Photo of the Photo...

I'm determined to scrapbook as much of my 2008 travels as possible this year. I've even made it part of my scrapbook goals! This is a photo I took in Prague, a country I've barely scrapbooked about! Even though this trip was one of my most favorite trips ever in life.

I used the Scrapbook Circle February kit and was challenged by Tessa to use this great marble print. So many of the domes in that city were a similar color, so I thought it'd be fun to pair it with them.

Journaling Reads:
I took some really epic photos on this trip. But this one topped them all. It’s a photo of Mark taking a photo of Kevin taking a photo of Jon. I also love the couple embracing on the side. And the lady’s head is so perfectly framed in the dome. It’s one of my favorite photos that I’ve ever taken. It instantly takes me back to this trip with those boys. Absolutely one of the best trips of my life!

Tessa also is blogging about this over on the Scrapbook Circle blog. Head over there to read more!

cheers & besos,

Summer Camp Challenge

I kind of can't remember the last time I was this excited to share a page! I spent a quiet Friday evening putting this together. 

Jennifer posted a fun challenge called Summer Camp in the Simple Scrapper Facebook Group. It was a re-run of a fun challenge/event the community did in 2013, before I joined. So this whole exercise was new to me. I had so much fun playing along!

Without giving anything about the challenge away, here's the direction I was given for my page:

Story Direction-Event or Trip
Page Background-White or cream cardstock
Paper Selection-No patterned paper
Journaling Style-Long column
Design Foundation-Asymmetrical clusters
Embellishing Rule-Mixed title work

I wasn't at all worried about not being able to use any patterned paper. And it definitely helped that my background was white cardstock. Because then I was able to create my own background with the help of mists and stencils and stamps!

It also meant that my photos and the colors I worked with really popped of the page!

Event or Trip was my assigned subject. I did one better and combined the two. The page is about an international music and dance festival we just happened to wander into when I visited Prague.

What better to scrapbook this adventure with, than my Ali Edwards "Go" Story Stamp & Kit. I loved all of the orange in it so I played that up as much as I could. I pulled out two journaling cards, just one of the chipboard pieces, the acetate geotag, plastic "go" and of course, the Story Stamps.

I used just about every last one of the stamp phrases and paired it with my Hero Arts Ombre Butter to Orange ink pad. It's subtle but I kept the ombre going when I stamped down in a long column on the left of my page. I sprinkled my journaling in with all of the stamping.

The embellishing included a lot of geotags and the stamped "awesome memory". I also mixed two sets of alphas and my own handwriting to create the title. The "go" could be considered part of the title, but really I see it more as embellishing.

I love playing along with challenges. The more restricted, the more I end up loving the pages. At least that's how it seems. This page is definitely evidence of that for me. I love love love how it turned out!

To my fellow Simple Scrappers, Jennifer posted the Summer Camp Challenge in the Facebook group on June 29 if you're looking for it.

If you're not a Simple Scrapper member, there's more info on it here.

cheers & besos,

LBD: Swell Guys

Back tracking a bit, but I wanted to make sure I shared this page that I made with the April Little Black Dress kit, Don't Worry be Happy.

SarahBeth tells me its one of her favorites, which made me feel special!

So you might be wondering what the story is here. And if you haven't gone through and read every word (and believe me there's a lot!!!), the abridged version goes something like this: 

Kevin took a picture with my camera and then put it in his pocket. I didn't think anything of it and then about an hour later thought I had lost my camera! In a panic I went back looking for it but it wasn't there. Again, in Kevin's pocket. We had split up at that point and I went home sad and dejected. But he wandered in, my camera in tow. The photos were a present for me, since they had to leave a group of hot girls behind, in order to return it. So yeah, swell guys =)

For this layout, I wanted it to look like a gossip magazine. So I converted the photos to black and white and added in the censored lines. (Silly rabbits!) I printed my journaling in two columns, again like a mag and then just went crazy with my mists. I used at least 10 colors on here.

The who/what/when/where went well with my theme so I filled those in with pen. After that, I was just a few Freckled Fawn veneers and some stamped cameras away from being done.

Seriously guys, if you're considering getting a LBD kit, I'd highly recommend picking up the Don't Worry be Happy. It's been my favorite to work with. Just look at all the pages I made with it!

cheers & besos,

Prague Double Page

Hey there! I'm still sharing crop pages. But I have to preface that by saying, I start a whole bunch of layouts while I'm cropping away from home, but rarely finish them there. There's always just a little something I need to add.

For this one, it was just about everything after the washi. Because I FORGOT MY ACRYLIC STAMP BLOCK!!! Ahhh, end of the world. But not really. I always forget that thing when I leave my work space and they aren't things I really want to re-buy. You only need so many of them, ya know?

I had fun using a bunch of stamp collections to "collage". I painted with some mist and over that with a bit of acrylic paint. Then I added strips of washi and mist splatters.

While I was at the crop, I totally lost my mojo! So what do when you've paid to scrap and aren't sure where to start. Well, just scraplift yourself! As I've done here and the original here.

I'm still not tired of this layout. I love the central design with all of the variety you get to add to a page. I nearly finished this page at the store, but came home to add the metal clocks and bits of yellow paper that match the "GO" flair I had added.

Although this wasn't really a two page design, I definitely wanted them to coordinate, since I planned for them to sit next to each other in my album.

I had a few more photos I wanted to add so I included a 6x12 in insert page that has 3 pockets and just slipped in a bunch of photos and a fun 4x6 card I decorated to coordinate with both pages.

I absolutely love how this spread turned out.

cheers & besos,

LBD: Wonder

This went up on the Little Black Dress Blog a few days ago but wanted to share it here!

This is the first photo I've ever scrapped from my Prague/Budapest trip. It was a most amazing trip. I think my favorite from that year of traveling. So inevitably that intimidates me, of course! 

Why?! I have no idea. I think it's because I want the pages to be as awesome as the trip was. And when you put that crazy amount of pressure on yourself, it cripples you! Or me at least. I know, I know. I'm weird.

But at least this first page is done! Thanks to Jon (I think) who snapped photos of me too. It's nice to be in a few photos. I'm so often just behind the camera!

This is 100% a LBDKit creation. I added nothing else but two staples and a bit of twine. Loved the monochromatic look of the kit and how all the gray and browns mirrored those in my photo.

Oh traveling {sigh} I miss you. I need to plan some trips stat!!

I think this is the last LBD scrapbook page I have to show you. But I have a mini book and a post about my kit leftovers coming and then I think I can officially call the March kit done =)

cheers & besos,