The Most Influential Scrapbooker Awards BLOG TOUR continues! For your chance to win some of the 100 prizes that are up for grabs this week, Noell and Jenni are your ladies today!

Spotlight on... Noell Hyman
Noell is a self-made scrapbooking personality who slowly but surely carved out a niche for herself online. And now, she hosts an active community of like-minded scrapbookers on her paperclipping.com website. Besides her weekly, live-streamed video show (Paperclipping Live), Noell also creates professional-quality video tutorials, some free, some for premium members only. And new this year, she teamed up with Nancy Nally (of scrapbookupdate.com) to launch the Paperclipping Roundtable, a free panel-format audio podcast featuring all the biggest names in scrapbooking as panelists and guests. Think of it like The View for Scrapbookers, but far less controversial! Noell also blogs at noellhyman.com.

Here's what a few of Noell's biggest fans had to say:

"Noell and her videos have made me think a lot about why and how I scrapbook, how easy is to get out our skills and use them, how to be more confident with the way I scrapbook, and how important it is to experiment and have fun! She shows us how easy scrapbooking can be, without breaking our budgets. And above all, I've learned that everything is fixable."
~Mariangeles Masegosa from Aldaia, Valencia, Spain

"I first discovered Noell nearly three years ago when a friend was trying to introduce me to these things called 'podcasts' which were apparently 'the future'. I was skeptical that I would find any topic that was specifically targeted to my passion for crafting, so I was utterly gobsmacked when I found the Paperclipping podcasts on iTunes! I was blown away by the quality of the videos, not only visually, but also in content. Paperclipping has been bookmarked on my browser ever since that day. I have definitely, without a doubt, grown as a scrapbooker."
~Lesley Oman from Guildford, near London.

"I particularly enjoy Noell's enthusiasm and how willing she is to share her stories, knowledge, and techniques with everyone. In addition, she enjoys sharing about others and bolstering them up in the process. She's influenced my scrapping, too, by encouraging me to be more forthcoming in my own stories. Through her direct support and example, I feel encouraged to share more of my own stories—to push the envelope and tread a little closer to the edge. I think Noell is an amazing pioneer in the industry."
~Liz Ness from Vancouver, Washington

 

Spotlight on... Jenni Bowlin
Jenni Bowlin is our comeback kid! After being an industry trend-setter for years with other companies, she came back with a splash last year, launching her own kit club (JBS Mercantile) and a new manufacturing company (Jenni Bowlin Studio) that bears her name! Dare we say that she single-handedly brought the rhinestone-studded butterfly into immense popularity? Jenni also travels monthly to teach in-person scrapbooking classes and keeps a blog at jennibowlin.blogspot.com.

Here's what a couple of her biggest fans had to say:

"I discovered Jenni as soon as I started truly getting into scrapbooking (in 2004 or so). I loved the way she incorporated vintage finds into her scrapbook pages and I adored the way she used her handwriting on every page. She is the reason I hand journal on every page. But maybe the most important lessons I've learned from Jenni are to always be down to earth and approachable, remember what this hobby is truly about, and never lose sight of that."
~Stephanie Howell from Fort Benning, Georgia

"Jenni's style has always been her own and has never been the 'norm.' In fact, in my opinion, she is the one who inspired others to use vintage pieces in and on their projects. I believe her style has also inspired companies to design antiqued, aged, and vintage lines. Jenni has inspired me in so many ways, especially after I attended Vintagefest in Tennessee in Dec 2009. Just the way she had her personal booth set up (the packaging, the displays) inspired some of the decor in my home, in particular a vintage typewriter I use to display photos! And the fact that Jenni is still in the business—creating, designing, and selling—just means that she is also very smart."
~Teri Davis from Lafayette, Louisiana

 

**********
We'll announce the list of ten winners from yesterday's post on Wednesday. (Holy comments, Batman! Thanks for your support, everyone!) So if you haven't yet commented on Monday's giveaway, you can sneak an entry in today. We won't tell!

Welcome to the Most Influential Scrapbooker Awards BLOG TOUR! If you're ready to have some fun, you've come to the right place. (If you'd rather not have fun, well, stick around anyway. Maybe the 100 prizes that are up for grabs will change your mind.)

Here's how it works:
Every day this week, two of the MISA nominees will be spotlighted here on The Daily Trumpet, and we'll link you directly to their blogs, where you can go and leave a comment for a chance to win one of the amazing prizes described yesterday. There will be ten winners on each spotlighted blog, each day. This means that if you visit every featured blog this week, you can enter a total of ten times. This also means that there will be 100 prizes given away to 100 winners in just five days!

And the fun starts right now, on this blog. Leave a comment right here on this post telling us another possible thing the initials "MISA" could stand for (other than "Most Influential Scrapbooker Awards"), and we'll award TEN randomly chosen commenters.  (examples: "Most Ignorant Surgeon Awards" or "Make It Stop Already" or "My In-laws Smell Awesome.") Can't think of one? Just second someone else's choice!


Today's Spotlight: Cathy Zielske

Cathy Zielske may have lost 33 awesome pounds in the last six months (way to go!), but that is not why she was nominated. She made the list because, after losing her job when Simple Scrapbooks closed last March, she chose to dive into the industry with both feet. She supercharged cathyzielske.typepad.com, developed awesome new classes at bigpicturescrapbooking.com (including the top-attended class ever for BPS), developed a series of popular digital templates for designerdigitals.com, became the eBook designer for ellapublishing.com, and was even featured on the Martha Stewart Living Radio blog. Read her complete profile here.

We asked three "in the know" scrapbookers who have been following her career to share a few thoughts about Cathy. Here's what they had to say:

"Cathy has inspired me to: stop obsessing about chronology and get caught up; include our everyday stories in my albums instead of focusing solely on events and holidays; design better pages through the use of common margins, focal points, and other useful design tricks; and not be afraid to use my real voice in telling my stories, both in my scrapbooks and on my blog. But none of that makes as much of an impression on me as this: she is first and foremost a great mom. I like that she has her priorities straight."
~Barb Wong, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

"I have had more 'a-ha!' moments reading Cathy's blog, participating in her online classes, and listening to her tutorials than probably all other teachers combined. She has a lovely way of making every project approachable and conveys to her audience that she has every confidence that they are perfectly capable of doing the same. The most important lesson I've learned is that you don't have to tell every story, but those you choose to tell should be real and authentic. You can never make a bad page if it is genuine, though she has many ideas to make it look good too!"
~Lee Currie, Oakville, Ontario, Canada

"I admire Cathy's ability to inspire others, whether it be to try digital scrapbooking or to grab your sneakers and start running, even when you think it's next to impossible. (That actually did happen, for me.) She is so real and so honest in everything she does, she makes you believe you can do it too. And that it's totally okay if it's not perfect. From Cathy, I've learned to relax. Keep it simple. Don't sweat the small stuff. Trying is better than not. In scrapbooking and for everyday life."
~Debbie Alvarado, Homer Glenn, Illinois



Now, head over to Cathy Zielske's blog today, where another ten prizes are being given away as we speak! (And she gets to tell you her criteria for picking her ten winners.)

*****

p.s. Don't forget to check out Time to Scrapbook! 9 busy women share 27 tricks for fitting it in, Ella's newest eBook, which features advice and layouts from all nine nominees.

Win Stuff from the Most Influential Scrapbookers of 2010! 

Our Most Influential Scrapbookers are busy women who invest their time and talent in the scrapbooking industry. They run educational websites, design products, teach classes, and spread the joy of scrapbooking. You can learn more about everything these ladies do by reading their profiles. 

During the week of July 19–23, we’ll be celebrating these fabulous scrappers with a fun-filled blog tour. Help us celebrate, and you could win one of 100 cool prizes! Just visit each nominee’s blog on her special day, and leave a comment. Each nominee will be giving away one of each of the prizes described below. That’s 10 winners and 10 prizes on each blog! Here’s what’s up for grabs: 

A six-month Paperclipping membership from Noell Hyman

This six-month Paperclipping membership includes immediate access to the complete archive of past Paperclipping tutorials (about 150 to date), two members-only videos per month, and higher-resolution videos (including many in HD).

Two digital-scrapbooking template packs from Cathy Zielske

Scrap faster and simpler with two digital-scrapbooking template packs (20 templates in all) from Cathy and designerdigitals.com. Just pop in your photos, add a bit of journaling, and embellish—simple as that! Templates are layered Photoshop files that are compatible with both Photoshop and Photoshop Elements.

A place in either “Photo Editing: Good-to-Great Workflow” or “Up & Running with Photoshop” from Jessica Sprague

Enjoy a spot in one of these video-based classes at jessicasprague.com: (1) “Photo Editing: Good-to-Great Workflow” teaches basic, global editing techniques for RAW and JPG photos, plus lots of extras! (2) “Up & Running with Photoshop” teaches basic skills needed to start digital scrapbooking in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. (Note: Five people will receive a spot in each class. Classes will be assigned randomly by Ella Publishing Co.)

A “Play Date” product pack from Jenni Bowlin

Record your summer memories with the cheerful papers and embellishments in this “Play Date” product pack from Jenni Bowlin Studio. Each product pack includes one set of patterned papers (6 papers in all), one die-cut paper, one package of mini papers, one package of journaling cards, and one sheet of banner alphabet stickers.

A spot in the “Beginner/Intermediate Online Photography Workshop” from Maggie Holmes

This fun, enlightening six-week course teaches DSLR users to shoot in manual mode and covers the fundamentals of exposure, ISO, shutter speed, aperture, and white balance. It also covers Maggie’s best tips on style, composition, lighting, and creativity. Start shooting like a pro in no time!

“Paper Girl” and “On Holiday” product packs from Margie Romney-Aslett

Enjoy one complete set of each of Margie’s new lines from The Girls’ Paperie. You’ll love the romantic, feminine touches of her “Paper Girl” line and the playful, upbeat feel of the “On Holiday” collection. These lines will keep you happily scrapping hour after hour.

A $50 gift certificate toward any class on reneepearson.com from Renee Pearson

Learn digital-scrapbooking and photo-editing techniques from top digital scrapbookers at reneepearson.com. Use this gift certificate toward any video-based class or tutorial, and make a smooth transition into digital or hybrid scrapbooking.

Two spots in both “Love Your Pictures, Love Your Pages” and “Journal Your Christmas” from Shimelle Laine

Invite a friend (or two different friends) to join you in two online classes at shimelle.com. “Love Your Pictures, Love Your Pages” makes taking and scrapping summer photos a pleasure. And “Journal Your Christmas” helps you preserve those special holiday memories in a stress-free way.

A place in either “Inspiration Defined” or “Book of Stories” from Stacy Julian

Enjoy a spot in one of these workshops at bigpicturescrapbooking.com: (1) Elizabeth Dillow’s “Inspiration Defined” workshop will help you gather, organize, and use inspiration from ordinary and uncommon places. (2) Karen Grunberg’s workshop “Book of Stories” will help you develop a process for collecting, organizing, storing, and using your stories. (Note: Five people will receive a spot in each class. Classes will be assigned randomly by Ella Publishing Co.)

A $20 gift certificate from Ella Publishing Co.

Use this gift certificate toward any of Ella’s eBooks or accessory products, which cover everything from photography and design to time-saving tips and journaling strategies. Own them all? A new book is released every month!

Hey all you Ella readers out there! I am so excited to announce my Love's of the month!

There were so many great submissions, how was a girl to choose? I finally narrowed it down to fuve loves...(even though I do secretly love you all): Keshet Shenkar, with her layout "Sunny Disposition"; Autumn Nguyen, with her layout "Hat Fetish"; Diane Herman, with her layout "Sofa"; Nathalie Leonelli, with her Mini-album "10 Favorites";  and Monika Wright, with her altered information book.

#1


I was completely drawn to Keshet Shankar's page from the moment I saw it, you could say it was love at first sight-haha! I love how Keshet used those funky new and trendy flowers to make a little cluster with a huge punch on her page! I especially love the little yellow flower and her use of yellow in general, which is great for adding a big pop in a subtle way and it speaks to the title of her page so well!

#2

My title love and layout sketch love for the month were found in the same layout, by Autumn Nguyen. Wow! That bright title totally caught my eye! I also love that she was able to get so many photos on 1 page without losing any style or making it cluttered.

#3

Diane Herman spoke to me with her layout "Sofa" because of her heartfelt and to-the-point journaling, but also check out that angle she used for her photo! Ella has been doing Friday photo lessons over the last few weeks, and with this photo Diane nailed it! The angle of the photo makes you want to know what it is all about, and then she knocked it out of the park with her journaling style. (BTW isn't her TV stand to die for?...I promise I don't have wandering eyes...I was really focusing on the layout-swear!)

#4

I love this innovative new idea from Monika Wright! She took an old album that she wasn't using and turned it into a treasure. It makes me so sad to think that I just threw one like this out; maybe I will have to go buy another just to make this. I love the simplicity and the paper! A one-stop-shop to write all her notes down = one fabulous idea.



#5


Last but not least, I love that Nathalie Leonelli took up my last challenge to create a mini-album, and man-she did it with style! I love the shape of the album that she made for her son, it makes it so inviting that I want to stop by her house and peruse through the pages! It is so boy with the colors and repeated sprocket shape, well done lady love number 5!



Great job ladies...you've had me swooning all month long. Make sure you check out their work by clicking on their blog links...you might just fall in love!

Until next month...
Liz

PS...make sure you submit this month-you might just put me under your love spell!

Did you know you could earn a little bit back every time you recommend an Ella eBook on your blog or website? It's true!

We haven't quite gotten around to putting up a dedicated page on our website related to our awesome affiliate program (it's coming...eventually!), but the program has been up and running for months already! So it's about time I put up a quickie announcement here.

We're set up through a company called Share-a-Sale. All you have to do is register your blog or website through Share-a-Sale, and then search for Ella Publishing in their company listings. Once you find Ella, you'll see lots of links, banners, and book covers that you can add to your site, and you'll earn 10 percent of all ellapublishing.com purchases that originate from those links!

Interested? Click here to learn about the five-step process of becoming a Share-a-Sale affiliate. You could be earning dozens of dollars in no time! :-)


Above: This is what the screen looks like after you've been approved through Share-a-Sale and you start browsing for banners. You just click the "Get this Banner's HTML Code" link, then you copy and paste the link into your blog or website. It's that easy!

I am so excited to tell you all about the newest thing here at Ella!
But first, in honor of school getting out soon...a song:
(Since I work K-4, will you humor me and use your best kindergarten voice??)
"Liz & (insert your name here) are sittin' at a computer, O-G-L-I-N-G! First comes crushing, then comes blog love"....what???
Did I loose you at ogling? No?
Good, stay with me...Drum roll please...(use your best announcers voice) introducing...
Liz's Loves!!

This new little ditty you'll see around here each month is called Liz's Loves...and I am sure you can guess why.
No? Well, since I get the privilege of handling the submissions at Ella and since I am so in LOVE with your submissions we decided to devote a blog post each month just to the layouts I have been crushing on!
(PSST...just don't tell my husband that I have wandering eyes!)
Do you want to join in on the fun?

Here's the skinny:

• Everyone is invited so please share the love and tell all your friends!
• Each month I will be picking three 3 submissions that caught my eye, as well as my favorite technique and best new product usage.
• If you are one of my five crushes of the month (A girl never can have too much love in her life, right?) you will get a little LOVE on the Ella blog!!
• All you have to do is send in those submissions!
• Stop by the third (sometimes fourth) Monday of each summer month to read all about my loves, and let me know what you think of my picks.

I would love to see (really its more like ogling) your cards, mini's, layouts, home decor, and pretty much anything with scrapbooking product-you never know, you might just be one of my new love's (of the month at least)!

Happy creating!!
Liz

Surely you've seen by now that the May eBook is up for sale and making a BIG splash!


 
Here are three fun facts I'd like to mention about Lisa Dickinson's new eBook:

#1
Wendy and I have been fans of Lisa's designs for several years now, which is why we invited her to be a 2008-2009 "Simple Gal" when we ran Simple Scrapbooks magazine. She's also been published in Creating Keepsakes magazine, Scrapbooks Etc., Scrapbook Trends, and others. You can get to know her better by visiting her blog.

#2
What we love about Lisa's work is that she manages to use trendy products and techniques while keeping her pages simple and well-designed. And she doesn't shy away from product usage! It's not always easy to follow principles of good design while getting funky with the latest products (and actually using a fair amount of products), but Lisa manages it beautifully. (Plus, there's always a meaningful story or a relevant bit of journaling on her pages, which we love.)

#3
I learned one of my favorite design secrets ever from Lisa's book! It has to do with how to mix and match different patterned papers, and you should check out Rachel and Wendy's Scrapbook Ellaments article to learn more. (Or find it on pages 6-7 of Lisa's eBook.)

Enjoy!

p.s. In case you're wondering, regarding Friday's blog post, our most-dowloaded eBook so far is 40 Top Tips for Better Photos by Rebecca Cooper. I notified our first three guessers who got it right! They each won a copy of Rebecca's eBook. Thanks for playing!

Get ready to guess.

In case you've ever wondered, our number one most downloaded eBook is (big surprise): the FREE Super Sampler!



But I'd like you all to guess which eBook is our top seller BESIDES the free one! (Free things are always bit sellers. ;-) The first three people to guess correctly will win a copy of that very eBook! (And if you're such a loyal customer that you already have it, I'll let you pick another eBook to win in its place.)

And here's a hint for you. It's NOT Quick & Creative Quizzes or 20 Simple Secrets of Happy Scrapbookers. Those two eBooks are in positions two and three, and for months they have stayed within 3 copies sold of one another! Sometimes Quizzes pulls ahead, sometimes Happy Scrapbookers pulls ahead. Right now, Quizzes is in the silver medal position.

If you don't have either of these eBooks, why don't you cast YOUR vote by downloading a copy today!




And if you join our Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/ellapublishing) and "Like" us, you'll be able to access a coupon code for 10% off any purchase, whether you pick one of our top sellers or not! (Scroll down a bit, as the special offer was posted on Wednesday.)

The May cover makes nine total covers Ella has shot since we went live in September. Pretty exciting.


Click on the links below to see the complete version. Do you have a favorite cover? Have you lifted any of these covers? Share in the comments below.
September 09
October 09
November 09
December 09

January 10
February 10
March 10
April 10
May 10

Just a few behind-the-scenes facts about our newest (and best?) eZine issue!



1. The winner of our cover contest was the lovely Keri Babbitt, who, we found out, happens to live just in the next city over from me! That was a first. She was able to drop off the layout right on my front porch, rather than having to mail it.

2. When we realized the eZine was going to go live on Cinco de Mayo (5-5-10), we just HAD to include a 5-related article. Hence, the Editor's Note. Incidentally 5 +5 =10. Not that it's relevant, but interesting to point out. How many dates are also addition problems?

3. In Mix & Match, two of the pattern pictures were photographed and sent in just exactly as you see them, and two were assembled digitally by me. (I learned some fun new shadow tricks in Photoshop in the process!) Can you guess which have natural shadows, and which have digital shadows? Okay, I'll give you one hint. Here's how one of the images came in:

4. I got a real kick out of this suspicious-looking puppy photo from Jody Wenke (in Paper Plus Pixels). Isn't that the most human expression you've ever seen on a dog? This pooch is thinking, "I don't know about you..."



5. Did you know there are now TWO ways to find out that the new eZine is live and ready to read? You can sign up for our mailing list, or you can "like" our brand new FaceBook page, where we'll post short synopses of each new article every month! You better do both, just to be safe.


We're moving to a PAGE instead of a GROUP, because it gives us so many more options for connecting with our readers in relevant, meaningful, and of course FUN ways. And we'll even bribe you with giveaways and free stuff, too; we're not above bribery.

So...will you Like us? Please? We just want to be Liked. Like Sally Field, we just want to be able to say, "You LIKE me. You really LIKE me!!!"

(p.s. We're not so sure we approve of the new "Like" button that replaced the old "Become a Fan" on FaceBook. If you don't Become a Fan, that doesn't feel personal, but not Liking someone, that's another story...)