It's true - I actually created a scrapbook page!

I'm sure I am not alone when I say that I have so many pictures to scrapbook that I'll never be caught up. Sometimes the tasks seems so daunting and I just don't even know where to start. I have thousands of pictures of my two grandkids - and Natalie is only 3! We are just a little camera happy in this family.

In addition to all the snapshots and family event pictures, Jenn has provided us with many beautiful portraits of the kids and I really need to get them in albums. So, lately, I have been playing around with some ideas for portrait layouts - I get especially stumped with those. Working with a single 5x7 or 8x10 photo presents its own challenges - a 5x7 leaves a lot of blank space on a page and an 8x10 leaves next to none. On top of that, I like my embellishments to support the theme or mood of the pictures and this is not always easy to do with portraits.

This is the first layout of the 5x7 portraits. For this page, I used the first background from the Mrs. Robinson's collection at SVGCUTS. Originally designed for a smaller photo, I tweaked the file in Inkscape to create a larger photo mat. Then, instead of using the one piece background cut as it was created, I used the cut out elements.

I inked the edges of the border cut and added stickles to the inside edge. I created some 3d flowers using ribbon and brads. Using Inkscape and SCAL2, I cut the lettering and some small flowers from font files. To complete the layout, I added a few rhinestone flower centers.

I'm not entirely sure that I am happy with the result - maybe I added a little too much? However, it is a completed layout so it's time to move on.

Sorry about the poor picture quality - I really need to set up a space to take decent pics of my projects.



Thanks for stopping by - I hope you have a Happy and Safe New Year!

WINNER ANNOUNCED

Before I announce the winner of my small blog candy, I'd like to thank everyone who stopped by during my first blog hop - it was fun and something I definitely plan to do again! A special thanks to all of you who decided to become followers - I am working on some new things and hope to have some stuff ready to share soon!

Thanks to Karelj at One By One the Flamingos are Stealing My Sanity for hosting this December Calendar blog hop. Your hop challenged me to think outside of my normal style and do something different which is always fun!

Thanks also to all the other participants in this hop - it was really wonderful to visit your blogs and see all of the different interpretations of the calendar pages and to explore your creative ideas.
AND, the winner is:

A Scrap Above said...

WOW!! I love your calendar, and your Ghost is adorable spooky!! I am already a follower of your blog
TFS and a chance to win
Bonnie C

December 29, 2010 1:37 PM B

!!!!! December Calendar Blog Hop !!!!!

This is my first ever blog hop and I am excited to participate. If you are a blog follower, did you start at the beginning of the hop? If not and you want to participate in the full hop, here is the link to get started: Touched by a Butterfly.

If you visit each blog, you will end up with ideas to create a 2 page calendar layout for each month of the new year - TIMES 2 - yes, that's right - there are 2 offerings for each month! Also, if you visit and comment on each blog, there is some nice blog candy being given away: “The Grand Prize Blog Candy is a brand-new Designer’s Calendar Cartridge, donated by Karelj at One By One The Flamingos Are Stealing My Sanity. In order to be eligible to win, you need to leave a comment on each and every stop on the hop, along with a way for her to contact you. She will choose a winner by random.org on the 31^st and announce it on her blog, as well as contacting the winner personally.”

I am also offering a small prize package here on my blog (a set of Month/year acrylic stamps and some small packages of gems and pearls to add a little bling to your layouts/cards/etc.). Leave a comment with a valid email for me to contact you, and I will choose a winner via random.org and post at the end of the hop! If you become a blog follower (or already are), mention this in your comment, and you'll have 2 chances to win.


Not sure if I did this right or not - this is my first ever calendar layout. So, without further ado, here is my October 2011 layout:


Here's a list of supplies used and some explanation of what I did:

Papers used include 3 different patterned cardstocks from GCD Studios Autumn Afternoon stack, 2 colors of Bazzill cardstock and various scraps from my scrap bin. I used a Tim Holtz distress ink pad- tea dye, a couple of different pens and markers, liquid glue and some foam dots. All cuts were made using the Cricut Expression and Sure Cuts A Lot. I created .svg files for use with SCAL2 to cut all of my calendar/layout components. I set each file up in SCAL2 as I cut it and the files are available for download via my 4shared account here. (password is "touaccepted")

My calendar page is constructed without a lot of tedious gluing of numbers/squares. I used the black cardstock as the base layer, cut all of my numbers out of a full sheet of green cardstock, then cut my "grid" into the top patterned paper layer. The only thing I had to glue was the centers of the various numbers/letters.

I made mini icons for several of the holidays/celebration days that occur in October - (National Golf Day, International Smile Day, National Fire Prevention Day, Columbus Day, Sweetest Day, Boss's Day, Make a Difference Day, United Nations Day, and Halloween) - you can use any combination that would apply for your layouts.

I purposely left the negative space at the beginning and end of the calendar - this space could be used for small photos or for recording notes about your monthly activities.

Here is the list of all of the participants - your next stop should be Belinda at Queen Bee's Musings www.queenbeesmusings.blogspot.com

1. January and April: Celeste at Touched by a Butterfly at http://touchedbyabutterfly.blogspot.com/

2. January and September: Jessica at Overjoyed Scrapper www.overjoyedscrapper.blogspot.com

3. February: Christel at Scrappin' Sista http://onescrappinsista.blogspot.com

4. February and March: Karelj at One By One The Flamingos Are Stealing My Sanity http://karelj.blogspot.com

5. March and July: Diane at Crafting This Moment http://www.craftingthismoment.blogspot.com/

6. April: Bonnie at A Scrap Above http://ascrapabove.blogspot.com

7. May: Michelle at Peanut Butter and Jelly Designs http://peanutbutterandjellydesigns.blogspot.com/

8. May: Natalie at Timeless Legacy Designs http://timelesslegacydesigns.blogspot.com

9. June: Lisa at Lisa's Paper Butterflies http://lisaspaperbutterflies.blogspot.com

10. June: Jamie at Glitter, Paper, Stamps, Oh My! http://jamieisacraftymomma.blogspot.com/

11. July: Summer and Jennifer at Cricut Diaries http://cricutdiaries.blogspot.com

12. August: Denise at Starlight Scrapper http://starlightscrapper.blogspot.com

13. August: Gina at Gina Thornton Stamping http://ginathorntonstamping.blogspot.com/

14. September: Deb at If It's Groovy http://ifitsgroovy.blogspot.com

15. October: Rebecca at Creations with Becka www.creationswithbecka.blogspot.com

16 . October: Lora at Notes From The Scrapbook Lady YOU ARE HERE

17. November: Belinda at Queen Bee's Musings www.queenbeesmusings.blogspot.com

18. November and December : Col at Col's Creative Corner at www.scrappycol.blogspot.com

19. December: Deb at Tidbit's Place http://tidbitsplace.blogspot.com

Winner

Sorry I haven't been around much lately - between work, frantically preparing for the holidays, attending physical therapy and working on my blog hop creation, I haven't had time for much of anything else.

Did want to pop on here long enough to announce the winner for becoming a follower - thanks so much to those of you who did sign up! I have a small package of goodies that will be making it's way to Meghan Thuss!! Congrats!