Love Always Layout

Hi guys! Today I'd like to tell you about a new challenge blog I found. I love these challenge blogs, not just because they do have GREAT prizes, but also because I get inspired by the projects the DT post...and the other bloggers who enter the challenges. It's very cool to see how many different ideas you can get from a simple theme like "Flowers" or "Sentiments only" , etc. I love it! :)
So on to the challenge blog. It's called "Unique Crafter's Challenges". The challenges last for a month...and then they have a draw for a great giveaway! :) Like wow!!! :)

This month the challenge is "Anything Goes". That's pretty simple, eh??? So basically all you have to do is link up your latest project....and you get entered to win the prize! Totally cool. You can enter up to THREE different projects.

Today I am entering a scrapbook layout that I made for an 8x8 album. It's very simple scrapbooking, but I've come to realize that pages can be over-stuffed with embellishments, pictures, etc. I tend to stick to simple pages that let the pictures do the talking...cause for me that's the whole idea of scrapbooking in the first place! :)
Here's my page. It's a two-page layout.

close ups:

Details: 

   ....I hand doodled the butterflie's path...

   ......the quote is a rub-on.......

....I used the Fiskars "In Stitches" border punch to create my own film strip. :)

used:
Colorbok Paper & embellishments
(not sure about the dotten paper)
Fiskars "In Stitches" border punch
rub on quote
Clear/White Bling! :)
As always, I love showcasing great giveaways I find on blogs I follow. It's a chance to win some FABULOUS crafting goodies -- for free -- and it's soo easy to join. All you have to do is go to their blog, and follow the "rules" they have set up for their giveaway. Simple. Easy. And you could be the lucky winner as they are all random draws! How cool is that! :) Here's what you could win:

Interested??? Head on over to The Crafter's Reference Blog and add your name to the linky :)

Kitten Fun

My cousin's children came to visit us during the Christmas holidays. My cat had just had a litter of six kittens about a month before, and the kiddies were so excited. Here's one of my latest layouts -- just random pictures of the kiddies and the kittens. Some of these pictures are soooooo funny! The poor little kittens had to endure a lot during those two days -- especially from the youngest one! LOL

Mini Scrapbook part 2

Here's the second half of my first-ever 6x6 scrapbook album. The "film strip" I used was created using the Fiskars "In Stitches" border punch. TFL :)

This layout is of the launch of Space shuttle Atlantis at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

gfg

Crafty Cat: Your Choice -- Open 

Mini Scrapbook part 1

Hi there! I found this brand new 6x6 scrapbook album in a second hand store for a few cents, and decided "why not?". I've never scrapped any pages smaller than 12x12, so it was a little new to me. But I had soooo much fun! :) I decided to go with a trip my parents took back in 2002 -- pictures that we basically looked through once (when they got home) and then stashed the cd full of pictures away. Definitely not the ideal place to put pictures - especially of a trip like that! :p So I brought them out -- printed over 160 pics, and scrapped away. :) Here's a look at my layouts.

WARNING: This is a photo heavy blog entry!!! TFL :)

 

One of my favourite layouts of the whole album:

I've always loved the look of a film strip in a scrapbook. Because these pages are 6x6 -- I was able to get the film strip effect using my Fiskar In Stitches border punch. I don't think it would work so well on big pages, 'cause then the punching would look like stitches -- but because these pages are so small, and so are the photos, it totally worked! I love this effect!!! As you will notice when looking thru the rest of the album! LOL ( I used it A LOT!!!) :p

Sir Stampalot Challenge -- Travel The World
Totally Gorjuss -- For Someone Special 
>>> I made this scrapbook for my parents
All Sorts Challenge -- Anything Goes

Shades of Blue

Do you have a favourite colour when crafting??? Honestly I love purple...but if you'd look through my scrapbooks you would never know it! LOL Instead the blues will pop out! I'm always short on shades of blue papers. :)

Which gets me to my latest creation -- my latest Shades of Blue page.

I've been wanting to create a layout with photos from this family vacation way back in 2000 for like forever! I've had them all lined up in a photo album...but it's not the same as a scrapbook layout. But sometimes I just can't make myself cut up photos!!! LOL Or maybe it just takes some time for the idea to grow...

But I finally decided to go for it! In fact, the first photo I cut up, I went like really fancy! :) The photo was taken looking through a railing...giving it a unique shape...which I figured would look interesting, especially when outlined by borders. I used my Fiskar "In Stitches" border punch to outline the photo as well...and just loved the look! From that moment on, cutting the rest of the photos I wanted to use in the layout was easy! :) No, I don't have 4x6 photos anymore, but the layout looks great! :)

I added some big "family" rubons I've had in my stash just waiting for this layout. Don't rubons rock!!! I love them -- especially when they're like phrases and stuff! It's so awesome to simply rub on the message/quote rather than writing or printing it out.

So there you have it -- TFL :)

Two Blue

This is the first two page layout I made of our blue berry picking trip this summer. I still want to find a few embellishments that having something to do with blueberries (if possible) to add  all over the pages. But for now, this is as good as it gets. :)

What do you think???

Fun in the Sun

I been wanting to scrap some pictures from a trip a small group of us went on in the summer of 2006, but I thought I'd lost them all when our computer crashed about a year ago...and with it went many of my photos. Then a few days ago, I was sorting through some photos on my friend's computer, when I came across the trip pictures!!! Apparently I had given them to her as well...and totally forgot about it!!! But man was I impressed!!! :) I printed about 50+ of them right away...and now I'm having a blast scrapping some layouts!!! :)

Here's the first one I made.

We had a two day online crop at Fiskateers.com and one of the challenges was to lift a layout from the gallery. This layout was my lift. I had such a blast -- but then my excitement over finding the photos at all just makes it all the more fun!!! LOL :) TFL.

A New Look

A few scrapper friends and I went to see a lady who's been a distributor for Creative Memories scrapping products. Honestly, I wasn't too impressed with the line -- my #1 reason being that the papers are a strange size -- 10 x 12 instead of the common 12 x 12 (which is the size I scrap). So if I really liked a certain paper, I had to take at least two sheets, just so I could create a 12 x 12 paper!!! But I ended up bying quite a lot of papers, simply because right now I haven't been able to get to the city...and I have so many photos waiting to be scrapped!!!!

While we were there, we asked to look at a scrapbook she had made -- just for ideas. I love looking at other people's books -- it's amazing how many different styles are out there! And while I may not love the style, there are always little things you can learn or take from the different styles. :) So anyways, this lady did a lot with border designs. It was the first time I had ever seen these -- and I liked it! She had a few paper sets (apparently the border designs are pre-cut)...and I bought one.

This is the first layout I've put together using the papers. This is a pretty simple one -- and yes, she did have more than plain papers, but for this layout I wanted it pretty basic. I absolutely love the border design on the outsides -- it makes the page leap out! I may have seen these pages so often...but everytime I page though my album...I stop and take a second look!!! LOL I guess that says something...

The letters are also from the Creative Memories line. They're great to work with -- not too sticky...and if you place it wrong, you can take it off and set it right...without tearing up your layout! That's the best thing I've seen from this line -- if I ever have another chance, I'd buy more letters...they rock!!! :)

I still want to add some journaling -- in the center of the second page. :) TFL

** I found a challenge to enter into -- Create a layout with NO PATTERNED PAPERS. Perfect for this layout!  >>Noel Mignon's Challenge Blog<<

Blooming Beauties

I was going through the pictures I have to scrap on the computer when I came across the file containing pictures I'd taken of the greenhouse in full bloom. Definitely scrap-worthy!!! :) By the time I had selected all the flowers I wanted to showcase I had a two page display!!! But that's ok! They're all too gorgeous not to be seen...and what better way to show off the blooms than in a scrapbook!!! :) My mom and I had a blast with these flowers -- although she did like 90% of the work -- I did help!!! Transplanting, watering, etc. It's a busy time of the year, but I love it! Just hanging out in the greenhouse during those cold winter days makes spring seem so much closer!! And who can resist these gorgeous blooms!!!

I was gonna add some embellishments, but by the time I had all the photos lined up, there wasn't much room for anything else! But the flowers are so bright and cheerful -- the pages really don't need anything!

I absolutely love the big top photo! :)

The only little bit of "extra" I added to the page...lifted the title to make it 2D.

Happy Canada Day everyone!!!

Special Moments

My grandmother passed away a year ago next month. It was a hard time for all of us...she was such a remarkable and wonderful woman. For the past year I've been working on creating a layout in remembrance of her. But it's been a challenge...

During the funeral, the minister read an eulogy written by family and friends. Basically it was compiled of various memories people had of my grandmother...through the years. I knew I definitely wanted that as part of the layout -- and of course there was the remembrance card. But other than that, I had no idea what I wanted.

I printed the eulogy out on two smaller sheets of paper...trying to get them to fit in my layout. But even then, I realized I'd have to create a two-page layout 'cause there wasn't enough space! That just complicated things even more!

Then there was the layout itself. It ha to be extra special -- I guess that's why it took a whole year to come up with anything! Every idea I had, "wasn't good enough!" and I didn't even know what I wanted the final layout to be like! It was frustrating...but slowly the ideas came...and I just added what I liked...and set it aside until I came up with the next thing! LOL Talk about a process!!!

I was trying to find some rub-ons -- some extra bigs ones -- with a "remember" or "memories" theme. No such luck! Then I found some smaller memories themed rub-ons in the Dollarama. They weren't exactly what I had in mind...I was thinking BIGGER...but I moved on.

I chose to spell out some words with letters I had in my stash...just to give the page some dimension instead of just having rub-ons.

I have this picture frame with the quote "Remember the moments...the laughter, the happiness, & good times." I've always loved the quote -- it made me think of my grandma -- especially this past year. She's gone...and we can't bring her back, but we can remember the moments! I have such wonderful memories of her.. they're what I hold on to. So I thought I'd add the quote -- 'cause that's what she would want us to do. To remember her...but not to give up living. Life goes on...and so will grandma's legacy!

So I guess this project is now over! TFL