Take Note.....it's a Diet Coke Slogan

Everyday for the past couple of weeks, I have been driving by a "Diet Coke" advertisement in a bus shelter.....the words just jumped right out and shouted at me. I couldn't stop thinking about how effective these words were, and how great they would be for a title on a layout. 

My daughter Hannah, has also just come back from a 5 day canoe trip from Algonquin, and I thought about the appropriateness of the title and the above picture. She does things that no one else in our family does, she tries things that no one else in our family would try. She has an unbelievable sense of adventure and spirit for life. The words on the "Diet Coke" bus shelter advertisement were just so suitable as my title to this layout celebrating her. 

The Studio Calico "Take Note" collection of papers and wood veneer embellishments worked really well together. So many people liked the frames, and asked me how I would use them. Truthfully, I liked them to, BUT had no idea quite what I was going to do with them. Well, once the package was opened....I had tons of fun with them, including cutting them.

Next time you see a magazine or billboard slogan, consider it as a title for YOUR next layout.

There are some "COMPULSARY" layouts

I have to say that there are two layouts that I feel compelled and obligated to do. One of them is always "a year in review" layout and the other is a "birthday" layout. I don't necessarily do them around the time of the year when the event occurs, but it stays on my mind until I get them done. I started doing a year in review layout several years ago, and I have to say....I LOVE looking back at them. It really is a very brief synopsis of some of the highlights of our year. It is also nice to put them all together in one separate book, and from year to year, you get to see the changes, the growth, the events.  

I had nothing in mind since January for what or how I was going to do this layout, until the other day, when I picked up a piece of "simple stories" paper that had each month on it. Immediately, I knew that that would be my ticket to get started. I started by picking a photo or two from each month,  printing them and then cutting up the paper. I was also determined to make this a single page layout. YES, there are WAY many more photos and events from each month that I would have loved to include, but, I picked the ones that in some way or another stand out in a memorable way for me. I also tried to include at least a pic of each member of the family. 

Once all the pictures and paper was stuck down, I was able to pull out my boxes of goodies. I had so much fun embellishing this layout. My aim was to have some kind of something attached to each month, to signify the picture in some way. I like the way it all turned out, even if it is already mid May, I like that I have a reminder of the previous year.

Project Life....17 weeks and still going strong

Well, I am VERY pleased to say that Project Life is still going strong. Yep 17 weeks into twenty twelve, all up to date. It seems as though everyone started off this year with a big bang of enthusiasm doing Project Life. For some, that spark has subsided just a little. For others, they are weeks behind, but still doing what needs to be done. My advice is simple....if you are behind, really behind. DON'T GIVE IT UP. It is better to just pick up from here and now, the current week and move forward with it. I promised myself at the ontake of this commitment, that IF if fell behind, THAT I would NOT stress over it, BUT just pick up from where LIFE is at. Remember in the years to come, it will not matter that some weeks may be missing or incomplete....IT WILL MATTER FAR MORE of the weeks that are documented. Worry about what you can do.....not what you can't. Spend time moving forward.

Remember WHY you embarked on the whole Project Life journey. 

RIGHT SIDE

LEFT SIDE

THE DOUBLE SPREAD

I encourage you....keep going!

Prairie Hill, Chevrons, Thickers....and all good things

Ok...so I saw the Pink Paislee collection of Prairie Hill Paper and absolutely fell in love.

Of course, this layout, as alot of mine are, was based on a sketch. The paper that you see on the bottom, which was a solid sheet of these beautiful colourful chevrons....I was determined to make part of my layout. Now sometimes, we see a paper, we LOVE it, but think to ourselves, that it is just too "busy" to use on a layout. Well...if you cut up the elements in various ways, and use small bits of it, or separate the pattern, you will see that it does work.  I did the same thing with the paper on the top of the page...a full sheet of of patterned paper in diamond shapes. Yep, maybe somewhere it does work as a full sheet, but again,  I LOVED the paper and was determined to make it work for my layout. I originally started by pulling out my background piece of paper (awesome Studio Calico) and knew that I wanted to work from there. There is so much fun in mixing and matching from various paper lines. I pulled out a little simple stories and off course, no layout is complete without some "thickers".
So go ahead, I encourage you....do a little mixing and matching with paper lines.  You will be glad you did.

Konnichiwa Rocks

Ok, so I got to admit, that generally speaking I usually DON'T buy collection packs, for a number of reasons. One reason being that I don't believe that I need to have, nor will ever use all the papers that come in a collection. I also have an on again, off again like/dislike with Basic Grey.....some of there collections are outstanding, and some are okay. Well, when I saw Konnichiwa, I just knew that I had to buy the collection pack. Every sheet, whether it's the front side, the back side or both is outstanding. I LOVE the colours, and the patterns. I must admit that I also wanted to buy it, because I had pictures from last Summer when I was in Hong Kong and I thought that the paper would be perfect. Now that I have done at least 3 layouts with this collection, I see that the paper can be used for any pictures, that it is NOT necessarily themed. It can work with whatever you may want it to work with. The second that I saw the collection pack, I was immediately inspired by the front cover of it, hence my below layout. Yep, it's pretty similar to the packaging with a few minor detail changes. But how I love those colours.

Wishing everyone a spring filled with warmth and colour everywhere.

Using My Minds Eye" Follow your Heart"

When I saw the papers for the My Minds Eye, "Follow your Heart", I absolutely fell in love with them. I had all sorts of ideas just how I wanted to cut up and use some of the papers, namely the hexagons. I mean c'mon, everywhere I look right now, I see some kind of a hexagon, and the possibilities are endless. Not only is the design of the papers outstanding, but also the colours. It is so nice to see fresh, bright colours as we come into Spring weather. It is just like a rebirth, where creativity starts to ebb again, after the whole winter/holiday theme of things.

It is sometimes a little difficult to control exactly HOW MUCH goes on the page. We land up buying papers and embellishments all in the same story, we look at it and we love it.....and then some of us, actually want to use it all. As I was sitting and doing this layout, which was also based on a sketch, I reminded myself that in the years to come, when either myself, my children or someone else may be looking at my scrapbooks.....they will be looking at the pictures to tell the story, and NOT the pretty things that the page has been decorated with.

So often I hear people say that they just "collect" there stuff.....don't be one of those people. Use your papers and embellishments, there will always be something new that comes along to replace what you thought was worth saving. What is really worth saving is the pages that you create with all your goodies.

Wishing you all a week in which you get to use something that you planned on saving.

"true love" with Simple Stories

There is no doubt about it that Simple Stories is definitely up there within my very favorite paper lines. Each paper collection comes with several sheets of "elements", that are so very versatile to cut up and use as embellishments or create layers with. It is also easy to take from several different lines and use them all together. I did this layout based on a sketch, and had so much fun doing it, pulling bits and pieces from different places to get it all together.

Also really excited with the three new Simple Stories collections, Awesome, Fabulous and Life Documented that are now in the store. You got to come by and see the paper in real life....it is beyond awesome and fabulous. I think my favorite line may just be Life Documented. Can't wait to just find some time and start playing.

What's your favorite line?