It's Time for a Throwback Thursday(An Evolution in Scrapbooking)

Just for today, I thought that it might be fun to re-share the first layout that I shared on my blog. It was an 8x8 layout, that I shared in February of 2009, and I am not really sure where it is now.

I still think that I like it, even though my scrapbooking style has taken many swings in many different directions since then.

I went through a diecut heavy phase, back when I used to scour the internet searching for hours for the perfect free file:

(I posted that one in May of 2010) Which also was the beginning of a flowery phase-I didn't like a layout unless it had some sort of flowers on it!

October 2010:

February 2011:

April 2011:

During April of 2011 sometime, I realized that bigger pictures=a good thing on my blog, so my pictures got bigger, and my layouts just kept getting heavier. 

I still love this page, though!

September 2011:

(more flowers)

November 2011:

(My layouts for that year or two were very heavy, and filled about 2 scrapbook albums very full each year!But, that's what I loved right then, and I didn't care)
After that, I went through a phase for about a year where I used a sketch for nearly every layout or card that I made. Partly because I wanted to enter a bunch of the contests that the websites ran, partly because I felt that I could scrap more quickly that way. Until I discovered Shimelle's classes/Glitter Girl videos on 2Peas, and I finally started to find a style that just flowed for me. I loved layering, I loved using up my bits and pieces, and she was just so easy and inspiring to listen to. Here is the first Glitter Girl inspired layout that I shared on my blog:

One from Shimelle's Pretty Paper Party class:

One of several that I made inspired by her Scrapbook Remix Class:

One of many inspired by Shimelle's Return to the Collection class:

Shimelle got me interested in watching all of the other garden girls videos on two peas, as well, and then I fell in love with Wilna's dreamy, artsy style.
Here's one of my favorite pages inspired by her Art and Design class:

And finally, one of my most recently completed pages, using my April Fantastic&Fabulous kit:

I definitely used bits and pieces of inspiration that I have gathered from both Wilna and Shimelle in this page, but it just sort of flowed out for me. No sketches, just me, some fun products (the flowers were printables from Wilna's Art and Design Class, and the lightbulbs on the previous page were cut files from that same class-so I guess this falls in the "sharing my homework" category as well).

Thank you for stopping by today, I hope you have been inspired as I have reminisced through at least my online scrapbooking history today!

Thursday Tips and Tricks

Hi, everyone! Happy Thursday!
I have a scrapbooking tip for you today! I know that most of you have probably heard the trick of lining your letter stickers up at the top of a ruler, right? Well, I rarely scrap with a ruler-perfectionism takes some of the fun out of scrapping for me. So, I compromise! Any straight edge will do for lining up those letter stickers-even the top of the sheet that they come on!
Like this:

 I am thinking of making Tips and Tricks Thursday a regular feature on my blog...but I want to know what you all think! Drop me a line-let me know what you are interested in, and if you have any questions, I just might be able to answer them (in my less than perfect way, of course!)

Here is a look at the layout that these letter stickers went onto:

See It on 2Peas

A closer look at the layering:

 

About this layout:
This layout was very much inspired by Shimelle. I started by trying to follow last week's Glitter Girl prompt to choose colors for the layout without drawing on the photo's colors- choosing school/reading themed papers and scraps rather than trying to match my childrens' non-matching outfits. As I was putting my page together, I was watching this week's Glitter Girl episode about journaling, and was inspired to tell the rather funny story behind my childrens' cheeseball grins in both the journaling and title. I am also drawing on some inspiration for the page design and theme from Shimelle's Scrapbook Remix class.         
Supplies used: kraft cardstock background, papers and scraps from Crate Paper's Storyteller line (so glad I got that paper pad-I know I will be using it a lot!), scraps from Making Memories, Creative Imaginations,  Graphic 45, and Lily Bee, the orange butterfly is a digi element from Jenni Bowlin's line at Jessica Sprague, and I printed it on an inkjet transparency and fussy cut around the edges, letter stickers are American Crafts Thickers and Jenni Bowlin, and I was able to use some digital elements I printed for a previous Counterfeit kit from Echo Park's Everyday Eclectic line, washi tape from Target's Up&Up line, along with some o-o-old embellies- Bazzill button flowers and Making Memories metal signs (the word "learn") and the little green house sticker.

What do you think?  Don't forget to let me know if there is something you want me to feature on Thursday's Tips and Tricks segment!                                       

Top 12 Layouts of 2012...

I love looking back and seeing my style evolve and change over the past year! Here is a glimpse of my year in scrapbooking:

 

January; I made this page for a sketch challenge at Creative Scrappers:

 

 This shows a lot of elements that I LOVED at the beginning of the year...crystal flourishes, lots of flowers, just a couple of paper layers. I still like them, but these type of pages take up too much room, and cause bending in the album.

February; I made this page for a challenge at Creative Craft World:

 Moving into a mega girly phase, used lots of doilies...

March; I several pages that I loved in March...maybe because I loved my kits ( #1 and #2 ) from March so much, super girly and full of new goodies!

I made this page for the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog and used a Paper Variety sketch:

(Side note: one of the reasons I love this page...I actually accomplished all of these goals except losing 30 lbs. But I did start running for the first time in my life, and lost about 10! I'll keep working on that this year!)

I did this page for a Pagemaps sketch:

 Loving the new combined with old here (that mason jar paper was one of my favorite scrapbook papers from the past year!), the washi, doily, mist, but mostly the photos (which I took!).

I made this page for a sketch challenge at My Mind's Eye:

 I love this page because the colors compliment my daughter's beautiful eyes perfectly, and I love the butterflies, banner, and doilies!!

April and May were not very productive months for me in scrapbooking...first with my brother's wedding, and then my dad's funeral, I was extremely busy, and then my heart wasn't in it for a while.I made a lot of pages in June...but none of them qualified for my top 12 personal favorite pages...so, here's on from July, made for a sketch challenge at Let's Get Sketchy:

 

September was a great scrappy month for me (probably because the kids were back in school). One of my favorite boy pages I have ever made:

 

 I made this page for a Negative space challenge for the Counterfeit kit challenge blog, and based it on a sketch from Creative Scrappers. I love the washi, crooked stitching, Mr. Huey's droplets, the fact that I was able to use some Tinkering Ink paper that has been in my stash forever, just waiting on the right page to use it on, and I love the photos of my son!And at this point of the year, I discovered the magic of Shimelle Laine and her Glitter Girl videos, so I am sure that her influences are starting to show in my pages.

I made this page for a My Mind's Eye challenge at 2Peas:

My Mind's Eye Sweetest Thing was one of my favorite collections of the year, and I bet you can see why! Very soft and girly, with lots of doily and flower motifs.And pink and turqouise are 2 of my favorite colors.

In October, I finished catching up on Glitter Girl videos and purchased my first scrapbook class ever, Scrapbook Remix ( I have won spots in classes before, but this was the first one I ever paid for out of my own pocket) It was sooo worth it! I was very inspired by this class, and I have lots of pages that I haven't even had the time to share yet, and notes for more ideas and inspiration that I just haven't had the time to use yet.

This page was inspired by a Glitter Girl stamping challenge:

 I love that I suddenly had inspiration to scrap this photo from my son's 10th birthday party, I used papers that I had not previously had inspiration for, and stamping on my scrapbook page (which I usually forget to do, even though the number of stamps thet I own suggests that I should use stamps on every page).

This page was for another Glitter Girl challenge, scrapping with your favorite colors:

 I forgot to share this one on my blog previously, but I love the colors, papers, and I scrapped one of my favorite things, pretty shoes!

This page was made with some of my very extensive Bedknobs and Broomsticks kit:

 I loved the vintage Halloween theme, the Matha Stewart stickers, the Tim Holtz resist paper that I die cut and inked, the glittery ribbon and letters, and the journaling on the washi tape!

This last page is another that I haven't shared on my blog yet, but was inspired by the Scrapbook Remix class:

My favorite things about this page: the stitched letters, the photos (I fell in love with that teal Fenton glass), the layering, and the Studio Calico sunburst shapes that I fussy cut.

I highly recommend Shimelle's Scrapbook Remix class (click the link in my sidebar to learn more), I love all of the inspiration it offered!

Some funny/interesting things that I noticed about how my style over the past year: Many of these pages either have a kraft base, or kraft on the page somewhere. I really need to work on making my boy pages better, not many made my top 12 list. I love girly supplies, and turquoise/teal and or pink makes an appearance on many of my pages. I also like the way my style has evolved to include more layering and stitching! Thanks for stopping by this morning, I would love any feedback or comments you may have to share!

Creative Scrappers sketch #230 (Indoor Smores)

One more quick post today with a page based on this sketch, and inspired by Shimelle's Scrapbook Remix, Prompt 5:

I flipped it on its side, and made this page:

 A closer look at those cute Cosmo Cricket S'more Love embellies:

I started with a Basic Grey Granola CS base, layered on Cosmo Cricket, from Jolly Days, S'more Love, and Garden Variety, and a brown houndstooth print from Making Memories, dripped on some Mr'Huey's Dark Calico, inked the edges of the CS with Walnut Stain Distress ink, and added a sprinkle of hearts from a brown chipboard Thicker sheet, some S'more Love chippies, a title that I stamped from the S'more Love stamp set and cut out/raised with a pop dot, and a S'more Love journaling spot that I attached with stitching and a Making Memories upholstery brad.

Mixing It Up

This week I have been very inspired by the new class I am taking over at Shimelle's website, Scrapbook Remix:

Here are my pages inspired by the first 3 days of prompts:
Day 1 "Use a monochromatic color palette":

See It on 2Peas

Day 2 "Use the B-sides":

 See It On 2Peas

Day 3 (I was inspired by one of Shimelle's layouts in the prompt, so scraplifted it!):

See It on 2Peas

 

All of these layouts were made from my October CKCB kit, with the exception of some scraps (and it's always good to use up some of those, right?)