I've been on a scrapbook blog challenge roll this weekend people! Three posts in one weekend, pretty impressive, huh? You don't get many productive weekends like this, so you've got to brag about 'em when you can!
Looking at all the challenges out there has really motivated me. For this particular challenge - Color Me Scrappy's theme was "Baked Hues." The winner receives a $20 gift card to The Beary Scrap! I had never heard of them, but now that I've checked out the site, they are getting bookmarked! Some great sale prices.
I really appreciate the deep tones of this color palette and my thoughts went immediately to some pics taken during a day at Longwood Gardens with some of my favorite folks. It was a September afternoon, the weather was crisp, the flowers were beautiful and we had a great time.
I used Crate Paper's "Acorn Avenue" collection as my paper motivation for this layout. I absolutely adore this collection that I picked up from The Paper Crown in Oklahoma City. I don't know about you, but when I go out of town, I always try to find a local scrapbook store (that, and a Diners Drive-Ins and Dives location). The Paper Crown is a great little scrapbook boutique, they carried tons of awesome stuff the chains don't have, and the owner was great. I did at least three laps of the store.
The rules of the challenge encouraged layers, so I used some corners that were attached with the WRMK Crop-A-Dile III, some bling, and some old school BasicGrey chipboard monograms letters. I've made a challenge to myself not to buy any more supplies until CKC Lancaster 2013, so it feel good having used these monograms that I've had for at least 4 years. I'm also so proud of myself for using Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist on them. I always buy it when I see it used in other projects, but am never thrilled with how it comes out on my layouts (don't you hate that?). In this case, worked pretty well. I also attached "one fine" with Making Memories metal alpha eyelets onto the letters for more layering.
Not being a big fan of the one pic per pay styles, I had to make this into a two-page spread. On the corresponding page I did a simple grid layout (always a great "go-to") and layered some of the elements and photos on this page as well.
I'm really getting into this challenge thing! Wish me luck!
Since I couldn't enter my last creation as a challenge, I worked all weekend on creating a project that would work with the challenge I came across on Challenge Me Happy - A Scrapbooking Challenge Site That Will Inspire You!... and it worked, I was inspired.
This is my first time posting to their blog, but after perusing their previous postings, I quickly signed up. I liked the fact that you post using a theme, and not necessarily a brand. So when I saw typography, I knew this would work! If you're like me, you have a lot of letters... of different sizes, colors and mediums. You purchase multiple Cricut and/or Slice cartridges of various fonts, you've got letter brads, you've got Thickers, you had the old-school Sizzix font dies. A great title can make the page or a cover - and I love using titles, quotes and captions to kick off the theme of the project.
I used three different types of letters:
- Making Memories metal letter charms
- American Crafts Dear Lizzy chipboard letters
- Echo Park This & That alpha letters
The album is a long one, around 10 inches, and about 4 inches tall. All of the pages are tag shaped. I used Echo Park's "This & That" collection for the entire album, along with flowers, bling, ribbons, buttons, brads, eyelets, chipboard, etc. from various manufacturers. All of my pages and edges were inked and I pull ribbon through most of the tags. "MOST" is put on a scrap piece and raised with some foam squares. I enjoyed stuffing this baby full of fun stuff.
I went to pinterest for some inspiration on my cover quote, and after wasting 25 minutes also staring at food, closets, cats and martinis, settled on "What Matters Most."
This album will be great for just about any photos - family, heritage, love, holidays... decisions, decisions.
Challenge #1 - check!
So, I have to be honest. The following project was created as an entry in a challenge for the create blog challenge: make something using Teresa Collins products. I THOUGHT I had the perfect thing in mind - a mini album I had started but still needed finishing touches. I set about completing it. Pretty excited about it too. The rules for the challenge indicated I was to either video or take pics of the process... well, I kind of slacked on that (I forgot to stop in between and snap photos!... I was on a roll people!)... Anyway, that however, is not why I could not, repeat not, enter said challenge - the paper I was using was not Teresa Collins, but Heidi Swapp. Oh snap! So yeah, no, not entering that challenge. I did a quick google search to see if there were any Heidi Swapp challenges out there - cause I'm ready! And since I created this blog because my so-called scrapping buddy, La-Vie, refused to post any more of my challenge entries on her blog, I had to go ahead and post the damn thing. Let me know if you are aware of a Heidi Swapp challenge going on!
I used Heidi Swapp's "Sugar Chic" collection which I adore because it is modern fancy, fun, and fabulous with animal prints, flowers, and chevron stripes. My album is mixed media: chipboard, acrylic, and some felt I bought at CKC Lancaster 2012 for like, $1 - bargain, hello! I then used a various assortment of doo-dads, ribbon and other accoutrements. Sorry, my pics aren't the best, but I think my white t-shirt was a good substitute for a light box... well, maybe not. One thing I'm not happy with is the rings. I think I need bigger rings, and I was doing that multi-ring with misc. page size thing, which in theory, is awesome, but if you can't measure real great, can be a bit problematic. It is okay though, I'm going to try to some larger rings and make it work. Think of any mistakes as personalizing! I mean, if it looks like it is perfect, why not just buy one of those generic pre-made albums?
I love the random sizes and random media of the pages. I also kind of love the fact that it is a bit too much, but not too much - if I do say so myself. I tried to remember to ink all my edges, and to leave some space for pictures and journalizing (yes, this is scrapbook lingo)! I love the over done pages I see all over the web, but I need some blank space to actually put some pictures down people! And I'm not a big fan of the whole one pic per page thing, I mean, I've done it, I do it, but not a lot. There are too many pictures out there for that mess, not to mention sometimes the page is so awesome it takes away from the picture.
Enjoy and thanks for checking it out!
Okay, I didn't want to have an empty blog, so I am just saying that something is coming up soon!
