Bright Eyes

This is one of those layouts that just doesn't look as good online as it does in person. Maybe tomorrow I can get a sunshine picture of it. But I love it. I was hesitant to put in two pictures, hate to go against the odds rules, but the idea couldn't be resisted. I love these pics and my baby's bright eyes. Using my new star border punch with these pictures for the punch challenge at Practical Scrappers worked great. One more example of how the PS blog continues to give me great results!

Part II of the paper challenge

This was a fun card to make! These papers are youthful and make me smile.

Change

Tonight Christine and I were talking about the blog and how it has changed us as scrappers. Not in a bad way, just change. We are both getting more pictures scrapped and feel good about our designs. I know I've been "challenged" to try materials and techniques that I wouldn't have used without the site. I love that. It's making me a better scrapper.

But what also came up was making sure we stay focused on what we love about scrapbooking. I love the creative process and the challenging of myself, and I need to make sure I'm not getting distracted by the pressure to create something amazing. When I sit down, alone, and CREATE, I learn something about myself, I relax, and I find some fulfillment. I reflect on the photos and the people in them; the events and the way life has changed since then. I gather my ideas and I create something that reflects not only who I am, but the values and interests of my family.

If I'm scrapping for others, this is going to change.

Practical Scrappers was started because scrapbooking is a great hobby that can help us find meaning when sometimes it's buried under housekeeping, busy schedules, bills, and daily frustrations. Christine knows how great scrapping is and wanted to challenge people to use what they have - their own materials AND their own ideas - to create something for their families, and for themselves.

I'm so thankful I've gotten to be a part of this, and thankful that we can help keep each other focused on what this hobby is all about. Take away the blogs, take away the followers, take away the magazines, I'd still be scrapping. It brings me joy and IT helps me stay focused on how great my life is. And I don't want that to change.

Perfect

Christine handed out the same paper to 5 or 6 of us at Practical Scrappers and then we all did layouts with them to show how the same paper can be used in so many different ways. It was a great challenge. Just enough guidance, plenty of freedom.

This is more freedom than I usually take. I was inspired by a layout I saw in Creating Keepsakes (again; I know! it's weird for me!) and so I stepped out of my box - as Practical Scrappers has led me to do over and over - and found this layout hidden inside me. :)

I've had this picture for years and I'm glad that the layout turned out this way. It needed special treatment.

Great Love Chipboard Album

This summer my Aunt Colleen turned 60. I was commissioned by Aunt Kay to create a book for her celebrating all things Colleen. What a privilege. My aunt is amazing. She has overcome so much and remains a loving, welcoming, forgiving woman that we can all learn from.

Not sure how I feel about the quality of the pictures here. But I wanted to share some highlights from it. I've been making mini-albums for years. I created mini albums and gift albums long before I started making my own books. But this was my first chipboard album, and I was nervous about it. It was fun to work with a new material - as it usually is!

Mini albums are so fulfilling to me. I love them because it's easy to apply a theme, which gives me more guidance and direction. Making them as gifts gives me added gratification. Some old pictures and meaningful words, and you've really got a gift.

Love it.

Imagine.. office supplies!

This week's challenge at Practical Scrappers is to use office supplies on a project. This card came together in very little time and was fun to make. I'm on the fence about whether the office supplies are forced, or not, but I think I like it. The imagine quote is "If you can imagine it you can achieve it." I was thrilled to find that I had made a card that would work for a graduation. Those seem to be ones I struggle with a lot.

The really fun thing was, though, getting to use some of my favorite office supplies. I love using staples all the time. And being the office supply junkie I am, this summer when I found these chunky black paperclips on clearance at Staples, I had to get them. Plus, you can't tell, but the spiral paper is from one of my favorite bound books with nice heavy paper. As a journaler, my paper is important to me. :)

Did I just make up the word journaler? :) Surely not.

Lace Cardstock

I'm behind on posts!! Yikes!

Ok, so here's my layout from Practical Scrappers challenge (last week!:) to use lace cardstock. I love these pictures of Sophia and me when she was sooo little! We were in Canada visiting family and I was excited to take Sophie on an international trip before she was even 1! :) That summer she also visited Washington DC. This is one traveled little girl!

Anyway, it was fun to use this paper, and not really something I would have done left to my own devices. Good stuff!

Sophia's Turn

My daughter is 5 and I think she has It. It's that knack for knowing where to place the next eyelet. It's the confidence to add a sticker or a flower and feel like it made the layout perfect.

She has it. :) And I'm thrilled.

She's been scrapping with me for over a year now. Often when I sit down to work, she pulls up a chair also. She prefers not to work with photos most of the time.. creating a card, or just a "page." It's papercrafting at its most innocent, most honest and sincere. It's art.

The other day when I was working on my layout for Practical Scrapper's challenge to use decorative edge scisssors, I invited her to join me. I explained the challenge to her and she accepted it. I convinced her to pick out a picture that she likes, to use as a focal point. Of course at that moment I was called away to assist the younger child in some activity or problem. By the time I got back, she had created her scalloped edge mat, added the picture, and glued on her diecuts. I was delighted! She asked for help adding her heart trim at the top. By the time we finished that, I was called away again, and returned to find some personal artwork at the bottom, and the word ZOO in a variety of places. :)

To finish it off, she agreed that she would give the picture a caption and add some eyelets.

I know I'm partial. But indulge me. It's fun to celebrate our children and their creations!!

More Scissors!

I opened up my January issue of CARDS and quickly found some inspiration from Lisa Truesdell for a card using decorative scissors and one of my favorite things - scraps. The paper is Fresh Print Pear by Deja Views. And I love this sentiment.

Wouldn't have done this without Practical Scrappers! Yeah!

Old School

This week at Practical Scrappers the challenge is to use decorative edged scissors on your layout. That's right - this week it's old-school scrappin.

I was excited about this when I sat down. It gave me an excuse to just have fun with my layout. Lately there has been a lot of structure on my layouts, and I've been wanting to do something a little more abstract. I enjoyed making some funky edges on some various paper. I didn't feel pressure to not screw up whatever valuable material I was using. I just scrapped. Found some great pictures and some refreshing paper, and scrapped.

Not only was this easy for me, but Sophia had her hand at it as well. I'll post that layout later this week, proving the ease and fun that can be had with good 'ol paper and scissors.

P.S. I used a Crafter's Workshop template for the circle around my journaling and Eyelet Outlet sent us the funny little worm! :)

Transparency?

Oh yeah, from a LONG time ago. But thanks to Practical Scrappers, I took the challenge and used it! And I'm pleased with the results..