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May 1, 2008
From the Helm - Welcome to SSR!
Cap'n Dawn Heath,Publisher
Welcome aboard the May issue of SSR! As you can tell we are on the East coast of Africa visiting some of the most beautiful and poorest areas of the world. Kenya is a beautiful country, well educated and rich in resources. Somalia is next door to Kenya and is an incredibly poor country rife with conflict and devastating hunger. There are hundreds of thousands orphans due to war and sickness. I am a news a-holic and read several internet news sites including the BBC and The Evening Telegraph. The news coming from these countries is very sad and I know that we only hear what the newsmedia wants us to hear so it's very one sided but I wonder if these countries will ever see peace? Will any of us? It seems we are all trying to make sense out of what belongs to whom. One day I would like to see the good and the bad myself. I have many friends who live in Africa. I grew up in a church that believed in sending people to other countries to teach or work and help one person at a time. I've had penpals all my growing up in Zimbabwe (Rhodesia at the time) and South Africa (Zulu and Johannesburg) and very soon some friends are headed to Uganda. A dear friend of SSR is also in South Africa, Annette Moss (Nettie)grew up in the same city in England that I did and now she lives in South Africa and I live in the USA. It's a small world and we are all part of what makes it such a wonderful place to be...what I'm trying to say is that wherever YOU are makes it a very special place to be. I hope and pray that if you live or work in a place that is at war that you are safe.
Let's pray for peace and to the end of slavery. And know that the "Lost Boys" of the Sudan are not lost to God. My prayers are with you all today,
Cap'n Dawn
Our Designer’s Challenge sponsor this month is WorldWin Papers! WorldWin Papers offers a wonderful array of smooth, textured, and doublesided cardstocks, as well as chipboard, vellum, metallic paper, and other speciality papers along with envelopes. Their product is sold exclusively through their network of national and international retailers as well as most recently through The Paper Mill Store (http://thepapermillstore.com/pages.php?pageid=394)!. As well as great products, they also pride themselves on on-time delivery, and top-notch customer service! The gorgeous card to the right was created by Flo Hollingsworth!
Here is the picture from April's contest:
The winning quote is
"She got a coveted place in the chorus line by pulling a few strings"
Submitted by Debbie Dodd!
Congratulations Debbie!
***Please Note: All of us on SSR would like to just take a moment to thank everyone for voting on this caption contest! Debbie was not our first winner, Lea Cioci's caption actually received the winning votes but in the past 2 weeks Lea joined the SSR Design crew and felt it wouldn't be right for her to accept the prize. We did tell Lea that she wasn't on the crew when she submitted her quote so she was still eligible to win but she was adament that it should go to the 2nd place winner. Debbie and Annette Moss (Nettie) both tied but as Debbie submitted her caption first she is our official caption contest winner! We feel that everyone is a winner but the generosity of spirit and the fun of the game truly wins out this month and Debbie and Nettie are getting a fabulous prize to boot!
Now, if you'd like to see the May Caption Contest card, you'll have to visit Cindy's Caption Contest page! We can't wait to hear your captions! All entries must be sent to our yahoo group, just click the link below to join and be part of the fun and have a few laughs! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SSReflectionsezine/
Special thanks to Altered Pages for sponsoring the May Caption Contest! We at SSReflections appreciate our sponsors so much! We love you Jackie!
Donalda has been busy organizing such awesome swaps on the Ezine Yahoo! Group. The swap featured right now is from the Bookmark swap from this past April. The bookmark featured to the right was created by Janet Burditt! Congratulations to all the ladies who participated on a job well done! If you'd like to participate in one of Donalda's swaps all you have to do is join the Ezine Yahoo! Group and sign up! We'd love to show your work too! The next swap gallery is going to be very exciting! The Ezine Yahoo! Group has been hopping with just recently with some fabulous conversations and all the talk about the next swap which is...well, I think I may just keep it a secret and you'll have to either join our Yahoo! group or wait until next month...By the way, Donalda's surgery was a success and now is the hard part...the healing process! Thank you all for your prayers.
As you finish reading this jam packed issue of S.S. Reflections, please make your way to our Making Waves page and visit our advertisers! We have revamped the page to make it more accessible to you and easier for you when you are shopping! Some of our Advertisers have wonderful specials and announcements just for you! We have also changed our COMM policy on the Ezine Yahoo! Group and the Forum Message Board! We are now allowing COMM's from all vendors on the Ezine Yahoo! Group and message board on Mondays!
If you would like to come on board as a VIP Sponsor on the BEST online magazine for stamping and scrapping anywhere on the internet. Please feel free to view our ad rates and sponsorship information by clicking here! You can email Dawn at publisher@ssreflections.com if you have any questions. Please click here to read our terms and conditions for the legal information when advertising with SSR.
S.S. Reflections: SSR has created a store directory listing for you and if you don't see your favorite store listed, be sure to send them our way! We have two separate directories for easy access to anyone interested which includes an alphabetical store listing and location listing. Please contact Cap'n Dawn at info@ssreflections.com for more information. There is a minimal fee to be included in our directory program of only $100 for one full year! SSR keeps it's costs low as we are committed to supporting the small business!
SSR is celebrating it's 5th anniversary in just a few months. We're already planning some great activities for our big celebration! 5 years is a long time on the internet and we've consistently provided the best information on the internet with an amazing crew of designers. SSR is NOT a non-profit business but we promised to keep our ad rates down so the small business could afford to advertise on a quality magazine. The industry is changing. Manufacturers are creating more and more choices for you to buy and it's harder and harder for the small business to keep up with the demand for the latest products and that effects their advertising budget. SSR is a free magazine for you to enjoy and that isn't going to change. We will continue to offer SSR free of charge to you, our faithful readers, but we will accept donations to help offset the operating expenses. We have not set an amount to donate. You can donate $1 or more that is totally up to you via paypal. Here is the donate button:
Everyone's Secretary is the answer for small businesses! Now you have the option to only pay by the hour for needed office assistance. Everyone's Secretary only charges for the work you require. Whether you need two hours a week or two hours a month, you only pay for what you need!
This is a confidential and personalized service. Please email Dawn at esecretary@charter.net or call 262-374-1491 for rate information.
Hearts in Touch HIT has started a new "Free Stamps" program. For every full sheet of stamps you order Frances will enclose a CIRCLE DIE CUT. When you get 10 circles, mail them back to Frances with the name of the free sheet of rubber you want. That's it!
YOU MUST EMAIL FRANCES at fnaeve@heartsintouch.com TO SIGN UP FOR THIS BRAND NEW PROGRAM!
Be sure to join the HIT Yahoo! group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HeartsInTouchRubberStamps/ and keep up to date on all the new products coming along very soon and meet a lot of wonderful crafting friends.
We also have free, online classes at the HIT website chat room. Anyone is welcome to join.
PaperArtsy: New from PaperArtsy this past spring are the mini stamps. These are on EZ mount and perfect for ATC's, small gift cards and 'inchie' art.
Also new from the 'Urban Snapshots' Stamp Collection is the Fancy Dress series and Wrought Iron series of 4 plates in each of these families. Check out www.paperartsy.co.uk
Stamp and Scrap Canada: Stamp and Scrap Canada: Read our latest newsletter online - http://www.stampandscrapcanada.com/papercraftnewsletter.html
See what's new in the shop (items added regularly) - http://www.stampandscrapcanada.com/new.html
We've got a HUGE clearance sale going on - 25 to 50% off on lots of items (most are 40% off) - http://www.stampandscrapcanada.com/sale.html
And if you're buying regular priced products here's a couple ecoupon codes you can use. Type the ecoupon code in the text box on the shopping cart page.
To get $5 off an order that includes $40 @ regular prices type: ssreflections5
To get $15 off $100 @ regular prices type: ssreflections15
If you would like to see your company spotlighted please contact us at info@ssreflections.com for information!
Be sure to check our sponsors websites often for monthly specials! Remember, without the VIP sponsors we wouldn't have S.S. Reflections for you to enjoy!
Would you like to be part of the best online magazine on the internet? We are actively seeking scrapbookers and digital designers. If you are interested in joining the SSR crew please send 5 samples of your work and a sample of your writing. Just write as though it will be your first article on SSR! You can write about a product you love, a subject that means a lot to you, or even using a color theme or a favorite technique. Send your writing sample in Word format (preferred) and your designs to editor@ssreflections.com
Please size your jpgs to 475 pixels (the longest side) so it is easier to send through email. You need to be aware before you apply that if you are chosen to be a member of the crew you agree to commit to our deadline for your submissions each month.
If you have any questions please don't hesitate to email me at editor@ssreflections.com and I will do all I can to help! If you applied once before don't hesitate to apply again!
We've shared all the exciting features on the Editorial Deck above so we will no longer include it in the "News On Deck" feature of the Welcome page.
Let's start with the Scrapping Deck:
Aparna's project this month is a gorgeous homemade tag album! As you know, Aparna lives in Hong Kong and doesn't have the access to the readily available products here in the United States so she created this album from scratch! Well, I live here in the States but I don't seem to have the time or resources to buy all these wonderful products myself so I am very excited about Aparna's tutorial! You can see the cover of her tag book to the right!
Jill is back from an extended time away due to work and school commitments and then back surgery! So, the good news is Jill is back to share her talent with us! Jill's feature this month is on Faux Stained Glass and she's created gorgeous cards to share with you! The bad news is we have to enjoy what we can now as Jill's work commitments have really increased and she's leaving SSR permanently. She is always welcome to come back and every once in a while I hope she will be able to share with us again!
Kelli is sharing a technique she learned from Martha Stewart. She's created paper roses out of coffee filters! Kelli's roses are absolutely gorgeous! When she first shared them with the crew we all insisted that she write an article on them to share with all of you! You are going to love these beautiful roses and what better time to share roses than the spring? You'll all want to get out in your gardens after this feature (just wait until after you've read all of SSR though okay?)
On our Digital Deck this month:
Laura Lou is continuing in her series of scraplifting a layout Aparna created with paper by creating a page digitally. This month the design is a layout Aparna did of her trip to Africa (a great subject don't you think?)! This is such a wonderful way to learn that paper scrapping and digital scrapping can work togoether!
Ramie has created a wonderful review on Sugarplum Paperie! Ramie won a contest sponsored by Sugerplum Paperie so she thought it would be fun to tell you all about this wonderful company! Check out the fabulous spring layout Ramie created using one of their kits to the right!
Yvonne found a great year in review 8x8 album download from Jessica Sprague that she is sharing with you! It's a quick and easy tutorial and in no time you'll have your own!
Now it's time for the Stamping Art Deck!
Flo's technique for this month's feature is on heat embossing. She has lots of little tips and tricks to talk you thru and encourage you to blow the dust off your heat tool! Just take a look at the card to the right for an example of one of Flo's designs this month!
Judy's review this month is on "Greeting Card Magic with Rubber Stamps" by MaryJo McGraw! MaryJo was a celebrity headliner guest on SSR a few years ago and we love having MaryJo on board SSR in any capacity! If you like to learn interesting techniques, this is a book for you. MaryJo says these techniques are simple and easy to master with just a little practice. To prove this...Judy has created some gorgeous cards to share with you!
Now for the news on the Altered Arts Deck!
Michaela's has gone to great lengths to feature our month on the East Coast of Africa. She's created a series of African cards using some gorgeous African animal stamps from Pink Cat Studios to share with you!
Michelle is remembering the decoupage creations she made in school a "few" years ago...Now, come to today and decoupage takes on a whole new meaning when altered art comes into play. Recycling old things and making something pretty from them can sometimes bring out the kid in me. You won't want to miss Michelle's fabulous feature or the project's she's created just for you!
Robin has created some gorgeous Mother's Day baubles with LuminArte’s Primary Elements-Simple Solution and Polished Pigments! These are gorgeous gifts that you too can make for the special lady in your life (Mother, Aunt, Grandmother). Just take a look to the beautiful heart to the right for inspiration!
We need more images on the SSR Interactive Reader's Gallery! So, share your work with us! We want to see all that you are doing at home! The Reader's Gallery is for you to showcase your scanned images, your photos and your digital layouts, stamped cards and altered projects! We want to see everything that you are creating! So, come on board and share what you are most proud of! The beautiful spring card featured to the right was created by Judy Cantrell using Posh Impressions images and shared on the Reader's Gallery mentioned above! We hope that you are inspired by all that was shared this month by both our professional designers and by our faithful readers who participate on the Yahoo! Ezine Group, and the Interactive Reader's Gallery!
As I've watched my daffodils and tuplips bloom and the green hue on the trees as they begin to leaf I have a feeling of renewal. SSR has been undergoing some changes, spring cleaning so to speak and re-organizing our house. The crew are so excited about some things that are happening and to be honest, It's all I can do not to jump up and down with excitement myself! We are going to be celebrating our 5th anniversary with a bang and we're bringing you right along with us! Even my boys are picking up on the excitement with a serious case of spring fever too! I wish they would extend that excitement to cleaning their rooms a bit more often but a Mom can only hope right? I've been collecting plants from our local freecycle group and I can't wait to get outside myself to do a little planting! So, spend some time re-energizine your muse with this fantastic spring edition of SSR! After all, it was created just for you!
Thank you once again for bringing SSR into your home. Be sure to print out the pop ups from your favorite designs and use it to create your own idea book. Then, share your interpretation with us on our Communications Deck!
One last thing...if you enjoy blogging I have a list of the crew's blog web addresses on my own blog and a list of some of our readers! If you'd like to be included in my list please let me know and send your url to me and I'll be sure to add it! I would love it if you'd participate in one of the polls I have set up every 5 days or so. I do have music on my blog though as it's important to me. Be sure to turn your speakers down if you aren't interested in hearing some of my favorites! You can find my blog by clicking Here!
Happy spring,
Cap'n Dawn
publisher@ssreflections.com
Publisher
Reflections Publishing Group
http://dawntheath.blogspot.com/
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