Month: February 2011

Places To Go: Mt. Jigongshan (Xinyang)

Published by Sula H.

Not far from Xinyang, about 40 km south of the city, Mt. Jigongshan is located. Jigongshan literally means “Rooster Mountain.” It’s been said that looking at the peak, it gives the impression of a crying rooster, and that’s how the mountain got its name. With its peak rising about 814m above sea level, Jigongshan borders in a transitional region between the subtropical and the warm moderate zone, making it an ideal getaway for summer. The constant cooling breeze has made Rooster Mountain such a comfortable place to be in the heat of summer, that it was discovered as a perfect summer resort early in the last century already. Such illustrious people as Sun Yat-sen (the first president of the Republic of China), Chiang Kai-shek and other former high ranking government officials have sought refuge on this mountain. As a result, there are a number of villas and lodgings in various architectural styles which were built on top of the mountain and can be visited today. Some of the buildings have even been turned into museums …

News: SSD Turns 5 And You Get the Presents

Published by Sula H.

Make sure to stop by the Sweetshoppe every day, this month, as they are celebrating their 5th anniversary. All month long, they have special promotions and sales going on, and you can download a free present every day. Don’t miss out on this, as the links for each giveaway work only for about 24h, and then they expire. MSA Continues Oh, and if you haven’t heard or realized it, yet, the My Scrapbook Art gallery isn’t closing. I’ve heard through the grapevine that some new investors were found, and ownership over there is about  to change. Good news for all of us who upload our layouts there!

Monday Highlight: Instinct

Published by Sula H.

Usually, I bring you some SSD products in the Monday Highlight, as SSD is my favorite scrap-store in the world. But I also have some favorite designers in other stores. Peppermint Granberg for one. Some of you probably know who I mean when I say “One Little Bird Designs.” As much as I like to load up a page with bold elements, photos and papers, just as much do I like to work with clean, simple designs and lots of “white space.” Peppermint Granberg creates products that work just perfectly for the latter kind of layouts. So, today I’m going to bring you … Instinct by One Little Bird Designs This kit is a feast of papers and patterns. It’s very versatile and can be used for bright, happy pages, as well as dark, subdued layouts. Instinct has a lovely theme with leaves in various ways (papers, scatters, branches), and comes with a uniquely stitched floral ornament, which looks great on any page. Of course, a product by One Little Bird Designs wouldn’t be complete, …

Treasure Sunday: Snowkissed

Published by Sula H.

I went on another treasure hunt, and found this gem today: “Snowkissed” by kathleena I’m amazed at her composition – the use of the patterned background – and still, it does not at all distract the focus from the photo and cluster. I don’t think I even have to mention her cluster – its beauty and arrangement speaks all for itself. And aren’t her shadows most stunning?

Saturday Feature: (No) Bed of Roses

Published by Sula H.

Have I ever told you about beds in China? Well, they’re not what people from the West are used to, this much I can say. They are not actually bad – as Chinese people are really used to them, and some of them wouldn’t even be able to sleep well in our western beds – it’s just that they are really different. And I wish, I could say I have gotten used to them, after living here for so long. But I haven’t, really! To say it plainly: beds in China are hard. There are those beds here that have no mattress or padding at all. (Now, don’t get me wrong – I’m not saying this critically, since having no mattress in summer really can help with the heat.) So, there are lots of people here who actually prefer having the simple wooden frame for a bed. And then there are those beds that have a mattress. Funny thing is: even with the mattress these beds are almost as hard as without. Basically, the mattresses …

CT Spotlight (02/05)

Published by Sula H.

Another week has past and I’ve got some awesome new products to showcase today. Libby Pritchett came out with an all white scrapbook kit, called Paper! Snow! A Ghost! Darcy Baldwin has a new font out that is perfect for great titles, but versatile enough to use for your journaling, too. And of course her new Treat of the Month templates our out, too! Speaking of templates, Cindy Schneider’s products are gorgeous as ever, and Stephanie from Nanie’s Designs hasn’t sat still this past week either. Look what you can do with these products: And since the Sweetshoppe is celebrating their 5th anniversary all month long, there are some sweet deals you can get over there; ie. this week you can get two gorgeous kits plus a set of templates for free with any purchose of $15 or more.

Zoe Pearn – An Australian Tragedy

Published by Sula H.

A lot of us know Zoe Pearn. She is a designer over at the Sweetshoppe with some amazing products that she offers. Actually, she is quite an authority in graphic designs, having not only her own paper line, but also designing patterns for fabric. Well, a short time ago the Sweetshoppe community had to learn that Zoe’s family was affected by the floods that recently ravaged in Australia. Last night, however, I took the time to read her blog, and the story of devastation she has to tell, breaks my heart. Basically, she and her family of a husband and two small children (one less than 2 months old) lost everything they had in the floods – her house ruined and most of her possessions (including her designer’s workshop) completely destroyed. In order to support and help Zoe Pearn and her family, the designers from SSD and some other well-known stores decided to release a huge collaboration kit — “Brighter Days Ahead” — to bring some relief for Zoe in her situation. 100% of the …

Freebie Friday: Dashing

Published by Sula H.

Yay! It’s Freebie Friday again, and I’ve got another treat for you – “Dashing”, based on my latest page “Dashing Through The Snow”, featuring Darcy’s new font “DJB Scruffy Angel”, which will hit the store tomorrow! Actually, I was quite overwhelmed this week by the responses from some of you, and seeing some of the pages you create with my templates, I thought it would be nice, if you could come back and post a comment with a link to your layouts here, when you’ve finished and uploaded your pages to your galleries. I would love to see some more of your creations, and maybe I’ll start featuring some of your pages on my blog, too! Oh, and I almost forgot to mention Paislee Press – you need to check out her blog if you love free stuff, for she has some awesome template pieces that she offers for free over there, and I don’t know how long they’ll be available! Anyways, I hope y’all have fun playing with this template and I wish everyone …