31 January 2009

What do you call a Blog Slacker?

I can't decide between "blacker" and "slogger"...I guess the second one might be slightly less offensive, no?

Anyways, I have clearly fallen off the blog wagon, and I don't have any great excuses other than the fact that I am having a bit of a blog-identity crisis at the moment. In the meantime, lots of scrapbook pages to post, and some fun little news...

The Creative Type team--aka the typists--are featured at PageMaps this month! If you haven't checked out Becky Fleck's website, it's an awesome source of inspiration--she has really creative sketches for different sized layouts, mini-sketches, and sketches for tags and cards too. I had so much fun making this page using Becky's sketch...you can download the sketch I used and all the others here!

I posted over at the Galblog today--here's a sneek peek:
And a whole mess of layouts I haven't put here yet...First are two from the January ScrapGal newsletter:And more:



This one I made for a photo swap over at ScrapGal--these are Tracy's kids, and I had so much fun scrapping this page for her!
And the rest I think I'll save for another post, blogger is chugging along really slowly tonight and I am losing my patience. Thanks for looking!

30 January 2009

Create '09--Week 5


Who knew January has five weeks...? I didn't! This weeks prompt: Winter Rituals

My page is coffee and my laptop--nothing better on a chilly winter morning!

23 January 2009

Create '09--Week 4

Well, the first month of 2009 is almost over, was it everything you hoped it would be? I am still excited by the prospect of sparkly fresh beginnings that a new year brings, I'm sure glad that hasn't worn off yet! For this week's Create '09 prompt, I want you to pick something you want to remember about the first month of 2009. What happened that you want to recall 1, 5, or 10 years from now? Pick an event from your life or the world, something someone said, or a favorite picture from January to create your page/card/atc around.

Here's my page:
Don't forget to link your creations up to this thread!

16 January 2009

Create '09--Week 3


The prompt this week is all about "positive affirmation." With all this talk of what we want to do or need to change in '09 lets reflect on something we love about ourselves or our lives.

My own rules for this weekly challenge have been to use only scraps, and to scrap outside my comfort zone. Last week I used square pieces of left-over patterned paper and cardstock, this week I used strips hiding at the bottom of my scrap bin. I also have been using Dina Wakley's technique of just using what's at hand--all my embellishments (the butterfly on this weeks page, for example) are already out on my table. I also used some ghost letters I have had for a while, and have been hesitant to use, just to force myself to try something different. To give the background a more uniform look, I brushed some gesso over the paper strips. Because I couldn't find my Zip Dry glue when I sat down to make this page, I adhered everything using staples...I'm trying to let these pages just flow, and not worry about the outcome--give myself permission to play with the materials in ways I might otherwise not if I was making an 'official' scrapbook page. These 'rules' for my Create09 pages may change as the year progresses, but for now I am enjoying being forced a little outside the box!

So, I suppose I should explain why "Crazy People Never Doubt Their Sanity" is my affirmation, but there's really no reason other than the fact that it has been my motto for the past 15 years or so, and I think it's a good one to keep in mind when broadening one's horizons :)

15 January 2009

Creative Type Prompt #9

It's that time of year--scrap your resolutions! The winner of this week's prompt gets some yummy hand-made letterpress goodies from Elise Blaha--link your layout up before the 25th to have a chance to win!

Here's my take:
A cell phone picture, messing around with Photoshop, and some yummy patterned paper...Oh, and the quote--I don't have a clue who that guy is (duh, I know), but I sure liked what he had to say!

09 January 2009

Create '09: Week Two


It's time for the second week of our challenge...today's prompt is Nine for 09. Create a bucket list for your year ahead: what do you want to accomplish, where do you want to go, what has got to happen this year for you? Pick nine things from your bucket list and get creating!

I have been inspired by the photo mosaics that have been everywhere lately, and I created this 8x8 page for my Create 09 album. Some of the things from my bucket list are silly, some are more serious, and one is private. I even left #9 open...in case there's something I want to accomplish I haven't thought of yet!
Remember to link your projects up on this thread at ScrapGal!

Oh, and one more thing--it's not too late to go back and do week 1--so get creating!

04 January 2009

Some Challenges...

This layout is for the latest challenge at Work Your Soul:
I experimented with making the photo grid in MS Word, then added journaling before I printed, and the patterned paper and title afterwards. The writing on this was easy, I just cut and pasted a blog entry from November.
These next 2 are for the January sketch challenge at ScrapGal:
This double was tough, usually I love getting more photos on a layout, but everytime I look at this one I want to take those two pictures down on the bottom off!
I love how this one came out! These photographs are from the summer at the lake, and I finally have given up on getting "good" photos of my MIL and resigned myself to just using what I have!
I have a couple more scrapbook pages to share, I have been busy this break from work, and I'm sad I have to go back tomorrow :(
All these pictures were from the same day, Chloebear's first time playing in the snow!

03 January 2009

Create '09

We're starting a new year long challenge called Create '09 over at ScrapGal. The idea behind this challenge is to document 2009 in a creative way. I will be making an 8x8 album for this project, but you could use a deck of cards, ATC's, an art journal, mini book, layouts, whatever format you wish. We will be providing you with a weekly prompt. The idea is for you to take the prompt and create something relating to your week. Prompts will include journaling ideas, techniques, challenges and guest artist prompts. We will post a new prompt every Friday in this forum.

You can also get this button to add to your blog in the same forum. I hope you'll consider joining us!

Here is the cover for my album, and my page for the first prompt: