Sneaks!

If you're a Studio Calico subscriber, you know all about sneaks.

I've always thought it was fun to do, so I'm doing my own round of sneaks just because :)

(I recognize that I am the biggest dork)

Sneaks of what you might ask?

Sneaks of my crop layouts of course!

I went to my first 2011 crop yesterday.

Archivers was having a Customer Appreciation Crop so I signed up and joined in.

Now I wasn't so sure it would work. I mean I don't have kids (as another scrapbooker felt the need to point out to me yesterday...). I have my own dedicated space. And I get to scrapbook fairly regularly.

So I wasn't sure if I could really get motivated.

But motivated I did, and 7 nearly completed (sans journaling) pages came home with me!

This was my secret:

• I page planned 6 pages (turned to the few remaining KP Sketchbook 3 sketches I hadn't got to before)
• Printed photos in my desired sizes (seriously, buy an at home photo printer!!).
• Took my latest Studio Calico kit with me.
• And just a random smattering of about 30 sheets of patterned paper that I thought could coordinate and also some random embellishments.
• Along with my staples: trimmer, scissors, adhesive of course.

I also made a bargain with myself, if I was going to buy anything, It was only going to be for the page(s) I was working on. No superfluous spending on this crop. I meant business!

And aside from the one roll of smash tape I just had to have, I largely succeeded.

And I made a page with new product from Cosmo Cricket's Rocket Age line that I loved and wasn't planning to buy because I hadn't thought of a use for it.

But! By just looking at the products and seeing the metal button with the words "to the moon!" on it, I had a whole new direction to take the photo of my brother and Urijah.

What didn't work, was not bringing cardstock.

Major fail on my part.

It really hurt (read 'annoyed me') to buy that sheet of white cardstock when I have a perfectly good pack of 50 sheets sitting at home.

Live and learn!

I also don't think it's something I could do very often. But now I know it's especially helpful when you want to tackle a big group of photos!

And not only did I get 7 layouts done, 4 of them were from my trip to Istanbul! Something I hadn't even considered scrapbooking until yesterday morning.

I love these pages because they're beautiful. But am really more tickled that I actually have a few done!

I'm also 3 layouts closer to be done with Urijah's Year 1 Album (only 2 more to go!)

So check back this week and next to see all of my pages :)

I just have to end with, yay crops!!

xxbesos