Echo Park Paper

Summer Photography with Design Team Expert Nancy Damiano

Please welcome Design Team Expert Nancy Damiano this morning as she shares her tips and tricks for capturing summer photos. Use her ideas as a jumping off point to record your own summer memories!

5 Tips for Summer Photos

It seems that I take twice as many photos during the summer than during all of the other seasons combined. The extra hours of daylight, family vacations, trips to the beach and lazy days by the pool mean lots of picture taking opportunities. While I am definitely more of a mom with a camera than a pro (I shoot almost exclusively in automatic), I get some of my best shots during the summer using these tips.

1. Wait for the golden hour (the hour just after sunrise or just before sunset), when sunlight is soft and diffused.

2. Avoid the harsh light at midday. Forgo the portraits and take some detailed shots like this one. It shows both the age (love the swim diaper peeking through) and the relationship of these two (always together!).

3. Take your camera everywhere. Be ready to get that spontaneous shot that captures a person in their element. And remember to bend down to eye level with where the "action" is happening.

4. Jump in! Invest in a digital water camera for shots like this. I've taken great underwater portraits with it too. I use a Canon Powershot D10 and I can't say enough good things about it.

5. Remember to get close up and surround those faces with a background of water.

And most importantly, don’t forget to capture the story!

Can you think of other photographs you might take this summer? How about a BBQ with your family, a picnic in the park, catching bugs, gardening, going on a walk, flying kites, playing on the swings. There are just so many fun activities do during the summer. Make a list to help you stay on task and capture as much of those fun summer memories as possible.

Wonderful Wednesday: Two "Note to Self" Digital Kits for 50% Today ONLY!

I am a list maker. I keep a notebook in my purse, by my bedside, and even next to my computer. And one of my "to do" items today is to download the two amazing "Note to Self" digital collections on sale today. Both of these kits are discounted by 50% for today's "Wonderful Wednesday" sale, which is an amazing savings. That's exciting news and definitely "list" worthy.

The first kit, "Note to Self Paper Pack #1" kit includes 14 retro styled patterned papers. These colors remind me of the 70's, which their warm color palette and on-trend styling:

The "Note to Self Element Pack #1" kit contains 59 of the coolest elements and images. From tabs, to checklists, to viewfinders you name, this kit has it! You're sure to love all the elements made to match the beautiful papers in this collection.

Looking for additional Echo Park digital products? Be sure to visit the Echo Park Paper Digital store HERE for additional "Note to Self" collection kits, as well as, the additional digital kits we offer through Jessica Sprague.

Hybrid "Hello, Summer" Mini Album with Design Team Expert Lowri McNabb

Please welcome Design Team Lowri McNabb to the blog today as she shares her expertise on combining digital and hybrid products to create one beautiful mini album. She has lots of cool tips and tricks for making this album so be sure to read through all of her instructions!

Hi Everyone! Lowri here to share a “hybrid” mini-album I created using both the paper and digital "Hello, Summer" Collection.

To create the album pages I used a metal die to cut a “sandwich” of thin cards (I used cereal boxes), double-sided adhesive paper, and patterned paper. Simply use the double-sided adhesive to attach the paper to the card and run through your manual cutting machine. If you do not have a machine, just use the same method to cut rectangles with your paper trimmer.

Continue reading for more instructions on how to create Lowri's darling album!

Echo Park Paper "Hello, Summer" Blog Hop Winners!

Thank you for joining us for our Blog Hop last Monday. We hope you enjoyed all the amazing projects. Please check back with each blog to find the winner announcements. We selected one winner from our blog comments, and the winner is . . .

Please contact me at [email protected] with the subject line "Echo Park Paper Blog Hop WINNER!" Please include your contact information, as well as, the collection kit that you would like to receive. Please select a collection kit that is currently shipping. Watch for our next blog hop in June!

Plans for the Weekend Warrior

Are you a weekend warrior? Typically that means you're the type of person who takes on a bunch of yard and housework projects over the weekend. For us crafters, it refers to someone who embraces their crafting genius and spends the working making projects. If you're one of those types, then we have some fun things to help spur on your creativity!

Echo Park Paper offers FREE idea books and downloadable PDFs that highlight many of our products. We thought we'd share a few with you.

If you're looking for a big book of ideas that include tips, tricks, and even instructions, then be sure to check out our FREE "Create & Celebrate" 25 page spring idea book. The photos are beautiful and the instructions helpful. This will certainly help you finish up some projects this weekend:

If you're looking for additional project instructions, then be sure to check out all of our FREE project downloads HERE. Here are a few projects we think you might enjoy creating!

You can find each of these projects' instructions, as well as, many others in the "Inspiration" section of our website.

And finally, if you're looking for fun die cut shapes to add to your Echo Park Paper projects, then you definitely want to check out the Silhouette store as we add new shapes every week. This week we've uploaded new "Sweet Day" shapes including this very darling balloon shape. Be sure to check out all the EP Die Cut shapes now available!





We hope you enjoy your creative weekend with some of these fun items from Echo Park!

Color Challenge with Design Team Expert Nancy Damiano

Join Design Team Expert Nancy Damiano today as she shares a fun color combination challenge with you. Try your hand at mixing these colors by using Echo Park Paper collections that use these colors. Look at the "b" side of each paper for a subtler color and pattern.

I love bright, bold color schemes and especially so in my scrapbook pages. I've been holding onto these photos of my son's first Mickey ears for some time now. I wanted to make a page with a nice bright color scheme and a touch of whimsy. The "Hello, Summer" collection was my answer!

Although "Hello, Summer" includes a pretty big palette of colors, I concentrated on a color scheme of aqua, yellow and red. I simply pulled out the patterns, stickers and elements in these colors to keep the page uniform. I love these the way these three colors instantly add fun splashes of color to a layout.

I used the Silhouette to cut a series of circles for the background of the page and also to make these cute accordian flowers. I customized them by adding a Mickey punch shape and some words while still keeping it monochromatic.

This page has so much going on: lots of small photos and embellishment;, but by keeping the color palette to almost exclusively aqua, yellow, and red, it maintains a uniform look. The only exception is the flag sticker which draws the eye across the page. Other than that, I've kept to the color scheme.

The next time you are searching for a fun way to show off your bold photos, try a little aqua, yellow, red. It works!

Don't you love the way Nancy approached this color challenge by looking for elements from the collection kit that matched her scheme? This is a great way to use a collection kit! Did you accept her challenge? We'd love to see it! Simply upload your project to our Facebook page to share it with the rest of our fans.

Introducing Three NEW Collections for June!

There's already been a lot of buzz about the three new collections we'll be releasing and shipping in early June. If you haven't already had the opportunity to see these new lines, then I'm so honored to be the first one to share them with you!

The "So Happy Together" collection is a beautiful collection with lots of happy and bright colors. The icons and images in this collection are geared towards home and home town so you'll have lots of great ways to document your favorite memories. Here is the collection kit cover:

And here is the "6X6 Paper Pad:

And here is one of my favorite papers from this collection:

You can find the entire collection HERE on our website!

Want to see some more? Then keep reading!

Wonderful Wednesday: Birthday Girl & Birthday Boy for 50% Off Today ONLY!

They say it's your birthday, well it's my birthday too! Ok, not exactly; but I definitely want to celebrate the fact that two of our Mini Theme digital collections are on sale today. Although they're designed to be used for birthday celebrations, you could easily use them for any holiday, special event, or celebration in which you wish to give a gift. Both of these amazing kits are 50% today ONLY, which is a great savings! Now that is something to celebrate!

The "Birthday Boy" digital collection kit includes a bright and happy collection of five patterned papers and 55 birthday elements:

While the "Birthday Girl" digital collection kit includes five patterned papers and 55 birthday elements in a softer, more feminine color palette (although it will work well with any kind of celebration as well):

If you'd like to cash in on the savings, be sure to download both kits before midnight EDT tonight! Looking for some additional Echo Park Paper digital kits? Be sure to check out our digital store HERE where you'll find many of our traditional collections, as well as, some collections you might not have spotted before. Also watch for two new kits on sale next Wednesday in our next "Wonderful Wednesday" sale!

Layout Sketch with Design Team Expert Kandis Smith

Join Design Team Expert Kandis Smith today as she uses the following sketch to create a layout. Print out the sketch to create your own or "Pin" it to your favorite "Pinterest" board for inspiration to use later!Sketches are such a great way to get started on a page. A lot of the time I have pictures that are waiting to be scrapped. I'm sure you do too! It makes things go faster if you grab a sketch and a collection kit and get to work. I created this entire page with one collection: "Hello Summer." It was quick and simple when I had my sketch in front of me. I hope you get a chance to use this sketch and create your own layout such as the one I created here:
Supply List:
* "Hello, Summer" Chipboard Accents
* "Hello, Summer" Collection Kit
* Other: button, jute

Did you use this sketch for inspiration? Be sure to show us what you've made! Simply upload your completed project to your favorite online gallery and then share a link here in the comments section OR upload your project to our Facebook page to instantly share it with our 24,000 fans.

"Hello, Summer" Design Team Blog Hop

Welcome to the Echo Park Paper Design Team Blog Hop! Today the Echo Park Paper Design Team is showcasing projects from the "Hello, Summer" collection. Be sure to follow the blog hop list below as you hop from one blog to the next. Return to the Echo Park Paper blog at any time for the next blogger on the list in case you get lost or confused!

Giveaway:

ONE winner will be selected from each blog to receive an Echo Park Paper collection kit of their choosing. To qualify for the kit, comments will be due by midnight EST, Sunday, May 27th to qualify for the drawing. The winner will be announced on each blog Monday, May 28th so be sure to check back to see if you've won (including here on the Echo Park Paper blog).

Blog Hop List:

Leslie Ashe

Linda Auclair

Nancy Damiano

Jennifer Gallacher

Lowri McNabb

Kandis Smith

Wendy Sue Anderson