Happy New Year!

I hope everyone enjoyed last month’s issue, our largest ever.

Beginning this year, each month will have 4 themes. Our themes for January are Hobbies, Music, Winter and Year in Review.

Dr. Irit Shalom, as part of her family scrapbooking, shows us how to scrap our childhood photos with Rock on Babe. Linda Abadie creates a storybook of Christmas album displaying 7 unique pages. Kay Williamson, one of our new designers, captures the excitement of a “Snow Day” just like when you were a kid.. Spellbinders’ “ Beautiful Girl" layout - the ultimate pinks and lace and everything girlie - was created using the Grand Ovals and Grand Big Scalloped Ovals.

This month’s Meet the Artist features Leslie Ohnstad, who invented LuminArte Radiant Pearls, Twinkling H2Os, Radiant Rain sprays and pourables, Silks iridescent acrylic glazes and more. Take a moment to view her beautiful work. Then, let’s travel to the Aaland Islands, archipelago between Finland and Sweden to view Playin’ in the Snow from our newest artist Susanna Granroth. Remember Art Camp as a kid; the fun, the paint fights? Well, Lisa Swift captures a magical moment of her daughter’s when splatter painting got a wee bit out of hand at art camp one day.

Ever live somewhere where it rarely snows? So when it does, something special happens. Pam Bray scrapbooks such an event with a double page layout. Or maybe, like Carolyn Lontin, you are lucky enough to live somewhere where snow is the norm and you enjoy Winter Fun all the time. Basic Techniques teaches us how to overcome being overwhelmed by scrapbooking with Square One: Instead

Winter in Bejing, shows us how cold it sometimes gets even on the Great Wall of China. Our Digital Scrapbooking Corner article is very creative with its “page within a page” layout. January is the month of new beginnings and resolutions. Many of us have resolved to get our craft area organized. So why not use your Pazzles Inspiration to make organizers that are not only functional, but pretty too? Every Christmas is magical! Bellaidea Agnieszka scrapbooks that wonderful time after Christmas dinner when her children play piano together. Our Photography & Framing article, Black and White by Sarah Parker, of friends competing in a Triathlon is a must see.

Looking for something to do with your little ones. Our Crafting with Kids this month is a fun Christmas Mini Album project. Hobbies help make our life meaningful and this month’s theme Hobbies brings some great ideas. Our next theme Music shares those talents we all enjoy either by doing or listening. January and Winter go hand in hand and our design team brings us 3 great winter layouts. Our last theme Year in Review by Carolyn Lontin remembers the year through the 4 different seasons.

Artistic creativity to you all.

Stefan Harlan
Editor in Chief
editor@a-z.com