A new record for layouts in a month!

I have a whopping four layouts to post today! I think this is the most I've done in a month-7!! Of course, it helps that I didn't work much overtime this month. 

The first layout I created was part of Gotta Pixel's Use the Prompt Challenge. Week 27 was: through the window I saw.... As soon as I read that I remembered a picture of poor Geordi, the first day he introduced himself to me in my backyard and then tried to follow me inside. He's very happy now living with every comfort; a/c, soft beds and all the toys he could ever want. The kittens even play with him now. I used Trixie Scraps-Love of a Lifetime kit and a template from Connie Prince-The Big Picture Vol 1.

 The second layout was part of Gotta Pixel's Use the Font Fever Challenge. I scrapped some pictures from our Anaheim road trip with Bruce the Bear around The Big A. He's behind the baseball in Mickey's hand, he's just little so it's hard to see him. I used Trixie Scraps-Sunshine Day kit and a template from Connie Prince-Away We Go.

 The third layout I created was for Laurie's Scraps gallery to be entered to win $10 to her store at Gotta Pixel. I used the Little Stinker kit and Template Set 17; both from Laurie's Scraps and Designs. I scrapped LJ playing with the squeaky walrus dog toy (don't tell her it's for dogs! LOL). I thought I liked the page, but when I finished it, I didn't. It's all cute when you're viewing the page when it's small, but I realized that if I printed it out, I would have a gigantic 12x6 picture of LJ overwhelming the page. I think I may redo this page later with a smaller picture.

 The last layout I created was for the Word Art Challenge at Gotta Pixel. We were given three word arts and instructed to use the word art to create a new paper. The options were BBQ, Celebrate and Summer. I chose Celebrate and decided to scrap some of my ASU graduation pictures. The word art is from Word Art World, the black embossed paper is from Trixie Scraps-Black Tie Event, the template is Templistic-Wonder from A+ Designs and the kit is A New Day from LauraMarie Scraps (no link because I guess she doesn't exist anymore). I used that kit since it was so close to ASU's colors. I think it turned out ok. :)

At least this time Trixie Scraps didn't overrun the blog, but she IS having a Speed Scrap tomorrow so there will be more with her stuff in the next blog! :)

Another SS, a template challenge and a new designer...

Well...I've been lazy lazy lazy about updating this blog. Yet in that time I've only scrapped three pages. Go figure. I completed my third speed scrap from none other than Trixie Scraps on her Facebook page. Then the Trixie Scraps Challenge Thursday was a template challenge so I participated in that one as well. And THEN a page from a new designer, Aprilisa Designs...shocking I know!!


First the speed scrap on July 3. These were the instructions:
Step 1: Choose the kit you want to use and choose 1 photo that makes you laugh. Size it to at least 3"x3" (larger is ok, too) - but make sure it is square.
Step 2: Choose 3 background papers: 1 solid, 1 pattern and 1 of your choice. Arrange them as you like. Place your photo in the center of the page.
Step 3: Add a pre-made frame from your kit or make one out of papers or elements in the kit.
Step 4: Add at least 5 elements around the photo. You can use as many elements as you like but they must be touching or be near the photo.
Step 5: Title your page above the photo. You can use alphas, wordart or multiple fonts.
Step 6: Add a journal box below the photo and add more elements like ribbons or paper strips under the journal box. Add journaling about why this photo makes you laugh. Why is it funny, who is it, what is it, when did it happen, etc.
Step 7: Add a date tag if you know the date of the photo or add the person's name in a tag somewhere on the page. If you already did this in the title you may skip the 1st part of this step. Now, rock your shadows and finish your layout. 


I chose a fun picture from Disneyland with my favorite Goofy! We both flipped up our ears (I had the Goofy ears headband (: ) and I am totally laughing in the photo. I used Sunshine Day again because the colors perfectly matched the Goofy they have in California Adventure. The wordart was the only part that wasn't from Trixie Scraps. It actually came from Natalie's Place Designs. She has an awesome kit I will eventually get called Well, Whattaya Know! that is all Goofy and all awesome. The wordart was a freebie from the end of the post. I linked if you want it as well. :) The colors in the Word Art matched my layout so nicely. I was pleasantly surprised how nice this page turned out. That's the glory of the speed scrap!

The template challenge was July 5th, but I didn't finish the page until July 9th. At first I thought I didn't have any photos that would work for the template but then I remembered some photos I took with Bumblebee laying on my lap on his back when the kittens were still quarantined in their own room and how adorable he was. I had to use a somewhat blurry photo to use all the photo spots (I could have used a paper and journaled, but journaling is not my favorite...) but I am really happy with this page. I used Siblings are Forever for most of the layout, but was stumped about what I wanted to use to "hang" the photos. The example on the blog was so cool; it had ribbons that were tweaked to look like they were actually holding the weight of the photos. I'm not that cool and don't know how to do that (yet) so I was browsing some of my other Trixie Scrap kits for inspiration and I found a hanging frame on chains in Love of a Lifetime that I just erased the frame part off. It also had a ric rac ribbon that I used as a mask for the Siblings glitter paper and the page turned out mostly how my mind's eye wanted it. I switched the papers around many times before finalizing it, but I wanted it mostly blue/cream.

The last page I just finished yesterday; partly because that was the deadline to enter a drawing for a $10 gift certificate to the Aprilisa Designs store with Gotta Pixel and partly because it took me awhile to decide what photos to use. The kit I used was a daily download mini kit called Built Boy Tough that is only available now to Pixel Club members. I had signed up for a year membership when it was on sale and then a couple days later they said they were ending the lifetime membership by the end of the week. I contacted Gotta Pixel to see if what I paid could be applied toward the lifetime membership I just bought. They said yes so I pondered it a couple days and decided that since Gotta Pixel has most of my favorite designers, I would take the plunge. The members only section has so much neat stuff and you don't have to wait for the daily downloads; I don't regret my decision. But anyway, Aprilisa Designs was the featured designer the first part of July and if you made a layout with Aprilisa products, uploaded it to her gallery and posted it in a specific thread, you get entered into a drawing for $10. I used a template from Colie's Corner Best Summer Ever Template pack to start. I decided on some fun pictures of Shiz playing with this funky purple grinning dog (that is actually a cat toy) at the very top of the cat condo 7ft in the air! The finishing touch, the playtime word art, is from Word Art World by Jennifer and is part of her weekly freebie this week (you have to sign up for Gotta Pixel first and then can download it for free).

Laurie's Scraps and Designs is the featured designer now on Gotta Pixel and is having the same drawing as Aprilisa Designs. You will be seeing a layout done with Little Stinker and I can't wait!

My second (completed) speed scrap and learning a new technique...

I participated in my third speed scrap with Trixie Scraps Designs on her Facebook page and actually completed the layout this time. I ran out of time on the last one so this is my second completed speed scrap layout. Here were the steps we had to follow:

Step 1: Choose 3 photos for your page. One should be a larger focal photo converted to black and white. Arrange your focal photo in one corner of the page and put the other 2 photos clustered together in an opposite corner of the page.

Step 2: Choose 2 background papers, 1 solid and 1 pattern or cardstock. Arrange them as you like.

Step 3: Add a frame to the focal photo.

Step 4: Add at least 3 elements around the focal photo and 5 elements near/around/under/over your 2 clustered photos.

Step 5: Title your page near the focal photo. You can use alphas, word art or a font.

Step 6: Add a rectangular journal box next to the 2 clustered photos. Fill in your journaling.

Step 7: Throw out 1 step that is just not working for you and do something on your own. Now, rock your shadows and finish your layout. 

I chose to throw step 6 since I hate journaling for some reason. I don't know why. I guess I think the title says it all. *shrug* I used a newer kit from Trixie Scraps called Sunshine Day for the layout and the title I made using the alpha from Fishy Friends. I used a template freebie from Trixie Scraps too called Day of Grace. My second layout I made over the weekend was for a Prompt Challenge with Gotta Pixel. This is my favorite digital scrapbooking store. It has Trixie Scraps (of course) but many other designers I really like. There's a daily download to get a free mini kit and other freebies available on the site. The Prompt Challenge has a different prompt every week of the year to get you thinking about what you want to scrap. Week 25 was Father. Since I spent Father's Day weekend with my dad in Anaheim on a road trip with the Diamondbacks, I thought I would scrap a couple of those photos. I decided on some that were taken when we took the stadium tour. I used Baseball Star by Lindsay Jane Designs (I know, finally another designer right???). Trixie Scraps (there I go again with TS...I can't help it, she's my fave) had a Challenge Thursday a couple weeks back to learn a new technique-blending your photo with your background paper. I had the post open in my browser for a week and also the tutorial on how to do it open in another tab, but just didn't have time to get the challenge done. I decided to try it for the Prompt Challenge and I think it turned out pretty neat. To start, I used a template from Amber Shaw and tweaked it bit to fit what I wanted. All in all, a successful scrapping week. 2 layouts is alot for me LOL.