About May Flaum

May Flaum is a long time Big Picture Classes instructor who has been published in numerous magazines and books and is the co-author of Paper + Pixels: Scrapbook Layouts. Her latest book, Scrapbook Workshop, was published in August 2011 by Memory Makers books. Over the course of her career she has taught classes around the United States as well as managed a scrapbook store and worked with numerous scrapbook companies in a variety of positions.

You can read more about her and her crafting adventures at her blog, Confessions of a Chocoholic.

Get Kit-tastic with May!

September 4, 2012 by 35 Comments

[Today Scrapbook Update welcomes back former Contributing Editor May Flaum, to share why she loves using kits in her scrapbooking, and to give away a seat in her upcoming Big Picture Classes workshop! - Nancy ]

Whether you have been scrapbooking for years or are new to the hobby, one thing that we can all benefit from is using kits in our crafting lives. I’m a big fan of incorporating kits (both homemade and purchased) into your scrapbooking because I find that it is a great way to use up your stash, get creative with how you mix up supplies, and try new combinations and find unexpected ideas as well.

scrapbook kit close-up

Hi there – I’m May Flaum and today I’m here to share some thoughts on kits, as well as giving away a spot in my upcoming Big Picture class Kit-tastic. One question that I get a lot is – why would you make or buy general crafting kits? It is a good question, and so today I thought I’d address the reasons that I choose to craft with kits on a regular basis. [Read more...]

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Noteworthy | 3.30.2012

March 30, 2012 by 4 Comments

International craft month is coming to the end, new CHA released products continue to arrive in stores, and inspiration is springing up everywhere. From new classes to tutorials, special events to videos there was a lot to check out this week. All signs point to a fantastic year for papercrafting in 2012, so let’s dig into this week’s noteworthy stories:

Let’s begin with a tutorial that makes creating a stitched flower so easy – and in a way I never thought of doing. The always inspiring Rebecca Sower posted a very detailed and easy to follow tutorial on free-motion flower stitching. Sharing a lot of photos and helpful tips, I can now imagine creating my own flowers with some fabric scraps and a bit of time. Perhaps making these will become my new ‘while I watch TV’ project.

[Read more...]

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Noteworthy | 3.23.2012

March 23, 2012 by 8 Comments

Things are warming up, and the paper crafting world is full of inspiring ideas, tutorials, new challenges, and even the announcement of a new e-book that will include Scrapbook Update editor Nancy Nally!

Let’s begin with a breathtaking tutorial on how to use Distress markers to stamp and create this beautiful card. Personally I’d frame Richele Christensen’s finished project instead! This would be perfect for a butterfly, flower, or any image really. I love the look and her photography of the steps and how-to instruction is concise and easy to understand. I am always amazed by her projects.

Jennifer McGuire shared a really interesting folded ribbon card on the May Arts blog this week, and it really caught my eye. Chevrons, banners, and twine are very popular right now, and this card combines the look of all three things.

My current favorite ribbon is this chevron twill. The colors are delicious, it is high quality and it seems to go with any type of project. For this card, I used a ribbon folding technique to add some fun interest and texture.

The post includes a video with how-to instruction, and the technique could easily be used as an embellishment on a scrapbook page, journal cover, or other project as well. [Read more...]

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Noteworthy | 3.16.2012

March 16, 2012 by 2 Comments

Now halfway through March, both Easter and St. Patrick’s Day holiday, as well as floral, spring, rainy day, and other seasonal subjects are popping up on blogs everywhere. Inspiration is plentiful, and lots of exciting things are going on.

The Pink Paislee blog is always full of inspiration, what I really enjoyed this week is the gold, cream, and green “color crush” series they have had this week. This card and decorated tin by design team member Jess Mutty really stood out for me. Her use of a wide mix of products by Pink Paislee as well as the color and metallic mediums she used to accent her project really caught my eye. [Read more...]

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Noteworthy | 3.9.2012

March 9, 2012 by 4 Comments

It has been a quiet week around the scrapbook world – no major announcements or huge batches of new products hitting store shelves, but it’s been an inspiring week never the less. I believe that many creative people are gearing up for winter’s end and the beginning of spring, while store owners make room for the massive amounts of new product that may be arriving as I type this.

Yes, with the new CHA goodies hitting store shelves and spring break approaching, blogs lighting up with pastels and Easter ideas and flowers beginning to grow – it’s hard for me not to love early March. Here’s a look at some inspiration for you this week:

On Jenni Bowlin’s JBS Mercantile blog this week designer Ranjini Malhotra shared a how-to for taking metal tart tins and turning them into cute Easter baskets. There are a lot of variations that could be created, and with the holiday being less than a month away now, it’s that time of year to be looking at inspiration! [Read more...]

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