Challenge 12b - still...

Holy Cannoli! I scrapped TWO layouts in ONE night!! I moved onto ScRap SiStaZ Challenge 12b and I'm actually starting to feel somewhat current!! Woo Hoo!!

still...

Some observations about the process and the products used:

1. I think I just really like coordinated scrapbook KITS. This is a Chatterbox kit, and everything on the layout (papers, ribbon, bling, brad, letter stickers, flowers) came from the same kit. Makes crappin' such a snap.
2. This layout was put together lickity split. Thanks to the kit mentioned above, and thanks to the fact that I had already done the journaling over on my blog. I just turned it into a scrapbook page.
3. The photo was taken of me on the same day that the journaling/blogging was done. Not the best picture of me, but somewhat relevant to my journaling.
4. Since I still don't have a scallop border punch, I REFUSED to put any scallops on this page.
5. Again, not exactly like the inspiration layout...but these challenges aren't intended for us to necessarily create carbon copies, but to INSPIRE us.
6. So fun being inspired by and with my SiStaZ!!

Inspiration Layout:

Challenge 9a - double DELIGHT

Completing ScRap SiStaZ Challenge 9a was SO much fun. Especially after working 85 hours last week!! It was definitely a delightful way to spend an evening!!


double DELIGHT - double:
double DELIGHT - left:

double DELIGHT - right:



Some observations about the process and the products used:

1. I know I've said this before (maybe not on this blog), but, seriously, WHY do I scrap with anything other than CTMH scrapbook kits?!?! Adorable, coordinating papers and stickease (alpha, borders, and embellishment) stickers make putting layouts together a TOTAL snap.
2. Obviously, the papers and stickers are CTMH.
3. The E & I stickers are not really an E & I. The E & I in the Stickease set were a pale yellow color and wouldn't show up well on my yellow cardstock. So, for the E, I added the bottom of the Z to the bottom of the F (same pattern, luckily) and for the I, I trimmed down a T from a second Stickease set. Voila!
4. I used Picasa again, and the more I use it....the easier it gets!! I printed 6 vertical 4x6 collages, each containing 2 horizontal photos (like Amy, I take very few vertical shots).
5. It may not look exactly like the Inspiration Layout, but that's totally OK.
6. Honestly, could my darling niece and my ugly duckling son BE any cuter?? I don't think so.
   

Inspiration Layout:

Challenge 11b - Belcher Babes

Today I was able to do ScRap SiStaZ Challenge 11b before I had to start my 20 hour shift at work!! And since there is a break in the action here at the office, I thought I'd post my creation. Can't wait to get home and start working on another challenge.

Belcher Babes:

Some observations about the process and the products used:

1. I love these ladies.
2. Patterned Paper, and Cardstock are from SU!
3. I used "pearls" instead of ribbon. I'm a pack rat. I save everything. These "pearls" are from a broken costume jewelry necklace that broke easily 13 years ago. Then I stored them away in my craft area, for forever, and "voila" today they ended up on my page. I strung them back together on some thread, and they became a border on my page.
4. I think I need to go back and somehow identify each sister in each picture. And also mention that Shirley is missing from my wedding photo because she couldn't make it (I don't want someone 50 years from now to think she wasn't at the wedding because she wasn't "around" anymore...if you catch my drift)
5. My layout is similar to the inspiration, but not exact. I did try to keep the heart motif by layering it under my vellum quote.
6. I miss my mom. She's been in Florida for almost a month and we don't talk on the phone much. We should.
7. I miss my aunts, too. Most specifically Aunt Mary and Aunt Margaret who both moved to Florida a couple of years ago. The only aunts that still live in Michigan are my Aunt Shirley, who I never saw much outside of holidays, and my Aunt Dee, who now lives in a retirement/assisted living facility in Grand Rapids and is suffering from Alzheimer's. My Aunt Betty has always lived in another state (out west somewhere, then Alaska, now California). But, I do miss them all. Maybe I miss their youth.
8. Doing this page made me realize how much I miss them and how much they all mean to me.
9. Re-reading through the journaling, I have spotted a glaring grammatical error. Do I go back and fix it, or let it be? Let it be.

Inspiration Layout:

Challenge 10b - five random things about me

Moooovin' on Up! I'm up to ScRap SiStaZ Challenge 10!! Granted, I've only done one layout from challenges 5, 8, & 9, and now 10...but HEY! That's OK! I'll get back to them and do the second layout for each challenge....eventually!!

five random things about me (single) :

Some observations about the process and the products used:

1. I NEED A SCALLOP BORDER PUNCH!!
2. My layout is a bit different from the inspiration layout, but I used the same color scheme - gold, red, brown.
3. The flowers were punched from patterned paper to cover up some journaling boo-boos around the "m" - so I put a flower on the other side of the title to try and balance it a bit.
4. Not thrilled with my "five" in the title, but I won't obsess about it or anything.
5. Brown ribbon between the photo collage and the red cardstock was once be part of a pair of Jordyn's pants that she outgrew and they were not in a condition to donate. So, I salvaged the silky "ribbon". Acid free? Lignin free? Probably not. Plain old FREE? Definitely.
6. I made the photo collage in Picasa. So frustrating fun!! I just wish I could print on another size paper than 8.5 x 11. I mean, I know PICASA allows it, it's just a matter of what size photo paper I have on hand, and what my printer will allow.

Inspiration Layout:

Challenge 9b - Birds of a Feather

I thoroughly enjoyed putting this layout together for ScRap SiStaZ Challenge 9b.

Slowly but surely catching up on those challenges!!


Challenge 9b - Birds of a Feather (single):


Some observations about the process and the products used:

1. Patterned papers are from SU! And, in case I haven't mentioned it before, I LOVE LOVE LOVE that SU! papers are MADE IN THE USA! (Because SO many scrapbook products are not.)
2. The argyle ribbon beneath the photo is from CTMH. Taiwan material. Finished in China. (Which is where MOST scrapbook products are made, so I'm over it.)
3. The journaling on the photo would have been much easier and faster to do if I would have used Picasa (or something) and printed the picture with the text already on it. But I took the long, old fashioned route and used rub-ons.
4. I had so much fun paper piecing the bird together. I didn't even use a template. I just tried to mimic the bird in the inspiration layout as much as I could. I think it turned out pretty cute.
5. Kevin is 50% Irish. He is also 50% Polish.
6. I am 100% American mutt.

Inspiration Layout:

Challenge 8b - Two Cute

Tina just posted ScRap SiStaZ Challenge 12 today, but I'm just now getting around to Challenge 8!! A liiiiiiittle behind.

But that's OK. I'm scrapping, and that's what counts. And what ALSO counts is that by completing this layout, I have finished Owen's birthday album!! Well, at least through birthday number 4. He turns 5 in April at which time I will scrap his 5th birthday and immediately add it to his birthday album. This layout is from his second birthday (more on that later).

Birthday album 1 of 3 complete - Goal 1 of 3 accomplished. I have until Agust to finish Liam's Birthday album, and until December to finish Jordyn's. I can do eeeeeeet!

Two Cute (single layout):

Two Cute (with journaling card removed from behind Owen's Photo....you know I LOVE me some journaling!):

Some observations about the process and the products used:

1. Even though I'm a circle girl, I used my scallop punch instead of my circle punch because I already had a bunch of green and yellow scallops punched out (when I have odd shaped scraps at the end of a project, I often get out my punches and punch shapes to be used at a later date...and today was that date!)
2. How fun to use almost ALL scraps for this layout...save for the background piece of white cardstock. Now THAT is SCRAPbooking!
3. Assembling the layout took longer than I expected it to. hmmm.
4. I don't use buttons very often, and while I like the product, I don't like the process of using them. Too time consuming for me. I'm a wam bam thank you ma'am kind of girl...when it comes to scrapping, anyway. geesh.
5. The title font for the word "Two" comes from my Cricut via the Don Juan cartridge gone awry. Another Cricut lesson learned...move it away from the wall before use (yes, I know it says that in the instruction manual, but I didn't actually retain the instructions).
6. The "Cute" part of the title are chipboard alphas.
7. Yes, I know that it really should be "Too Cute", but using the title "Two Cute" is a play on words since this is a picture of him on his Two birthday. (yes, I know that was grammatically incorrect as well).
8. I love Owen dearly, but we have always jokingly referred to him as our ugly duckling (which I can say, because he is the spitting image of me when I was a baby, but no one else can say that he's the ugly duckling because he's not the spitting image of any of them...well, except for my mom). Anyway, while I do truly seriously think he's a cutie, I really honestly do, he looks like a special needs child in this particular photo.
9. So, then, you might ask, why did I use THIS picture of him since he looks like a SPED?!?! (sorry, Amy!) Well, it's because I have VERY few pictures of this birthday, and the few that I DO have are all very blurry. Very blurry indeed. Kind of like my memory, or lack thereof, for this event. How pathetic is that?! Mother of the year. If I wouldn't have had those blurry photos to refer back to, I would have NO idea what we did to celebrate his second birthday. Fortunately the photos sparked some "memories", even though I really don't remember this party. And no, I wasn't drinking. I just don't remember it. Weird.
10. And no, I wasn't drinking when I scrapped tonight, either, despite the fact that I scallop punched through my first pass at the journaling card (which I liked better than the neon green I ended up with). It was originally printed on double sided patterned paper, and it was on my table with the text side facing down. So, I picked it up and scallop punched it, not realizing it was my journaling card. Kind of hard to use a journaling tag when you've punched out a big portion of the story.

And with that, I'll call it a night.

Challenge 8b Inspiration Layout:

Challenge 7a - flippin' the BIRD

HOLY CRAP! I SCRAPPED!

It's been almost a month since I scrapped and posted a layout. WAAAAAY too long!!

Although I had already completed ScRap SiStaZ Challenge 7 (7b - You Rock), I went ahead and did 7a because this layout seemed best suited to the subject I had in mind.

I still need to catch up on Challenges 8, 9, & 10. Hopefully I can get going on some of those soon!!

I certainly won't wait another MONTH to scrap again!!

flippin' the BIRD - double:

flippin' the BIRD - left:

flippin' the BIRD - right:

Some observations about the process and the products used:

1. I wanted to use some cute bird paper, but I didn't have any. So, I downloaded this free bird & branch paper piecing template. What an ECONOMICAL way to embellish!
2. Patterned paper & Chipboard alphas & leaves are from an enormous kit I bought from Lisa B on QVC a couple years ago. It was fun to use a set that already coordinated.
3. I flipped the direction of the inspiration layout so that the wallets are horizontal instead of vertical and put the title along the bottom instead of along the side.
4. I replaced the paper pieced pumpkin with a photo and included a journaling block and paper pieced bird & branch.
5. Scrapbooking is WAAAAAAY more fun than Spring Cleaning.
6. Speaking of birds, a bird just slammed into my office window. I hope he's OK.

Challenge 7a Inspiration Layout: