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Laura Childs

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Scrapbook Novel: Winner of New Scrapbooking Mystery! And a Scrappy Prize, Too :)

In THIS post, you were offered 2 chances for a prize and now it’s time to see if you won!

The winner of THIS . . .

. . . is Teri!!!!

Teri Pannesi
NOV 21, 2014 @ 11:14:46
I have this book on my wishlist on amazon!!! I love her books!
It’s funny that scrapbooking is our obsession and thankfully since I can’t scrapbook in bed (yes, I’ve tried) I can instead read about scrapbooking!!!

Yes, I put 20 numbers into Random.org and he (or she?) picked number 1.

Congratulations Teri! I hope you enjoy the book.

Thank you to author Laura Childs for providing a free copy of her book for this giveaway. If you’d like to buy the book, you can find it HERE.

As for the scrappy prize – first of all, thank you SO much for all the kind and helpful and constructive comments about Scrapbook Obsession Blog. I really, truly appreciate your input and will take all of your suggestions to heart. I want this to be a place YOU feel at home, and where YOU want to read and comment and hang out. So THANK YOU.

The winner of the scrappy prize is . . . Nadine!!

Nadine Palmer
NOV 23, 2014 @ 21:24:40
I have never read a scrapbooking novel, but I love mysteries, so Laura’s book would address my three addictions – reading, preserving memories while being creative, and enjoying a whodunit!

And now on to your other questions . . .
1. I love the redesign of the blog. As other readers have shared, the type size is superb. I don’t mind the white at all. It reminds me of a just painted white picket fence! Pops of color would be nice at times, but the white color to me is very clean and calming.
2. I just started reading your blog in January of 2014, and off the top of my head, I don’t know where I discovered you! I love all you do, but I especially appreciate your posts about HSN scrapbooking shows. I used to get reminders from HSN but they haven’t been coming through lately. I usually buy a few items but mostly enjoy listening and watching all things scrappy. I tell my husband and daughters it is my time to relax and have fun!
3. As another reader said, it would be neat to see some tutorials or project sheets on the blog. However, there is a ton of that type of scrapbooking stuff on the web and what you bring to the table is your unique sense of humor and information on so many other aspects of the industry. I would be interested in your recommendations on where we can find cool projects, etc. I am a “mini album junkie” and any new takes on them would be fun to read as well.

Thanks for asking for our opinions and ideas!

It was so hard to choose from all the great comments – thank you ALL again.

Teri and Nadine, please send me your mailing address and I’ll get your prizes out soon! Also, Nadine if you could please send me a little idea of your scrapbooking tastes so I can send you a prize you’ll like (e.g., family, boys, travel, blues and greens, Christmas, Project Life, etc.) Thanks! scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com

Happy Friday and here’s to a scrappy weekend!

Scrapbook Novel: Who Wants to Win a Copy?!?

I’ve been lucky enough to again receive a copy of a new scrapbooking novel to give away! I know how much you love these :)

This time, it’s Gossamer Ghost (A Scrapbooking Mystery) by LAURA CHILDS.

{You can see other posts I’ve done about her books HERE, including a post where YOU got to ask questions of Laura and she answered them for you!}.

The prize is in hardcover because the book just came out in October 2014. All you do to enter is click on Comments under the title to this post and leave a Comment :)

The comment can be about anything but if you’re speechless today, here are some ideas:

– What do you love about scrapbooking novels?
– How many scrapbooking novels have you read? Have a favorite?
– How do you like the way my blog re-design is going (be honest!). Is the “all white” too hard on the eyes? Other suggestions or comments?
– How long have you been a Scrapbook Obsession reader?
– What types of things would you like to read about here that I don’t cover (or cover enough?)

Because I’m so curious about those last 3 questions, I’ll send out a lil’ scrappy prize to someone who thoughtfully answers one (or more) of those – and you’re still eligible for the book, too.

DEADLINE: Sunday, November 30, 2014 at midnight PST
*Open to mailing addresses in the US only

Winners will be announced the following week. Please make sure when leaving a comment that it includes a way to reach you if you win – a link to your blog, your e-mail, etc. Book winner will be selected by random draw. I will hand-pick the scrappy prize winner.

PS: If you’re too anxious to wait for the giveaway (or would prefer a Kindle version instead of a hard copy), the book is available NOW for sale RIGHT HERE. If you’d like to check out other Scrapbooking Mysteries by Laura Childs, you can find them all HERE.

Please tell your scrapbooking and mystery loving friends about the contest! You can use the Share buttons below to easily post to your social media :)

Thanks for entering and sharing!

Scrapbooking Novel: Interview with Laura Childs, author of “Gilt Trip”

As I posted HERE, Laura Childs has a new book out called Gilt Trip (A Scrapbooking Mystery).

I had a contest to win a free copy of the new book. To enter, I asked you to post a question you’d have for the author and, boy, did you guys come through! So many great questions. {The book winner was posted HERE}. I submitted them all to Ms. Childs but honestly expected her to choose just a portion of them to answer. Well, she’s one generous lady because she answered them all!

And here you go: An interview *BY YOU* of Ms. Laura Childs, author of many scrapbooking and other novels:

Q: Do you try all the different projects that your main character does, or does someone tell you about them?

A: I try most of the projects, particularly ones that are a little complicated, just to make sure they’re doable. On some of the simpler projects that get repeated and repurposed – such as memory boxes, pillow boxes, cards, etc. – I already know they’re easy to do so there’s not much experimentation on my part.

Q: Had no idea there were scrapbooking novels out there. I’d love to know how you thought about starting a series of books involving scrapbookers.

A: After my first Tea Shop Mysteries were successful, I decided I wanted to write a crafting series, too. This was about ten years ago and scrapbooking was suddenly the hottest thing going. I talked to scrappers, worked on a few pages myself, and did lots of research. Boom – I discovered that I loved the craft and saw that there was a huge number of scrappers who might enjoy the books. The rest is history.

Q: I love your scrapbook series as I’ve read a few so far. I would like to know what you like to scrap about?

A: I mostly scrap about travel and dogs. I’m lucky that my husband is a professor of Chinese and Japanese art history, so we travel to Asia quite frequently. And the dogs (Chinese Shar-Pei) are an endless source of cuteness!

Q: Since you are a writer, is there a lot of journaling in your scrapbooks – or do you just let the photos tell the story?

A: I’m right in the middle. I’m a big believer in fun captions. Yes, a photo tells a story, but you can always use a kicker to punch things up!

Q: Have you ever lived in New Orleans? And how do you determine what scrapbook project the ladies will work on in the book?

A: I’ve never lived in New Orleans, but I’ve visited many times and have friends who’ve taken my husband and I to the float dens, parades, and Rex Ball. As far as determining what project my ladies will work on, sometimes that depends on timing (if it’s Mardi Gras it must be masks!). Usually I try to include projects that I think are new and exciting or very eye-catching.

Q: How did you get started writing mysteries around scrapbooking? And what’s your favorite type of scrapbooking – digital, hybrid, all-paper? Do you go to crops?

A: Like I mentioned earlier, scrapbooking just caught my eye when the whole phenomena started to explode. And I am clearly an all-paper scrapper. I love collages and mixed media in particular. I don’t go to many crops anymore – between writing three different series there’s just not much time.

Q: Do you have to research details of crimes or is it something that comes naturally for you?

A: You know, a lot of my crimes are really based on ripped-from-the-headlines stories. And I think the most interesting crimes are the ones that are slightly upscale and timely – like art thefts, jewel heists, real estate scams, stock market ponzi schemes. Well, you get the idea!

Q: I have only read two of your books, but love them. Something comfortable about reading about our favorite hobby. I would love to know if you have time to scrap and if there is a certain type of page you enjoy creating.

A: I don’t have a lot of time to scrap anymore between the three different mystery series. But when I do scrap, I like to do very artsy, almost contemporary looking pages. Either lots of white space with unusual typography or photos that have been in some way enhanced or embellished (think wild streaks of paint or aging with tea).

Q: I love the books series and am awaiting the 11th book! Will Carmela’s BFA Ava Gruiex ever find a steady beau?

A: I really don’t know. I try to keep all my plots a little loosey-goosey when I write, so the story can sort of unfold in a fun, exciting way. Sometimes I’m typing along and a character will just pop in without prior notice, or the story will take a wild twist. That the fun of writing! So I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens with Ava.

Q: I love Laura Childs and have been reading her books since the first one came out. She always writes about new and interesting techniques. I would love to know what her “can’t do without” scrapbooking item is?

A: Hmm, that would have to be my set of acrylic paints. There’s nothing like painting your own page background or doctoring up a photo to make a scrapbook page memorable.

Q: I’d love to know if Laura gets time to scrapbook since this book series took off.

A: Not too much time, unfortunately. But lately I’ve been stealing time away from my writing to work on altered books. So much fun!

Q: Gilt Trip sounds like a great read! I would like to know if Laura considers cooking another creative outlet?

A: Absolutely, I do! In fact my two other series, the Tea Shop Mysteries and the Cackleberry Club Mysteries, are culinary mysteries with plenty of recipes!

Q: I would like to know how Laura finds the time to scrap, research, and write such wonderful stories? What is her secret to finding this balance in her life?

A: Oh my, the fact of the matter is I haven’t found balance in my life. I’m always under the gun, always trying to write another few pages or edit a manuscript or rush off to a book signing. I write 6 days a week and wake up at night with ideas that I’m compelled to write down. I wish I could figure out a better balance, but then I’d have to give up one of my three series. And they’re dear to me, like children – awful to let one go!

Oh Em Gee, wasn’t that a fun read!?!?! I just love her. What a neat lady. I’m so happy she continues to write about scrapbooking for all of us to enjoy. It makes me feel like we scrapbookers are important and not forgotten, kwim?

I have to admit, I haven’t read “GILT TRIP” yet {and I feel so “gilt-y”, bwahahaha} because I’ve been busy reading business e-books and websites {I’m starting a new venture as a Virtual Assistant / Blog Helper!}. But reading this interview has made me grab my copy of the novel and commence to reading! I’ll give my review when I’m done :)

Would love to hear what you think of “Gilt Trip” as well – please leave your review in Comments below!

WINNER! Signed Brand New Scrapbook Mystery Novel “Gilt Trip” by Laura Childs

Last week, I held a CONTEST to win a signed copy of the new book, GILT TRIP (A Scrapbooking Mystery) by Laura Childs

Thank you so much to all who participated by leaving comments on that blog entry and were entered to win. You scrappers came up with such interesting questions to ask Laura, who I’ll be interviewing soon!

I used Random.org to generate a number and now it’s time to announce the winner:

jackie November 6, 2013 at 10:29 pm
love her books! I have her first 3/4 and need to get the ones that came after that..and would love to win this one! thanks for giving us a chance.
jackie from beautiful southwest Virginia

Jackie has been notified and is super excited to receive the book. Jackie, I hope you’ll stop by with a review once you’ve finished reading! I hope to post a review as well.

If you’d like to purchase your own copy of this book, you can find it RIGHT HERE.

YAY! Love scrapbook novels! Love giving them away! Happy Day :)

Scrapbook Haul: Tuesday Morning, Michaels, Beverly’s

Well, I haven’t written a good “scrapbook haul” post in a while so here you go :) These are treasures I’ve collected over the last month or so.

These are from TUESDAY MORNING:

2-packs of Thickers for $3.99 each

These were the last 3 sets and I actually liked them all. Yes, the teal ones have come unstuck and are falling off the sheet but that’s okay. I run most of my Thickers through my Xyron “X” anyway. The chipboard and vinyl ones are notoriously un-sticky in the long-term.

On the left are “Paper Crush” by COLORBOK journaling stickers. You get 6 stax with 12 sheets per stack. I thought these would be really cute on school pages.

On the right are 2 sets of Sticky Alphas by Colorbok. These 3 things sold together for $3.99 … great price!

Here’s a Scrapbook Paper Kit by HEIDI SWAPP. The line is called “Street Smarts” and has some really cool-looking papers … think skater dude, sports dude, cool dude … that kind of thing :) The papers are cardstock-thick, double-sided, and you get 20 of them. The retail price was $19.99; got it for $3.99.

The 2 sets of chipboard letters were only $2.99. I was so glad to find these again. I’ve used the black and white set a couple of times and need more! They look really striking on a page. The stack of notepads are going to great use on my desk. The 3-pack of American Crafts Flair was a great deal at $3.99. The Dear Lizzy one is my favorite.

Do you see anything wrong with this picture? Specifically, the price tag? Yes, there is just one epoxy embellishment there, and while the price of $1.99 could seem reasonable, I still thought it was mis-priced. The retail price shows as $8.99. Um, yeah. I showed it to the cashier when I checked out. It took me a few times explaining it before she would believe me, but 1 pack of epoxy stickers, no matter how stinkin’ cute, would not sell for $8.99 retail. Unless they were made of crushed diamonds or something. I think they were meant to be bundled in packs of 2 or 3. I don’t know if they really fixed them but, hey, I did my civic duty, right?

In case anyone is in the market for a Cub Scouts 12×12 album, Tuesday Morning has ’em!

They also had a lot of paper packs by the likes of AMERICAN CRAFTS. However, they were the 25 sheets of the same paper kind so I didn’t get any. But for those of you who do classes, kits, etc., this is a great deal.

Tuesday Morning also had the Making Memories “Hulabulu” packs, and lots of 12×12 postbound albums … I just didn’t get photos.

I got some books at BARNES and NOBLE. The one you might be interested in is on the top … “Tragic Magic” by LAURA CHILDS. She writes a series of scrapbooking murder mysteries set in the Big Easy that I really enjoy. Been waiting to see this one in paperback since I don’t usually “do” hardcovers.

I got these three older issues (April, May, and June 2010) of Scrapbook Trends magazines online recently. They were having a clearance sale for $5 an issue. I think these sell new for $15 each so I was happy to find the sale. It’s true what they say … these are more like idea books that magazines so well worth the dough.

These were from a message board “for sale” section. I love it when people clean out their scrap rooms and sell stuff I want for dirt cheap, LOL! I got collection packs of Basic Grey “Black Tie” for $5, Scenic Route “Background” for $6, and she only charged me $4 shipping. AND threw in some Anna Griffin border stickers for free. Awesome blossom!

These are the bling stickers from Michaels I mentioned in a PAST POST. Purdy, huh? You get 2 layers worth.

The rest of these things are from BEVERLY’S CRAFTS

I had a 40% off coupon and was going to use it on the Making Memories storage jars (I’m re-doing my ribbon organization), but when I got the check-out, she told me they were on sale for 40% off. So the coupon went to one of the Basic Grey “Jovial” items. Then some Tiny Type alpha stickers that I can’t seem to get enough of. I guess you know what I’m using to scrap Christmas in this year, eh? Love these colors …

Come to find out, I should’ve gotten another set of the jars. After getting my ribbon sorted, I realized I need 3 more and I can’t find them at Michaels anymore. Shukes.

Have you heard of Studio 112? It’s a new line of scrappy stuff I’ve been seeing around. Here are the pretty lasercut papers they had.

Yep, every single thing was only 99 cents.

Bling, flowers, all kinds of embellishments …

Even some borders …

I dunno’, it wasn’t really my style. Some of the lasercut papers were pretty but nothing really blew my dress up. To each their own … maybe you’ll love it. At that price, you should at least check it out! M’kay?

Have you had any great shopping finds lately?

Scrapbook Mystery Novel Giveaway!

Hey, mah favorite scrapbook peeps, I have some exciting news … I have FIVE copies of a new scrapbooking mystery novel to give away!!! It’s a hardcover version of “Cut, Paste, Kill” by Marshall Karp (retails for $26.99).

Here’s a description of the book from the publisher:

**********

In CUT, PASTE, KILL, Mike Lomax and Terry Biggs are two hip LAPD detectives who discover socialite Eleanor Bellingham-Crump dead on the floor of a hotel bathroom. Next to Eleanor’s lifeless body, the killer has left an intricate scrapbook documenting a motive of vengeance in lurid detail. As more bodies are found, each one connected to a scrapbook left at the scene, Lomax and Biggs must decode the meaning behind the scrapbooks before the avenger has time to cut and paste the story for another kill.

CUT, PASTE, KILL is laugh-out-loud funny, with perfect dialogue and zinging last lines. Joseph Finder, bestselling thriller writer, describes Marshall Karp as the “Woody Allen of the murder mystery—smart, fast-paced, clever, and really, really funny.”

***********

For some early reviews (three 5-star customer reviews as of when I posted this!), you can check out AMAZON.COM. By the by, you can purchase the book from Amazon if you don’t win a copy … hint, hint. Right now, the hardcover is selling for $17.15 new and a Kindle edition for $12.99.

I think this portion of a review posted to Amazon sums it up perfectly:

The bottom line is that this is perfect summer reading — ideal for a lazy Sunday afternoon or a holiday beach read. If you want a great “entertain me!” murder mystery, I don’t think you can do better than Cut, Paste, Kill. Highly recommended… at least for people who like to giggle.

This book was just released June 8, 2010 so you’ll be the first on your block to own it, LOL! I’ve been reading my copy and absolutely enjoying it. It’s laugh-out-loud funny, full of one-liners and fun relationships between the main characters. Yeah, it’s a murder mystery, but a lighthearted one :)

I’ve read scrapbooking mystery novels in the past (those by LAURA CHILDS and JOANNA CAMPBELL SLAN) and this one is a bit different. Instead of it reading as a mystery written by a scrapbooker, it’s more like a “regular” mystery novel that has scrapbooking as a plot device. It’s told through the eyes of two LAPD detectives, not through the lens of a scrapbooker. So, even if you’re not big into scrapbooking but just like reading mystery novels, you’ll enjoy this.

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment on this post telling me why you want the book. I’m paying for the postage out of my own pocket, so PLEASE only enter if you’ll really read the book or know someone who will. If you have any friends who would be interested, please have them come enter!

Deadline is Friday, June 25, 2010* at midnight PST. Open to US residents only. One entry per person. FIVE winners will be chosen via Random.org.

* Deadline changed as of 6/22/10

Good luck and happy reading!

FTC Disclosure. ST MARTINS PRESS provided me with 6 free books. I received no monetary compensation. They are providing the books to the winners of this giveaway.

‘Death Swatch’ by Laura Childs

Another scrapbooking mystery novel by Laura Childs is on it’s way! It’s due out September 2, 2008. I can’t wait! I love her books. If you haven’t already read them, Laura has a series of books where the main character is a scrapbook store owner in New Orleans. She always gets involved in some kind of whodunit and it’s always crazy fun. HERE is the link to the Laura Childs website if you’d like more info on her books. Definitely a quick, fun read!

I’ll leave you with a synopsis of Death Swatch and the teaser for her next book, Tragic Magic (both excerpts were copied over from the Laura Childs website):

DEATH SWATCH

Amid zydeco rhythms and popping champagne corks, scrapbook shop owner Carmela Bertrand and her friend Ava are partying in the French Quarter. It’s Mardi Gras, and they never imagined this might be the scene of a murder, but as the evening progresses, float designer Archie Baudier is found dead on the balcony–strangled with a barbed wire garrote. The only thing wilder than this crime are the theories about who did it–from a ritualistic slaying to a mob hit to the outlandish work of a rival Mardi Gras float builder. As Carmela flirts with handsome detective Edgar Babcock, she also ponders the odd clues; gold paint on the victim’s shoes, a ransacked apartment, and a glimmering gold doubloon.

TRAGIC MAGIC
Coming in Fall 2009

Design-wise Carmela Bertrand of Memory Mine scrapbook store is tapped to create spooky set decorations for Medusa Manor, a new haunted house attraction in New Orleans. But a flaming body hurled from the third-floor tower might just put a damper on the project.

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