Challenge Love

These are my most recent challenge layouts completed for the challenges at Log Your Memory.

Week 8:

Kit: Cold by Jen C Designs
Word Art (at the bottom) by Etc by Danyale
Fonts: Everyday Ghost, Freebooter Script and Pea C-Squared

Week 9 (which isn't until next week)...I'm ahead!:

Kit: Carefree by Crisdam Designs
Stitching by Crisdam Designs

The kit I used in the Week 9 layout is NEW today from Crisdam Designs.  I love the teal and block combo with pops of orange.  I'm hoping to use this kit again a couple times this week...but we'll see how much scrapping time I really get.

As part of the Challenge Team at LYM, I have to complete two challenges per month from the Memory Log Book. But in some aspects of my life, I am a bit of an overachiever.  This is one of those aspects.  I have been working hard to keep up with the challenges, completing all of them, in order.  Somehow last week, I forgot.  Completely. To complete the challenge.  I'm still trying to figure out how, but I missed week 7.  At some point I plan to make it up, but for now I am continuing to push forward and keep up.  Missing one is not a big deal unless I make is so, right?

Also on the Big News front, I've had my first layouts published.  As in, IN PRINT! Log Your Memory has just published their 2010 Real Life Scrapbooking Yearbook with inspiration for each day of the year gleaned from their gallery all last year.  I am so excited, and I need to go order my copy so I can see them.  My contributions are this layout and this one. The first layout is one that I lost in my computer crash, so sad because I love it so much!  But now I can see it in print, even if I can't print it out myself.  It's all good!

Again with the Catching-up!

Day three and still going strong.  Hurray for scheduled posts, right? Ok, so I did not really write this today...but if I posted all these posts and layouts on Monday it would be blog overload.  A little at a time is much easier to digest. (If only I could remember the same about Girl Scout cookies!)

I've used two of Connie Prince's new kits in the last little bit.  My Favorite Things, which is her offering for Grab-A-Byte at scrapbookbytes.com (and was also used in the Puppy Love layout for one of my DIDer lessons), and Main Street Magic.

Kit and Template: My Favorite Things by Connie Prince

I don't usually use much purple in my pages, but love the way this looks with the green.  And on the subject of my favorite things, I couldn't resist scrapping about my love of my kindle and all things book-ish again.  My Kindle had an unfortunate run-in with my elbow last weekend, and is now in Kindle heaven.  I am anxiously awaiting it's replacement in the form of a 3rd generation Kindle (with a new case, of course) which SHOULD arrive by Thursday if the tracking information is correct as of Monday afternoon.  And yes, I think I have learned my lesson, and the Kindle will stay in it's case so I can't smash the screen.  And it will stay on my nightstand, not underneath the comforter where it can't be seen. Yup, lessons learned.  (I did mention in a previous post that I am a learner, right?)

Kit: Main Street Magic by Connie Prince
Template: For the Love of Layers Vol 9 by Connie Prince

Oh, I have scrapped Maggie recently, I wasn't thinking of this layout when I wrote the end of yesterday's post.  While I don't have any Disney pictures, which is hinted at in the title of the kit, I loved the energy of the papers and colors, and thought they would be perfect for a birthday page.  I was actually the "excited" tag that brought the birthday idea to my mind, and I meant to journal about how excited Maggie was to have a skating party, even though she was not a proficient skater before the party.  By the end of the session though, she had figured it out and was skating very well. You can bet we'll be skating more often this year, especially now that she has her own skates (part of the party package).

I'll be back for one more post this week on Friday.

Continuing the Catch-Up

Kit: Bride to Be by Crisdam Designs and Mye De Leon

Kit: Loveable by Crisdam Designs
Template: February Twisted Pixels by Crisdam Designs

I hope I haven't posted these layouts before.  I'm pretty sure I haven't posted them before.  I know at least one of them is new here. Guess I need to figure out a better recording system for my blog posts!  

Isabel Mendez of Crisdam Designs has had a lot going on this month.  She had a week in the spotlight at Gotta Pixel last week, and has a couple new kits out this month.  Of these two pages, one is a new kit and one is an older kit, but they are both beautiful kits!  Working with her new "Bride to Be" collaboration with Mye De Leon made me realize that I need to scan in some more pictures of my wedding though...I only have this one on my computer!  

I'll be back again with more from Connie Prince and Log Your Memory.  I'm slowly but surely catching-up!  

Story of My Life

I'm a little behind again.  I feel like I say that a lot lately, but it is what it is, I guess. I'm going to spread the "catch-up" over the week, so I don't have a huge post all at once.  (There's 9 layouts all together, if I'm counting right...I hope I'm counting right!)

I've been working hard to catch up on the lessons from Digi in Deeper at JessicaSprague.com.  I am in love with all the new techniques I'm learning, though I am glad there are sketches to follow, as some of the styles we're using are way outside my normal style.  It is fun to play though and see what goes in to making layouts with all these different styles.  Week 1 was grunge, which included the birthday page I posted last week, and two other pages:

All supplies from DIDer class materials

Papers and Flower from "My Favorite Things" by Connie Prince
Brushes and sketch from DIDer course materials

Week two is Freestyle, though because Jessica was sick last week, we've only finished one of the freestyle pages (which was just fine with me, because as usual, I was behind and used the extra time to catch up).

Kit: Flea Market Finds by Etc by Danyale (her first kit!!!)
Blue paper, sketch, and fonts from DIDer course materials

I'll admit, adding grunge to my pages isn't so difficult, but the freestyle is more of a challenge.  But it is a great challenge to mix things up a little bit, and there will be two more styles and 8 more pages before the class is over!

I also like to see my pages here on the blog because they make me notice patterns.  I've been scrapping John a lot lately, but not so much of Maggie.  I need to get the camera out and take more pictures of Maggie again, so I can  make more with her in them.  It's just hard, when her favorite activity is reading...I have lots of pics of her reading, but not much else!  Hopefully if the weather holds, I can get some of her riding her bike or playing out side.

I'll be back tomorrow and throughout the week with news from Crisdam Designs, Connie Prince, and Log Your Memory.  Lots going on!

Deeper and deeper

Paper and feathers from class materials
Brushes: Destroyed Heraldry and Romantic Disasters from bittbox.com and a-a-m stains from diviantart.com

I am a learner.  It's just part of who I am.  There is a constant drive to learn more, whether it's about something I read, some part of my genealogy research, or how to use Photoshop more effectively (or creatively). Digi in Deeper started at JessicaSprague.com earlier this week.  I was so busy with work and family that I didn't really start the class until earlier today while Johnny napped.  All I can say is, I can't work fast enough.  I am loving it!  Working through Jessica's classes makes me fall in love all over again with aspects of Photoshop that I don't normally think of using.  They also teach great skills to give layouts that extra pop.

In the layout above, I made the starburst paper that is blended into the background.  I made that!  I've always seen papers like that and wondered how in the heck designers did that.  And now I know!  It's just a great feeling (and isn't as hard as I would have guessed).  I also think I'll be using these photos a few more times because I love 'em.  Love 'em, love 'em, love 'em.

Now I'm off to get through another layout.  This class is jam packed with goodness, and THREE lessons each week rather than the usual one.  One down, three to go, just to catch up for this first week!  It's a good thing all materials are available forever!

So much to say

It's a busy weekend over at Gotta Pixel!  Between Gotta Grab It new releases, and a super sale, it's crazy!

First off, GGI... All the designers use the same colors to create packs for $1 each...this month's colors are great spring colors, that REALLY make me wish for Spring!  Since I work with three designers at Gotta Pixel, it's a VERY busy weekend.

Papers and elements by Crisdam Designs

Isabel has a paper pack, matching elements, and alphas in the mix this weekend.  I made this page for the Week 6 challenge at Log Your Memory, about a special relationship.

Flea Market Word Art and Borders by Etc by Danyale

I suppose I could have also used this page for the same challenge.  Using the packs by Etc by Danyale, this page went together super fast.  I knew I wanted to make this page as soon as she started talking about what her general idea for the packs were, and I feel like this word art was made especially for me to use, because it fit my vision exactly!!  A few of her borders, a quick piece of word art, and the page was finished!  (And because I couldn't find paper like I was looking for at the time I was building this page, I made my own!)

Connie also has new packs in the store this weekend too, but I haven't had a chance to play with them yet.

And the sale!!

The designers are having a HUGE SALE.  The GGI packs are not part of this, but it's a great chance to stock up.

I am hoping to get some good scrapping time in this weekend.  Jessica Sprague's new Digi in Deeper class started this week, and so far I'm still on the first layout.  I put my sketch together, but haven't had the time to sit down and actually work through the lesson.  Suddenly I'm very behind!

A Tale of a Tuesday

I've been dealing with a pain in my neck (literally) for the last few days, so will keep this post short, in the interest of my pain tolerance.  Not much new scrapping this weekend, once my neck really started acting up, but luckily I have a few things I put together last week that I can share.

To start with, Isabel's stores are on sale for the entire month of February!

She has a new release today, Project February.  Part of a yearlong project, these kits are perfect for P365/52 or everyday memory keeping.  I made this month's desktop calendar with the February kit.  (And only after saving it, realized it's the same picture I used for January.  Guess I need to take more pictures with both kids!)

All supplies from the Project February line by Crisdam Designs (Isabel Mendez)

Kit: Always by Crisdam Designs (Isabel Mendez)
Flowers: Crocheted Flowers by Crisdam Designs (Isabel Mendez)

Part of the Dollar Pixel sale today at GottaPixel, Isabel's Always kit and Crocheted flowers were a perfect combo to put a page together with wedding pictures of my parents and grandparents.

Connie Prince also has a new release collaboration today: Pocket Finds with Victoria Feemster.

Kit: Pocket Finds Collab by Connie Prince and Victoria Feemster

These colors are my favorites, and I'm hoping to have time to play with this kit again later this week, I have a few more ideas swimming in my head.

I also put together two layouts for challenges at Log Your Memory.

Everything except red alpha by Crisdam Designs (Isabel Mendez) (pieces from Project 2011, and Project January)
Red Alpha by Etc by Danyale (Burning Love)

 Week 4 had to do with a project, and while I have a lot of those laying around, I don't have many completed at this point. This idea popped in to my head, and I have used many of these excuses on many occasions, especially if there is no due date for a particular project.  What can I say...I am a procrastinator at heart!

Papers by Orchard & Broome, and Queen of Quirk
Elements by Geek Chic, Latz Designs, Crisdam Designs (Isabel Mendez) and Kitschy Digitals
Alpha by Etc by Danyale
Template by Trixie Scraps Designs

Week 5's page was to tell a fairy tale.  With my current struggle to prioritize, leave work at work, and leave a little time for play, I couldn't come up with a regular fairy tale, and just wasn't feeling a love story, so I turned my struggle into a fairy tale.  I am hoping the end is happily ever after, but I know it takes work, and I know I am on my way in the right direction!

Sorry for no links in todays post, I'm trying to keep this as quick as I can while still giving credit where it's due!  Now I'm off to rest my head and gear up for another day in the classroom!