Thursday, 02 February 2012

  • First layouts from Hawaii trip!!!

    I did this two page spread for a weekly template challenge I'm in.


    I'm having so much fun building these on SBC... Thrilled I actually scrapbooked with this one!!
    The sketch was inspired by Sketch "week 197" from Shawn Lahr at www.nutsaboutsketches.blogspot.com
    Here is her sketch:

     


    Here are the SBC sketches I built based on her sketch:

     



    And here are the SBC files!
    SBC 4.0 .sbpage files
    Left http://www.box.com/s/0ptojej0ry7ic9cg0e9y
    Right http://www.box.com/s/2p7v42uyvfazx4u0jzxn

    and regular .page files
    Left http://www.box.com/s/0ptojej0ry7ic9cg0e9y
    Right http://www.box.com/s/cex7nrfae56qpzbnvnge

    Oh - page credits - papers and elements from Sea Swept by Rachel Dickson - a freebie I got a while ago 
    on www.scrapbook.com - no longer a freebie, but still available.

Wednesday, 01 February 2012

  • How to create a template in SBC and share!

    Learned how to do this from several ScrapShare sisters, but I think the instructions got lost, so here they are! Please let me know if anything is confusing/incorrect.

    First of all - build a template! Find a layout you like and re-create it using empty photo frames and shapes/paper for your elements.  You can import a picture of a layout you like and "copy it" or you can make one up all on your own!

    One tip: use only grayscale for your papers/elements and no textures.
    Why? Colors for your template and textures make the file very large, and you will have to zip the file to make it small enough to upload. This adds a step you don't really need, and adds a step for the end user (having to unzip before using), hence the reason most templates are in grayscale.

    Then share it!

    In SBC 4.0 it's totally easy. Just click on the file tab, and export the page as a .page file (and/or a .sbpage file - the 4.0 version) - put it somewhere easy to find - a folder named SBC templates works!  Oh, and give it a name so you  know what it is.  

    In SBC 3.0:
    Find on your computer where your storybook projects are saved.
    (if needed, search for files with the .page extension to figure out where they are stored).

    Go to the template that you want to share and change something simple and fix it back and then save it again (a slightly cumbersome way to make SBC will timestamp it as the most recent page).

    Go back to the folder on your computer where your project is and sort the files by time. The most recent page with the gobbledygook title is the one that you want.

    Copy and paste that file to your desktop on your computer. Then right click and rename it something clever like 2012 sketch challenge number whatever it is.

    You are then able to upload it to whatever file sharing site you like to use from there. (I've recently become very fond of www.box.com, but you can use 4shared, mediafire, whatever you like).

    In the future when you create a template and save it, you'll likely build the template and then go right away to your project folder and sort by time. What you just worked on will be the most recent thing, so you won't have to go through the step of finding the template you want to share, changing something and changing it back again to get it to be the most recent file.

    And further in the future, you'll have upgraded to SBC 4.0, where all of this is unnecessary, as you can just export individual pages of your project.


    If you upload to www.box.com, once you upload it, find that file and there'll be a share button. Click on that and it will create a link for you to put in your post (on Facebook, ScrapShare, etc.) ('cause I'm hoping you'll share your creations!)

Thursday, 12 January 2012

Saturday, 09 April 2011

Tuesday, 03 August 2010

  • Craving cookies

    I saw in the freezer the remains of a bag of Ghirardelli white chocolate chips we'd bought at Sam's club - the monster bag.  Have used it a few times but not in a while - hence its storage in the freezer.

    Decided to make the cookies listed on the back of the bag.  After making them, the bag was empty, so I thought I should write down the recipe before discarding the bag.  Lo and behold, I'd already done so.  Too bad I didn't think to open the file and read my tips!  ha ha.  

    Today was a little different as we ran out of white all purpose flour, so instead of 2 cups all purpose flour, I used 1 1/2 cups all purpose and 1/2 c whole wheat flour.  I'll let you know how they turn out!

    Here's the recipe, and my tips:

    -----

    Ghirardelli Chocolate Cookies with Classic White Chips

    1 ¼ c. butter, softened

    2 c. sugar

    2 eggs

    1 T vanilla extract

    2 c. flour

    1 ¼ c. Ghirardelli Unsweetened Cocoa

    1 t. baking powder

    2 c. Ghirardelli Classic White Chips

     

    Preheat oven to 300oF.  In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the vanilla extract.

    In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, and baking powder.  Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture.  Fold in the white chips.

    If making into individual cookies:

    Using two tablespoons drop the dough onto baking sheets in 1” balls, 3” apart.

    Bake in the preheated oven for 16-18 minutes.  Let cool 10 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.  Let stand 30 minutes before serving.  Makes 3 ½ dozen cookies.

     

    Jen’s tips:

    I make these into bar cookies in a 9x13 pan.  Grease the bottom of the pan (I use Pam for baking with flour in it).  Do this when you preheat the oven.

    When adding the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, the dough becomes very stiff, and I find it easier to mix with my (clean!) hands.  Have the chips measured out in a small bowl, so you can add them in with your sticky hands.  Once the mixture is completely mixed, use your hands (or a spoon) to drop into the 9x13 pan.  Wash your hands, and use your now clean hands to press out the dough evenly into the pan. 

    Bake at 300oF for 25 minutes (ovens vary, I checked mine for doneness at 21 min and put them in for 4 more).

    Let cool completely in pan before cutting and serving.