move things around a bit, add another photo, or something like that, but I rarely do a page without a template. It's so nice to use it as a springboard!
Thank you for taking the time to create so many beautiful templates. I love them! Oh, about the best template winner in Digital Scrapbooking Magazine--I was on the phone with my sister and she was telling me about the article (my magazine hadn't come yet) and I said "It has to be Janet Phillips, hands down!" So glad they agreed! :-)
Posted by: Sue | January 15, 2008 at 05:58 AM
Oh yay more CD albums - can't wait to see them! And oh my gosh the new fat pack looks awesome - love the template you used on the Tired Boy layout!
I used your (and SP's) Cuddlebug CD album to make my brother Justin's Christmas gift & he loved it! It was of my nephew's 3rd birthday party this summer, he lives with his Mom in another town and my brother only gets to see him every few weeks. I love making him little albums he can look at when he's missing Tanner, and he can remember the fun times we have when he is here to visit!
Posted by: Shawna Taylor | January 15, 2008 at 06:02 AM
I too loved your Friday post. It was one of those "I can't keep this to myself" posts, I copied it with a link to your blog and sent it out to some friends. Thanks for sharing that visual of our attitudes and life, AND that even Christians get a little sludge in their bucket sometimes!
I mostly just read and don't comment, but who wouldn't love to have some cool templates? They take the guesswork out of how to size your picture, the paper, the journal block, but still give you enough freedom to get creative with it if you want to (turn it over, angle it, add embellishments, etc.) Thanks for making me comment!
Posted by: Amanda | January 15, 2008 at 06:04 AM
Well, you know I love your templates, LOL!
Here is a page I created that expresses it all:
http://www.digishoptalk.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=243593&nocache=1
Can't wait till you pick the winner!!! :)
Posted by: sarah vrolyk | January 15, 2008 at 06:25 AM
You do make wonderful templates Janet. I wondered what kit you used for layout titled 'boy'. They are all so cute! Good work!
Posted by: Heather | January 15, 2008 at 06:47 AM
I am a lurker here and have been for a while now. I started getting your Grab bags back in the summer and I can't stop getting them. I love templates. They really are so versitile. I really have a hard time getting pages started so that everything flows correctly on the page. So, templates are so great because they give me that ceative boost that I need to get my juices flowing. As soon as I get the creativity flowing it always so much easier to add all the embellishments and things to make it mine so much easier. I Love Templates.
This past Thanksgiving I got a friend of mine started on Digi scrapping and when she saw the black and gray things that I was pointing her to she wasn't so sure about them, but one thing that she bought included a template and I showed her how to use them and she fell in love too.
I don't know why anyone would not love templates. It truly is how I get things scrapped.
Thanks for creating such user friendly things and sharing your inspiration on this blog.
Anna M.
Posted by: Anna M. | January 15, 2008 at 07:08 AM
Of course I too have to comment on how much I LOVE your templates. When I first started digital scrapbooking I started with templates. They were a great way to learn my photoshop program without taking too much time! Now I have grown to love your templates the best b/c you make them so real looking. Often when I use a template of yours I get comments about how this looks paper scrapped. Your design on your templates is just always perfect. Being a busy mom also I just love that I can sit down pick out a template based on what/how many pictures I am using and I can just get right to work - and I can still be creative in the papers and elements I choose. My main objective in scrapbooking is to actually print out my LO's and get them in books. Templates help me do this! Being the youngest of 5 kids I don't even have pictuers of myself let alone books! I pray that I can continue to scrapbook so that my kids - each of them - not just the first few - get books of their childhood. I have forgotten so much of mine b/c I don't even have photos to remind me. :( I adore what you do and I KNOW that you do it with all your heart and you do it for us - the scrappers! THANK YOU!
And thanks for being an encouragement spiritually! I LOVE the verse you gave - that is a good "praying scripture" verse - I think I might try it!
Posted by: MandaKay | January 15, 2008 at 07:30 AM
What can I say about templates that hasn't already been said...
Need to create a few layouts but you're short on time? Templates.
Need to break out of a scrapping rut? Templates.
Can't quite figure out how to get more than 3 photos on a page? Templates - at least certain ones.
New to scrapping and just haven't quite figured it all out yet? Templates.
Posted by: Lynn | January 15, 2008 at 08:19 AM
The new Fat Pack is gorgeous girl! Love your example pages and can't wait to see the albums too especially since I just rolled my way back in to hybrid stuff, woot!! I for one am THRILLED that you didn't stop blogging those times that you thought about it because I've become quite attached to your lil bloggie here :)
I'm going to leave the template contest up for someone else. I do just LOVE templates and I use them ALL the time but my heart is telling me there's someone here who needs these more than me and I will eventually end up buying them I'm sure, LOL!! ((HUGS))
Posted by: Andrea C. | January 15, 2008 at 08:27 AM
LOVE the new pack! I can't wait to add it to the other Fat Packs in my collections!!
Templates are my favorite tool in my digi-chest! Just as the diving board alone does not make the perfect dive; and the camera alone can't take the perfect picture - templates are a stepping stone to creating a work of art for myself and my family to treasure for years to come! As a working mom of 3, I have a limited number of hours to scrap - yet SO many memories that I want to record. Without templates to jumpstart me, I'd be spending my time searching galleries and magazines for inspiration instead of scrapping!
Posted by: Lucrecia | January 15, 2008 at 08:45 AM
I love love love your templates! Yippee for more! OK, here is my list, on two pictures on Flickr.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2409/2193329866_c5b7952893_b.jpg
and
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2288/2192543115_02f8e2aa38_b.jpg
Posted by: Heather | January 15, 2008 at 08:59 AM
I'm so happy to see another huge pack of templates from you!
For me, using templates doesn't mean that I don't want to be creative or I don't want to focus more on the story than the design.
I know for a lot of people templates help get pages done quick or help when they'll low on inspiration. For me though, the pages take just as long when using a template as when starting from scratch (if not longer!).
For me, picking out the perfect template is just like picking out the pictures, papers, and elements for the page. :)
Sandy
Posted by: Sandy | January 15, 2008 at 09:28 AM
Digital Scrapbooking is a wonderful hobby that I absolutely love. There are so many creative people out there making stunning art that is truly inspirational. I also think there are others out there, like myself, who lack that level of artistic vision (my brain is just not that creatively wired) or feel overwhelmed staring at a blank page -- but yet have a great desire to create and preserve their memories this way. Templates are a great aid for me because they provide me with a starting point and a framework for my layouts. They give me a creative boost and make me feel more confident in my scrapping. And I love that they offer flexibility too, so I can use them straight-up, as is, if I'm in a hurry, or I can experiment and alter them in any way that I want to. Using templates has helped me to break through some of my creative barriers and to just have more fun scrapping and enjoying the process. I think templates are great tools for anyone to have in their scrapping stash -- from those needing a creative boost, like myself, to those who simply need a quick way to get some pages done.
Posted by: Cheryl | January 15, 2008 at 09:29 AM
How do I love Janet’s templates? Let me count the ways!
(1) Timesavers
As a busy mom (and really, what mom isn’t busy), they are a true lifesaver. In some ways, without them, I wouldn’t get much, if any, scrapping done at all . . . and all those memories would be lost, or at the very least, not enjoyed and appreciated the way they should be.
(2) Versatility
a. They’re versatile! Add, delete, rotate . . . a myriad of looks can be achieved with any one template.
1) Use them “as is” to create a quick and easy layout that comes together in a snap
2) Alter them to put your own spin on things (add, delete, rotate)
3) Use them as a springboard to get your creative juices flowing, and end up with a final result that may not resemble the original template design at all
b. Scrap anything! I’ve used Janet’s templates to scrap photos from my childhood, my husband’s childhood, as well as those of my own children.
(3) Variety
There’s a template that’s sure to fit any occasion or need. From “One Photo Wonders” to “Lots of Photos,” one-pagers to two-pagers, holiday-themed to year-round, “Clean & Simple” to “Perfectly Imperfect,” there’s something for everyone!
In short, I love Janet’s templates. They allow me to complete scrapbook layouts that I otherwise wouldn’t complete . . . and I get to have a finished product that I can be proud of!
Posted by: Sarah | January 15, 2008 at 09:38 AM
Why do I love templates?
I guess one of the main reasons I love to use templates is that I am not a very visual person. Just ask my DH. While some women love to shop for furniture and choose paint colors, etc, I can find it very intimidating. I just don’t always “see” it. Sure I scrapped before I ever owned a template but now that I have a collection (including Fat Packs 1 and 2 ;-), browsing them has become part of the creative process. After I choose a group of photos, I might have some idea of how I want to lay out the page; which photos should be large vs. small or if I want to group any together. Then I browse through my templates and see if there is one that can bring my layout to life. When I first started using templates, I was primarily an 8.5 by 11 scrapper while most templates were square. Not as big a problem as you might think. Layered templates can easily be modified if needed. The project I’m currently working on is my first “square” album but I still find myself making alterations or combining two templates together into a 2 page spread. I love that they are so flexible. I know there are skeptics out there that shy away from templates because they feel they are cheating or that the end product is less theirs. I find that far from the truth. By the time you put you spin on it by tweaking the template, adding your photos, papers, and elements it really is yours. And like all digital supplies templates can be used over and over again so they are a great value and I must say they are also addicting! Can’t wait to add the next Fat Pack to my collection one way or another!
Thanks!
Barb
Posted by: Barb | January 15, 2008 at 11:34 AM
You know when you start to learn something new you have all that anxiety about "getting good at it"? Now top that anxiety off with even more anxiety when you take a look around the web at various digital blogs as see the tremendous talent out there.....and oh such talent to behold. For a beginner it can be so daunting and really take your confidence away just trying to keep up. Ok now my anxiety is really off the charts!! This is where your lovely templates enter the picture. They are designed so well, that even a novice can use them to create works of art..........ahhhhhhhhhhhh yes, that means me. So I don't exactly know my way around CS3, or so I am not a total digital visionary, or maybe I don't even really have any "designess" in me, heck with your little masterpieces I can at least begin my digital journey. There is nothing like a completed digital page that tells the perfect story about that oh so perfect event. Because you are so "intune" to family, friends and all those things that really count, is why I feel your templates are a blessing from above. I can attempt a digital page, feel much less of the designing anxiety mentioned above and more of the honest to goodness satisfaction that every scrapbooker strives for deep inside. For this I am forever thankful! Even if I look at your completed pages and scraplift from there, I feel a sense of accomplishment and happiness. So I didn't design it from start to finish, it is nonetheless finished and can be a lasting and loving memory for generations to come. You, your family, your stories (both good and bad), and your constant godly spirit keep me coming back. Yeah you....and yeah me!!!
Posted by: Luann McElduff | January 15, 2008 at 05:29 PM
I could sit here and struggle to write something totally eloquent and amazingly inspiring, but I'll leave that to you. :) Templates, plain and simple, help me get it done. Over the last six months the majority of my layouts have been using your templates. I have gotten over being "up" with the industry. I have gotten over doing what everyone else does. My focus is capturing moments and memories for my girls. Nothing else matters. In 20 years the girls are not going to wonder why I "put a flower there." They are going to look at the photo, read the journaling, and remember what life was like when they were young. They are going to share the story with their children. Templates allow me to focus on what I truly want to focus on, while at the same time creating a very eye-pleasing layout that satisfies my creative desires. So thanks for helping me out! You can see many of your templates at work on my blog photo album: http://haleywillard.typepad.com/photos/scrapbook_pages/index.html
Hugs!!
Haley
Posted by: HaleyW | January 15, 2008 at 05:34 PM
My goodness, I just found your blog about 15 minutes ago and WOW! you are a breath of fresh air, Janet! No wonder Jen Caputo loves you :) I can easily see how I'll be visiting here more often, thank you very much :D Your photographs are lovely, your templates are fantastic, but it's your spirit I find absolutely delightful! Oh, yes, I'm a new convert to templates myself. When I haven't got hours or days to fret over my own design, using a template gets it DONE, and done WELL. No hassle, just a different kind of creativity - and something 'different' is always a joy :) I'm glad I found you!
Posted by: denali | January 15, 2008 at 06:50 PM