...SPRING: MY FAVORITE...

I don't consider myself to be much of an artsy person. My great-grandmother was a terrific painter and my girls have got that artistic gene as well, but it got lost with me.

I really do enjoy artsy scrapbook layouts, but again, I'm not great at it. So when I work with more artsy collections from designers, I feel like it's a big struggle. Their collections are beautiful, but I always feel like I don't do them justice. This is the case with this layout. I'm sure a more artistic person could create some amazing layouts with this collection, but that person isn't me. I followed one of the two templates included and I'm mostly happy with the result.

I know I've professed my love for Fall over and over and over again, but listen, Spring follows very closely behind Fall for my favorite season, so the title isn't exactly a lie. Also, the whole 'favorite' thing is more of a nod to my favorite flower: a tulip.

SUPPLY LIST

TEMPLATE: Joy to Everything by Carol W. Designs
COLLECTION: Joy to Everything by Carol W. Designs

Read More

...AUNT KAREN...

I didn't have as much free time, as I would have liked to have had during March. But I did try to do a few things for the Scrapathon at Gingerscraps. One such challenge I did, somewhat at the last minute, was the Inspiration Challenge. The rules were simple:

1. Make a layout that honors someone that inspires you.

2. Use only a single photo.

3. Use "White Space" in your layout.

I was fine with everything except that whole, 'white space' thing. I don't really love most white-space layouts. I'm not really of a minimalist mindset, so it's a struggle. I decided to search through my template folder and I found a template that would work for this challenge. It may not have as much white space as others, but for me - it worked.

As I was thinking of people who inspire me (and there are many), I felt like I should focus on my aunt. Last November she celebrated her 80th birthday. It's a huge milestone and I cannot believe she is 80. To look at her and spend any amount of time with her, you quickly realize her attitude and demeanor defy her age. She's still hiking and hanging out with the youth of our church and shows no sign of slowing down. I know there's a certain image and ideal that comes with the name Karen, and it makes me a little sad because my Aunt Karen doesn't fit into that ideal. I get why the joke came around and find myself using it as times, as well. I'm not perfect.

My aunt has always been a huge part of my life. She resembles my mom (they ARE sisters) and so I think early on there was some comfort in that. My aunt's youngest daughter is a couple of years younger than me, but because we were the only girls in that age group, we became friends and I spent a lot of time at my aunt's house. Aside from the many sleepovers, my aunt never let an important day in my life go by. Even if she wasn't there personally, she did something to let me know she was thinking of me. At some point in my childhood years, I remember looking up at her and telling myself that I wanted to be like her one day. I still want to be like her. I hope I can still do things like hike and hang out with teenagers without skipping a beat when I'm 80.

SUPPLY LIST

TEMPLATE: Signs of Spring by Gingerbread Ladies
COLLECTION: Time Together by Connie Prince
FONTS: Happy Birthday (Word Strips) and Autumn Celebrate (Journaling)

Read More

...EASTER FUN...

 After so many years of scrapbooking and taking pictures, it gets hard to come up with creative titles for pages. I'm sure by the time I'm done with my scrapbook career, I'll have reused many a title.

This layout was made on a last-minute deadline. As a CT member of Gingerscraps, we have certain criteria we are supposed to meet each month and well, I was going to be short if I didn't get my butt in gear and get this layout made.

It was a template set, so I definitely wanted to work with it. While trying to figure out where I wanted to go with the template, I somehow came across some old Easter pictures. I decided to go with it and oh, sometimes it is so hard to see these old pictures and not miss my babies.

Easter of 2008 fell in March. I HATE when that happens, so I was already in a bad mood about it. Add to the mix being super preggers and then getting sick with something not related to pregnancy and the holiday was a bust! At least, it would have been.

We went and bought store-bought baskets the day before and then on Easter we went to my in-laws. Thankfully, they helped make sure the holiday wasn't completely overlooked and the kids were able to have some fun.

SUPPLY LIST

TEMPLATE: Blueprints 01 by J. Conlon & Sons
COLLECTION: Signs of Spring by Gingerbread Ladies
FONTS: Hannie Bunny (Ages & Date) and Goo Easter (Journaling)

Read More

...WHO'S THAT POKEMON?...

My husband has always been a gamer guy and a kid at heart, so of course, when Pokemon was introduced, he was all over it. We had the cartoon DVD's before we even had kids old enough to watch them. I'm pretty sure I was pregnant with baby #1 when the first movie came out and yes, we went to see it.

I honestly thought this was another phenomenon that would die out in a short number of years. And well, by now, we all know how incredibly wrong my instinct was on this matter.

It's still such a phenomenon that recently The Scrappy Kat released a kit called, Catch 'Em All and I don't know how well it's 'selling', but I gave in and purchased the kit for my own scrapbooking endeavors.

I knew I'd probably use this kit for more than one layout, but I didn't realize I would do two within the same day or so.

My original thought was a layout about one of child #3's birthdays. We themed it all around Pokemon and I even created Pokemon cards as his invitation. I thought I had saved it, but I couldn't find it anywhere on my computer. Also, because he had an outdoor pool party there weren't a ton of decorations. However, I made some pretty cute cupcakes (if I do say so myself) and so I made the page about the cupcakes. And if we're honest, that's the most important part anyway, right?

SUPPLY LIST

TEMPLATE: Cup of Love by Gingerbread Ladies (Miss Fish)
COLLECTION: Catch 'Em All by The Scrappy Kat
FONTS: Pokemon (Title) and Pokemon Classic (Word Strips & Journaling)

How this next layout came about was a bit unexpected.

We recently did some rearranging of bedrooms in our house and we got our two little guys a clubhouse-like bunk bed. It's kind of fun and I decided it'd be kind of fun for the little guys to have some photos hung on the wall of close family and friends.

While going through my photo folders trying to find some pictures for my youngest, I saw some photos that I had forgotten I had taken. My son and his friend wore the same shirt one day and I made sure to take a picture of it. And who should be on the shirt? Pikachu!

So I decided to kill two birds with one stone and find a way to complete another Scrapathon challenge. It was a simple challenge, but always a favorite: a template challenge. The only rule was to grab the template and make a layout. Super simple.

SUPPLY LIST

TEMPLATE: March Template Challenge by Tinci Designs
COLLECTION: Catch 'Em All by The Scrappy Kat
TROUBLE WORD ART: Word Art World
FONTS: Comic James

Read More

...DECADE DANCE...

.. And We're Gonna Rule The School..

If you know what that quote is from, we can be friends. (We can still be friends if you don't, I promise.)

Grease was my favorite musical in Jr. High and most of High School. Although to be honest, I didn't exactly know everything it was about. My Jr. High French teacher was working on becoming a counselor, so she spent more time out of our classroom one year, than in it. We were babysat by the TV (and a TA) and playing on that TV screen was Grease, dubbed in French. Watching it in English, as a teen, I didn't quite catch all the innuendos, but now that I do...I maybe shouldn't have been watching that show in the school of all places.

Anyway, I also have a love for all things 50's. I used to say I was born in the wrong decade and I still feel that way sometimes. So, I was instantly drawn to Pink Ladies when I saw it. I also knew exactly which pictures I was going to use it with.

When my older kids were in Jr. High they had a Decades Dance. My daughter's BFF was so excited about the dance and they decided on a 50's motif. Her mom bought and helped the girls get matching outfits for the dance, including white canvas shoes that they colored in with marker to look like saddle shoes. So creative. 

SUPPLY LIST

TEMPLATE: Artsy Blocks 17 by Miss Fish

COLLECTION: Pink Ladies by Scraps N' Pieces

FONT: Nifty Notetaker

Read More

...ASHER & AILEY...

It's Scrapathon time over at Gingerscraps again. The theme this year is all about friendship. Most of the challenges are themed all around friends.

The first challenge I took on was the Memory Mix-Up hosted by Miss Fish. She included a template to use and I'm always a sucker for templates.

The subject of the layout, however, proved a little more difficult. I couldn't decide who to scrap this page about or which friendship, or relationship. I went back and forth so many times that I almost just gave up entirely. I finally decided on a friendship child #5 has had pretty much since she was born.

These two kids were the bestest of friends growing up and enjoyed each other's company. However, as they've gotten to their teenage years, they aren't quite as close and sometimes they are flat-out awkward around each other. I pick them up from school most every day and the car ride home is usually quiet. If they end up next to each other walking to the car, they do so in silence. But, there is still a friendship there, even if it's a little different.

This school year they shared an orchestra class and after their first concert, we moms got them together for a photo. Don't they look thrilled?

SUPPLY LIST

TEMPLATE: March 2023 Mix It Up Challenge by Miss Fish
COLLECTIONS: Friends by J. Conlon & Sons
Life Chronicled: Friendship by Connie Prince
My Kind of Crazy by Aimee Harrison and Cindy Ritter Designs
WOODEN &: Good Times With You by Word Art World
FONT: Colour Me Purple

Read More

...CHARITY...

The next Scrapathon challenge I took on was the My Memories challenge hosted by Neia Scraps. For this challenge she wanted us to scrap about a furry friend, but there were also some rules to follow:

1 pet photo (can be more)

4 different Papers

5 flowers

1 Ribbon

1 wordbit/Wordart/Title

I had noticed the host was letting people know they hadn't quite followed the 'rules', so I made sure I used the host's products and thought I was good. It wasn't until I went to post my layout that I realized she had the above list. Whoops. Thankfully my layout included everything but the ribbon, so maybe I'll be cut a little bit of slack there.

So, make sure you read everything before beginning any of these challenges.

Back to our furry friends.

I could've done a layout with our own doggie, but I fell in love with one of the elements and thought it would work better with some photos I have of my brother-in-law's dog, who actually lives with my mother-in-law. It's a complicated situation...

Charity is a Shih Tzu and she really does like me more than my own dog does. Maybe it's that whole 'guys gotta stick with guys' mentality with my dog. Whatever it is, at least one dog in the family likes my face.

SUPPLY LIST

TEMPLATE: Photo Addict Volume 1 (Retired) by Neia Scraps

COLLECTION: Fur Baby Friends by Neia Scraps

FONTS: Puppy Bellies (Title) and Friendly Smiley (Journaling)

Read More

...A GOODBYE STORY...

I have a weird thing with books and I've explained it a bit in this post, so if you've read that you'll understand why I HAD TO HAVE the collection: Bookends by Aimee Harrison.

The problem I had though, was that I couldn't think of any photos to use with it. I'd already used any photo of me with books I could think of. I'd already done a layout with my bookshelf and a pile of books. So I then had to start thinking about the kids and if there was anything I had that still hadn't been used before.

Then I remembered a series of photos from quite a few years back.

Back in a time when I only had 3 little rugrats running around. My in-laws were pretty good about getting the kids random little gifts on holidays - even Valentine's Day. One year, for Valentine's Day, the kids all got books, and believe it or not, they were excited. I believe my in-laws had also bought a book of stories to keep at their house to read to the kids when they were over there.

Before we left their house the night they gifted the books, my father-in-law sat down with the big storybook collection and read the kids a story or two. Now that he's passed away, I'm so glad my mother-in-law caught moments like this. My kids were lucky to have such an invested Grandpa.

SUPPLY LIST

TEMPLATE: 2022 January Temps by Connie Prince

COLLECTION: Bookends by Aimee Harrison

FONT: Storytime

Read More

...LITTLE MISTER...

Sometimes, I have a difficult time deciding whether I like Spring or Fall better. In my mind, I think Fall always falls slightly ahead, but Spring is right behind. And just like all the Fall scrapbooking kits, I usually fall in love with all the Spring collections that come along as well.

Gingerscraps Monthly Mix for March is no exception. I loved the color palette in this collection, but the greens and yellows really jumped out at me. This collection was also screaming Easter to me and I knew that we had done mixtures of green for everyone's Easter outfits. As I was looking through those pictures, I then noticed that my little guy's vest also had strips of yellow in it, and I knew this layout was going to be about him.

SUPPLY LIST

TEMPLATE: Simply Spring by Gingerbread Ladies

COLLECTION: Simply Spring by Gingerbread Ladies

FONT: KB The Little Fella

Read More

...GRANDMA...

When I say I was excited about the Gingerscraps Daily Download for February, I'm not exaggerating even a little bit. There was so much in this collection that played to all the stationary, ephemera-type things that I like in life. Miss Fish also included 'notebooks' in this kit and I think that was an extra fun addition.

Though I was excited about this kit, I was initially a little hesitant and didn't know what I wanted to do with this collection. Sometimes, I think a kit is super wonderful and I'm afraid that my work just won't do it justice. I don't know how long it took for me to be brave enough to try something out, but I eventually did and I just kind of went with what I was feeling at the time.

I had recently come across some photos of my grandma and me that I don't think I had ever seen before, so I decided I wanted to use these photos and share some thoughts I had about them. I felt the notebook element would work well as a kind of diary-type thing, and that's where I went.

SUPPLY LIST

COLLECTION: Noteworthy by Miss Fish

FONT: 1942 Report (Date and Place)

Used my own handwriting for the Journaling

Read More

...LANCE D...

When I saw this next collection my thoughts immediately turned to my dad. On the surface, it'd be weird to say that I thought of him when the title of the collection is: Ides of March, but stick with me.

Looking at the colors in this collection reminded me of a photo of my dad from when he was a little dude. His birthday is also later this month, so I was kind of already thinking of him. Put that all together and we get this layout.

And honestly, there was a different picture I was going to use initially, one that was just black and white, but I think making the swap to the colorized photo helped bring this layout together just a little bit better.

SUPPLY LIST

TEMPLATE: Wedding Day by Connie Prince

COLLECTION: Ides of March by Gingerbread Ladies

FONTS: Rough Typewriter (Date Tag) and Landsdowne (Quote)

Read More