Wolf Pack

A few weeks back, I became a member over at Paperclipping.com. This is after months and months of listening to the Paperclipping Roundtable or PRT podcasts. Which, if you're a scrapbook and haven't already tuned in, GO LISTEN!! Like seriously, right now! It's a totally free podcast hosted by Noell Hyman, voted one of the 9 Most Influential Scrapbookers of 2010 by Ella Publishing. The show is produced by her husband Izzy, of Izzy Video, and also features some truly inspirational scrapbookers such as Ali Edwards, Stacy Julian, Becky Higgins, Cathy Zielske and so many more!

Now here's why I think you should check out Paperclipping.com: Noell hosts and Izzy produces scrapbooking video tutorials for the site's members. Ok so yeah, big deal right...? Wrong! They are fabulously shot videos of some truly inspiring tips, tricks and ideas. And I'll admit, when I first heard about the tutorials I'm thinking, "ok, so you have a few university design classes under your belt, do you really need to become a member...?" And the truth is, I probably don't. But, the way Noell can lay out all of these jumbled design principles I floating around in my brain, truly helps the visions of scrapbook pages dancing in my head, to come into focus.

Plus, I am a huge PRT fan and I will do what I can to support them and their efforts! While I don't always agree with what everyone has to say, I absolutely love to hear new and differing points of views and also gain a fresh perspective on this hobby I've been knocking boots with for 10+ years. Can I also add that this tiny plug, is my way of "sponsoring" the show. I took that Digi Marketing class! Getting people to talk about your project, most notably via Blogs, is an excellent way to get your product out there. So if you haven't already do check them out. The podcasts are totally free and there's a whole heap of free videos to watch as well.

Wolf Pack

Moving right along, you're probably wondering what this layout has to do with Paperclipping. Well, when I became a member, I also signed up to be part of their community, The Crop Circle (Seriously, you all know how much I love a good pun!) and I joined the Monthly Challenge group. Each month a list of challenges are posted featuring inspiration from either the topics discussed on the podcasts, or layouts created by Noell for the tutorials. This layout was created with two challenges in mind, the Easy Altered Backgrounds and the Hidden Journaling challenge based off of PRT Episode 24-I did it But hid it.

Would you believe that my page started out with a white background?! That this colorful layout is what I came to with the help of my trusty Maya Mists! Taking a cue from Noell, I created my own background paper using only my mists and confetti from a Martha Stewart punch, that I used as mini masks. The Maya Mist colors I used were: blue, hydrangea, purple, red, orange, gold and sunflower yellow. I also used a make up sponge to do some blending, to help get a better gradation between the colors. It was tough, as the cardstock I used very quickly soaked up the ink, but I achieved very close to what I was going for.

The journaling, which I hid behind a photo, is probably my favorite part! But all of it just didn't fit into the more graphic design I was going for. It's totally the basis for this entire layout, or rather, where I drew my inspiration from.

I'd decided that I wanted to create a page about my flatmates, and how they were more than just flatmates and friends, they became my family. And I also had this idea to use some hidden journaling to maybe share where they were from and such. But eh, that's kind of boring. And then all of a sudden it came to me, a stroke of genius! Not only were they my family, they were my wolf pack! Have you seen the movie The Hangover? Then you know all about a wolf pack! Basically, I found the quote of Allan giving his bachelor party toast and edited it a bit to fit my needs.

Journaling Reads:

"You guys may not know this, but I consider myself...a bit of a loner. I tend to think of myself as a one woman wolf pack. But when I joined the Mountbatten program, I knew I needed to find more wolves for my pack. Because you can't tackle a city like London, alone. So I met Sarah, and my wolf pack, it grew by one. So we were two...so there was two of us in the pack. I...I was alone first in the pack, and then Sarah joined later.

And then Tom walked into our flat. I thought...wait a third, could it be?! Meh...not so much. Then along came James, then Brittney, then Becky. And I knew for sure, I had added 3 more to my wolf pack. Then we moved across town, and we added one more wolf to our den, Zahra. It took awhile, but Tom finally made it into our pack. 8 of us wolves, running around the streets of London, looking for strippers and cocaine fun and adventure. So today, I make a scrapbook page!"

Thus we come to our final lone wolf. The little guy that started it all! I googled images of wolves and chose one that showed off its tail and looked like it was howling, freehanded it onto black cardstock and then cut the image out using my fine tip scissors. I added some Thickers for the title and used my Dymo label maker to include all of our names.

See, this is why I love to participate in challenges! I got to a point creatively, that I wouldn't have come to without the latest tutorials or the community challenge prompt. Which was simple really, go town on your background paper and hide your journaling. But this page, more than any of the ones I've created lately, truly makes me smile :) Thanks for stopping by today!

xxbesos

j.leija

Ephemera

Since a few people hadn't heard of the word "wanderlust", I'm not taking any chance with today's word of the day, which is ephemera.

Ephemera, noun. Items designed to be useful or important for only a short time, especially pamphlets, notices, ticket stubs, etc.

As scrapbookers, we tend to be hoarders, collectors. Of papers, products, memories, experiences, etc. I also happen to be a collector of ephemera. A few weeks back I created a layout using a museum ticket stub that I had stashed away for some time. It was the perfect accent for my page (Museo Chillida pictured below) and also a wonderful memento. I mentioned then, that I'd share with you all my most prized piece of ephemera. But then life caught up to me and I totally forgot. Until now...

This is my ticket stub from a trip to the top of the World Trade Center. I think you know why this is so special to me. Here it is in it's special frame, along with a few photos of me and my parents on top of the building (look how young [and awkward] I am!!) I can still so vividly remember that day and our visit. I'm so so thankful I got to see them before the came down.

And now I have a little piece of it with me. And better still a tiny piece of history, encased in a frame in my very own home. This is one of the many reasons that I collect and retain all the little bits and baubles that we encounter on our everyday lives. You never know what can take on even greater significance.

I also love including pieces on my scrapbook pages. Because honestly, what better place to put them, than with photos from the same event! Here are a few pages I've created using various collected items.

This layout features a ticket stub from the museum where this photo was taken. I love it because it has the time and date, which are often important to us scrapbookers, and also because it's in a foreign language. And those 2 black blotches? Well, they aren't actually after all. They're graphic designs of Chillida's own artwork. The same artwork that we were standing in as this photo was taken. See how it helps to reinforce not only the photo, but my own little painted design in the back there as well. I wasn't kidding when I said it was the perfect accent for my page!

Here's another layout I created using some ephemera. Now it might sound weird to consider a DVD as ephemera but it is definitely one of those disposal items we have in our society. I found it special enough to include, because it was the actual DVD that we watched time and time and time again in our flat. It's the only tangible thing that can emphasize the bond that we had over that movie. Plus, truth be told, it just makes me happy!

Ephemera can also make for greater emphasis on the theme of your pages. I created this page about my internship in London. Specifically about what it was like to work in "The City" and so I included a postcard that featured a little map of all of the DB buildings located in the city. I originally picked it up because I'd get so lost going to and from the various buildings, but now I get to showcase a little piece of my life then, on this page. How can you not love that?!

I make sure to keep maps and brochures, receipts and even coasters, as I'm off and about traveling. I'll just stick them in my bag as I go and store them in folders (and even further ephemera...a cigar box from the Dominican Republic and a biscuit tin from London) once I get home.

So here's me preaching on the wonders of ephemera collecting. You might have been doing it all along and just didn't know it. But as you can hopefully see, it's totally worthwhile!

xxbesos

j.leija

I Want to Go to There

Who here is a fan of 30 Rock? Who here loves you some Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, and Jack McBrayer goodness?! I do! I do! "I want to go to there" is a Tina Fey-isms. {I hear, she stole it from her lil daughter.} But it's a saying that I love and use often.

Since the blog theme this week is travel, had to scrap a page about where in the world I still want to go!

As my journaling reads: I'm sure you get, by now, that I've been a lot of places. But all I want to do is see more! I've had so many "once in a lifetime" kind of trips though. From here on out it's all just icing on the cake.

I interrupt this blog post to do a small plug for twopeasinabucket.com. Which is not only an awesome online shop, it's also a great community. I know, I know, I talk about them a lot. But I'm here to tell you that there's some really awesome people working there and some really incredible and inspiring people shopping there. What brought this on you might as? The fact that, with my last order, 2Ps sent me a little gift. And I honestly believe that there's no better gift than some free product :) See those awesome felt, stitched, American Crafts embellishments featured on my page? Yeah, 2Ps sent me those for free! How fun is that?! If you're a scrapper and you're in the market for the latest and greatest in the scrapbooking world you should definitely check them out!

Ok, so back to my page. I purchased the Basic Grey Basics Notes Clear Acrylic stamps (from 2Ps) and went to town with them on this page. I stamped them on white cardstock with charcoal chalk ink, cut them out and arranged them on my page amongst the embellishments and Thickers. Voila!

So on my list of places I'd love to visit are:

• Russia
• Greece
• Brazil
• South Africa
• Mexico
• Alaska
• Hawaii
• India
• Egypt
• Easter Island
• Australia
• New Zealand

....and those are just the countries I want to see the most!! What about you? Where would you love to travel to?

xxbesos

j.leija

Planes, Trains & Automobiles

So I have to congratulate myself on this one. After only 9 years, I got around to scrapping 1 photo of my first trip outside of the country. And it isn't about La Belle France or the Eiffel Tower or the Louve. It's about trains...and planes...and automobiles! And the huge headache that they all caused us.

When I saw this patterned paper in the SC Lewis and Clark add on, I knew exactly what I wanted to scrapbook! All of the logistical mishaps on our 9 week tour of France. What better paper to scrap a page about traveling, as in the actual movement from point A to point B, than a paper chalk full of different modes of transportation. Plus, it has this gorgeous vintage vibe to it! Perfect for all those France photos I'll one day get around to scrapping...As you can probably tell, I take my scrapbooking one page at a time.

A lot happened on the trip, as you can see from my journaling above. And I actually had more to say! Just ran out of room. Oh well, maybe I'll get around to my trickery and hide some journaling somewhere. But for now, I'll just post it below.

Journaling Reads:

Planes, trains and automobiles? But yeah, what does that have to do with traveling in luscious France, you might ask. Umm...near utter disaster at every corner, is what it meant for this trip. We should have known right out the gate (pun intended) that any and all forms of transportation were doomed to be cursed!

But let me start at the beginning. Our first flight from San Antonio to Houston, ended up being delayed. So when we finally did get to Hobby Airport, we, (including me and my 40 lb. school book filled backpack) had to run from one terminal to the next! Only, to be informed that our plane had already left the gate. But what, sweet hope?! You mean the plane is back at the gate?! Something had gone array and the plane had ended up back where we needed it to be. It took some clever pleading on our part, as apparently the FSA deems opening the cabin door again a big no no, but they did! We made it through the 9 hour flight virtually unscathed and safely landed at Charles du Galle airport. Crisis #1 averted!

Next on the agenda? Two lovely days touring Paris and then were set to take the train down to Bordeaux. Except wait...what? All of the taxis in Paris are on strike? You mean there’s no one anywhere to lug us and all our baggage to the train stations?! Mon dieu! How could this be? Thankfully, we’d made friends with our lovely French hotel receptionist and she graciously secured a private vehicle to take us to the station. Now, you might be thinking a shiny black car was what awaited us. But you’d be mistaken! Our gracious chauffeur was none other than a deliveryman and our fine carriage, none other than a delivery truck. I cannot stress how emphatically we did not care! Transportation Crisis #2 had successfully be avoided!

We spent five beautiful days in the French countryside, staying with a family who’s daughter had lived with Karen as a foreign exchange student, when she was younger. We ate well and spent time with Martinne’s family, toured the surrounding villages and shopped. Boy did we shop!! Between the three of us girls, we had a total of 11 bags in tow! How the heck were we going to get all of that on and off the train at the appropriate stops?! The answer? Very very quickly. I doubt the three of us had ever moved faster in our lives, but we made it back to Paris, all luggage in tow.

These were just small logistical details of a truly amazing experience abroad. We definitely made it home with fond memories and a new appreciation for traveling at home in the US!

xxbesos

j.leija

Wanderlust

Ah that word, don't you just love the sound of it! The romantic images it conjures, the street cafes, the cobblestone paths, lovely windy streets. It's also a word, I've recently learned, that not everybody knows.

This month's journaling prompt over at Ch{all}enge Masters is to use a definition on your layout. Figured with a word like wanderlust, it wouldn't hurt to define.

Wanderlust. noun. A strong innate desire to rove or travel about. Check, check and check!

I did much better with this whole kit thing, this go around. In fact, Stephanie's Wanderlust layout was my main source of inspiration and the very reason I purchased the kit in the first place! I loved her clean, simple and graphic design and did my best to make it work for my own style and photo.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, I liked my first kit. I'm not sure if I'll subscribe, since it is a travel themed one and I am a sucker for that particular theme, but I'm definitely considering it. What about yall? Do you subscribe to any kits? If so, which ones?

xxbesos

j.leija

Sketch 210

Monday again, you know what that means...another brand new sketch from the fabulous Pam of Scrapbook Challenges! Loved how playful this one felt.

Took a stab at creating only with my Studio Calico kit. Didn't quite work out as I used some different cardstock, added a border sticker from Doodlebug and a rub on by Marah Johnson. But I did come to a totally different color and patterned paper combo than I would have otherwise. I have the kit to thank for that.

I scrap a lot of foreign travel pics, so I figured it was about time to get some US travel in, even if it is only around my home state. Like the journaling says, I'm rarely ever at home on the weekends. I'm always rushing off to this place or that, mainly Houston or the beach. This is my view for part of the weekend, the view from my car window. To pass the time I listen to a hand full of CDs and the PRT podcasts. "It can get tiring at times, but it definitely beats sitting around at home."

xxbesos

j.leija

Technique Tuesday...except not!

Don't you just love the sound of "Technique Tuesday"? How it just rolls off the tongue?! Well, today (rather tonight, eeking it in under the wire) I have a technique post for ya, but sadly it isn't Tuesday. We'll just have to make do :)

This month I'm hosting the technique challenge over at Scrapbook Challenges. I love issuing challenges! The hardest part for me, is picking exactly what to choose as the official challenge. So this time, I'm not. In my sample page below, I used not one, not two, but five different techniques that I'd love for you to somehow incorporate into one of your upcoming projects!

Here they are in no particular order:

• cutting designs/patterns from patterned paper and using them as accents
• printing journaling onto transparencies
• using photos from different days/events
• creating a page based on a story
• crafting a card from your layout scraps

How I Caught the Travel Bug

I've had the idea to do this page, written down in my little notebook, for awhile now. I'm so happy I finally put photo to paper and got it done! It all started with this funny little story, anecdote really, about my great grandmother. She was notorious for just up and leaving, and not letting people know where she was until she got there! She loved to travel and passed that down to me Papa who passed it along to me.

I really wanted to capture the idea of the three of us traveling, at different times, in different places. I like using photos that aren't from the same day or event; and for this layout in particular, it helped to reiterate the story. I would have liked to handwrite my journaling, but typing it up allowed for more words and I didn't want the story I was attempting to tell, to suffer. For a more cohesive design, I opted to print onto a transparency. Because as my love David Bromstead always says, (note: he's typically talking about lucite furniture) "it doesn't carry visual weight."

Now as far as I what I used for this layout, I have to say right out the gate, I love me some travel themed products! My beady little eyes will scope out any and every last item in a given store. Which is why I was so excited for this month's Studio Calico kit. I hit buy on that sucker faster than an accelerating jet plane! Plus, I was just anxious to see what all of the hype was about. I have to say, I really love the products but I'm not so sure about the kit aspect. I just don't create that way. But I'm giving this concept a shot and for next week, I want to create some layouts trying to only use my kit. We'll see how it all plays out!

But back to this page, I cut into that gorgeous green map of the world paper and am now totally in love! I used a tiny bit for the layout and also for the card I created from my layout scraps. There weren't many because I didn't use a whole lot of paper on this one, just a lot of die cuts. I had a huge brain wave when I realized that in misting the MM's corrugated alpha, I'd want to use the masked off version of "travel" for some project or other. Didn't occur to me until the end that I could totally use it on the card I planed to make!

My own personal mantra has been "wander aimlessly, get lost often" for some time now. People always ask where I got it from and I get to answer that I made it up! I even goggled it to make sure I hadn't subconsciously stolen it from somewhere else. But I don't think that I did. It's my best piece of travel advice. There's that other famous travel quote, something along the lines of the "journey isn't in reaching the destination". Hmm...that doesn't sound right either. But it's late and I'm gonna go with it. [Comment please, if you can root around in my fuzzy brain and figure out what it is that I'm trying to say!]

What can I say but that I love to travel! It's my favorite subject period. To talk about, dream about, scrapbook about. I'm so happy I made this page. It makes me feel so much more connected to this thing I love and to my family as well, for sharing those same ideals. Happy Technique-ing!

xxbesos

j.leija

{All} Week 3 Challenges

Back again with the Week 3 challenges from Ch{all}enge Masters! Let's start with the rules:

The rules for all of the Ch{all}enge Master challenges are as follows:

• Each submission must be a newly created project specifically for the challenge.
• Only one entry per category.
• Challenges may be combined, but each submission is one entry no matter how many challenges are entered.
• Each submission must be uploaded to the proper folder in our gallery no later than 11:59PM ET on July 31, 2010 to be eligible for the random draw.
• Each submission must follow ALL requirements of the challenge to be eligible for the random draw. For example, if the challenge states blue must be used, then there must be some blue in the project in order to qualify.

Calendar Challenge by Karen P

For my challenge you will create a layout choosing at least 2 things from each list below, now if you think of something that is not on the list but starts with the indicated letter, you may also use that.

Here is the list:
J-Jewels, Joy, Juice, Java, Jungle, Jingle, Journaling, Jump
U-Underline, Umbrella, Unforgettable, Unbelievable, Unexpected, Under, Ultimate, Up
L-Lavendar, Lilac, Letters, Lace, Laugh, Look, Love, Lazy, Limegreen, Layer, Live, Life
Y-Yellow, Yesterday, Yard, You, Year, Youth, YoYo

Journaling Challenge by Diana

This month we're going to try "journaling by definition". Make a layout on any subject you wish. The challenge is to choose one word that describes your layout and/or photo(s) and use the actual dictionary definition of the word on the page. You can use those definitions you have in your stash, or make it like I did is up to you.

Scraplift Challenge by Pat

This month I picked Suzanna's LO. I love the design, colors & the beautiful photo on this page. Please use this LO to get your inspiration. Have fun!

Sketch Challenge by Marianne B

This is my first time actually making up the sketch for you all here at CM so I hope you will like it and find it usable. Please feel free to make it your own since the finished product is going into your scrapbook! Please post your entry to the gallery and also into this thread! Enjoy!

Stamp Challenge by Anne

Take an existing stamp and look at it "outside the box" of what it was originally intended for. For example, your heart stamp can be used to make a shamrock or a flower or butterfly wings, etc. Please either include a photo of the original stamp (as it was intended to be used) or describe it really well so we know exactly what it was and a photo of your challenge. This challenge can be incorporated into a layout or made into a card, your preference.

Stash Challenge by Tammy

For this month my ch{all}enge theme is 'tool time'. I want to focus on those tools that we all have in our stash but are just collecting dust these days...you go to a crop or a class and they demonstrate the newest must have tool, so you buy it, try it out for a bit and then it just sits on a shelf..well this month I want you to get those tools out and actually use them! Maybe its a border punch, or a pair of decorative scissors, your Cuttle bug or a particular CB folder that you've not used in ages or sizzix, even your xyron sticker maker, look around I bet you have something just collecting dust. Blow it off and put it to use at least once this month! Make sure you let me know what tool it was! I'm curious to see what we've got just hanging around.

xxbesos

j.leija

Card Love

This is gonna be a quick one. Just wanted to share a few cards I created using scraps from American Craft's Dear Lizzy and Botanique lines.

For the first, I cut out three shapes using my 1 in. scallop punch. Then, I backed the cut outs with scraps. I wrapped baker's twine around the card and decorated with a few butterflies and pearls. Finished it off with a stamp that I embossed with white embossing powder, a new fave!

This last card was created out of a ton of circles. I folded them into petal shapes and adhered them down in a circle. So simple! Love that this patterned paper is double-sided, made for a more interesting flower.

There you have my latest cards. As always, thanks for stopping by!

xxbesos

j.leija

Sketch 209

I'm loving this week's Scrapbook Challenges sketch. I knew it'd be perfect for this idea that I had for scrapping this photo of Leigh and her husband. We exchanged pics again for a swap over at Pink Ninjas. No prompt other than to swap with a bestie :)

Went hunting through my stash for some background paper and came across this gorgeous sheet of Basic Grey. It's from an older line. I loved the touches of golden orange, thought it highlighted their hair really well.

Then I went rooting around from some gold accents and came across these way older products from EK Success and 7 Gypsies. The key around J's neck is what inspired that little golden key. And for some reason, a buckle seemed necessary for this layout.

Also, the grand idea I had...to add "individual" photos of the two of them. I like taking one photo and duplicating it, but with a twist. For this layout, I cropped (as best I could) one or the other out of the photo. It's how I got three photos out of one.

So stop by Scrapbook Challenges when/if you get the chance! We'd love to chat with you, have you participate in a challenge or two, or just leave some love. Happy Scrapping yall!

xxbesos

j.leija

Swimming *Mini*

I'm gonna let the pictures do most of the talking in this post :) It's a mini I created of a day at the pool with my nephew. The majority of the products are American Crafts, with a few digital elements from Ali Edwards and one sheet of border stickers from Doodlebug Designs.

The actual album is a 6x6 mini cardboard one from American Crafts. I got it for $1.99 at Archivers :) You can't beat that! I jazzed it up with some Thickers, that gorgeous ribbon (that I sprayed with yellow Maya Mist to make it darker), and glitter buttons.

I'm honestly surprised at how much journaling I was able to eek out of this literally 30 minute event. What can I say, he inspires me!

I love my little summer mini. Here's wishing you all a happy summer as well!

xxbesos

j.leija

Classic, Amurrica!!

As promised, here are a few layouts I created for Week 1 & Week 2 Challenges over atCh{all}enge Masters.

We're from Amurrica!!

"Amurrica" is said in a way that only Monica has mastered! It sounds something like a deep country hillbilly and it was a running joke with the group of us out in London. It's funny people's perceptions of Americans, you never knew what people were going to say when they found out you were American. For the most part, no one judged. They were just interested in talking to someone from somewhere different.

My British co-workers were very interested to know what the big hoopla about the 4th of July was about. And even more tickled to find out that all of the Americans were going to be touring the river Thames, in celebration of our country's freedom...from the British. Oi!

I pretty much threw everything and the kitchen sink onto this layout. The shiny-er, the glittery-er, the jewely-er the better!! It also plays into three of the challenges over at CM; Blade Master, Go Green, and Technique! I used the Martha Stewart Loops edger punch for the Blade Master challenge and created a pinwheel for the Technique challenge. But my favorite part is what I did for the Go Green challenge. Did you notice the Coca-Cola label at the bottom? Yeah, I cut into a Coke can and using my scallop punches, punched out tin cut outs. You can't get any more American than Coke!

I love this page! It's just so symbolic of America for me. How we're such a melting pot of nations. Poland, Ireland, Germany, China, Thailand, India, Mexico, Africa make up our heritages, but we're still all Americans!

Classic

I decided I needed to add a bit to my feeble little All About Me album (I think there's only maybe 4 pages in there...) so I took on this week's Book of Me challenge and also incorporated my Hybrid challenge. And to boot, I used Sketch 208 from Scrapbook Challenges as the basis for my layout.

This month's Book of Me challenge is to create a layout about you favorites right now. Don't know why or how I came to it, (actually I mis-read the Daily Grind prompt so I do know how...) but I decided to create a page about my favorite jewelry and make-up. The stuff I wear everyday!

I wrote about my ring, my favorite earrings, the necklaces my mama gave me and my favorite nail polish. And I printed it out on a transparency to satisfy the Hybrid challenge. The flowers were cut using my handy dandy Slice, crumpled them up to give them some texture and finished off with a Prima sequined center and a Making Memories Pearl brad.

See, our challenges aren't so bad. And you can combine a few to create some really interesting pages! I hope you'll stop by and maybe participate in a challenge or two :) Happy Scrapping!

xxbesos

j.leija

Summer Lovin'

This summer Ch{all}enge Masters is hosting a Summer Lovin' contest for a fun prize! A $25 gift certificate to the online store of your choice. Totally fabulous! Hate to say that the sign up for this event is closed but do be sure to check out all of the Weekly Challenges. Someone who participates in one of the challenges will win this month's equally awesome prize, a $30 gift certificate to your favorite online store! And the opportunity to be the July Monthly Master! I think that's pretty good incentive to participate in a challenge or two :) Check back tomorrow to see how I approached some of the challenges.

Best Day

This weeks challenge was to be brave and to cut up a photo in rectangles or squares. I remembered this sketch I'd found at Page Maps and thought it'd be perfect for a layout that needed a photo cut into squares! Figured this photo of Mama and I in Italy would cut up nicely, without chopping into our faces! I was very inspired by the colors of the photo, the yellow in my sweater, the blue in mama's shirt and that so bright green in the plant behind us.

As part of the prompt for this week, you'd get a bonus 40 points for using a mask on your layout. I have these favorite masks that I use over and over again, but the thing is, they aren't actually masks. Prima makes these great felt stems, that are beautiful in their own right, but just screamed mask to me the moment I saw them. I arranged them on my background paper and hit them with green, yellow and blue Maya Mist and outlined a few of the edges to give them dimension.

The title of this layout is actually from a song lyric of Taylor Swift's. I just got her album a few weeks ago and LOVE it! I think I know all the words now, I've listened to it so much. But this one in particular, for some reason, has been on repeat in my head. I'd already decided to use that photo of me and Mama when I realized that this song would be a great way to journal about us, this day and our propensity for giggling.

Journaling reads: "We were in Rome, touring the Papal Residence, soaking up the gorgeous Italian sun, and were just taking a break from all the walking we'd been doing. I have no idea why we were laughing. Who knows with the two of us! We're always giggling about something or other, which is why this is my favorite photo of the two of us. What a wonderful day to remember and what equally wonderful memories of so many seemingly small moments with my Mama."

"I love you for giving me your [Asian] eyes. For staying back and watching me shine. I didn't know if you knew. So I'm taking this chance to say...that I had the best day, with you, today."

Lifeline

Last week's prompt was to scrap about a tool you can't live without. I'm not the greatest with just scrapping random things, so I wanted to use something that was relatable to other areas of my life as well. My Mac laptop is definitely something I use for my scrapping, but was also a big part of my life while I was aboard. I call it and this page, my lifeline.

Journaling reads: "My roomate took this photo of me on my Mac, back in our very first flat in London. I'll say I was doing homework but Sarah and I both know that rarely happened in our room and only ever at the last minute. While I was abroad, that computer became a lifeline to home and the outside world. I emailed, chatted, Skyped, searched, planned, browsed, Facebooked and occasionally homeworked from that glorious machine. My baby? A (now vintage) 13 inch Macbook that I purchased myself when I was a senior undergrad. My first BIG purchase. It just wouldn't be right to create a scrapbook about life in London and not include something about my Mac!

Fun note: 3 of my 5 flatmates also owned a white 13 in. Macbook. They were always laying around the flat and you'd have to open all of them to find your own!

What can I say? I'm sentimental! But what scrapbooker isn't?! It's by far and away my most used tool for all things, scrappy and otherwise.

That Mac accent is about the most cutting edge as it gets in my scrapbooking. Can you guess how I did it? I painted it! Well, first I printed out the Mac logo and cut it out of a scrap sheet of paper and used it as a template. Then, I painted horizontal stripes in the colors of the rainbow. After, I inked the entire thing with Versamark and embossed over it with clear embossing powder. It gives it this great sheen. My one of a kind accent, that I'm so very proud of!

Disclaimer: please don't sue me Apple! I swear I haven't received any monetary compensation for this layout. But I am always looking for sponsors ;)

xxbesos

j.leija