Category Archives: LOs

Scrapbook Layouts

A Guest Gig and an Old Friend

I am so excited to be guest scrapping for Paislee Press this month. I just adore her clean and simple designs. Of course I had very little to choose from in the store because I already own most of it. Nevertheless I just couldn’t pass up these goodies that were just made for a photographer.

 

I’ve  jumped right in and made a couple of pages. Focus on photos and a minimalist design. Takes the pressure off and I love the results.

I also started deigning for an old digi friend this week. Holly McCaig has started designing again for Two Peas and was looking for someone to help promote her kits. Of course I put up my hand, started immediately and promptly fell in love with this background paper and frame.

In other scrapping news… I am still going strong with the P52 project at Jen Wilson Designs. Her store has been down but the challenges continue to be inspiring.

I also entered the “So You Think You can Scrap” contest…

…and then began to wonder where I would find the time for all of this. I may just be a little crazy. I’m already half way through the contest though and the kits they are offering for 50% off are just too cute to pass up. 

It’s an illness.

Creative Ventures

I have been feeling very creative lately when it comes to scrapping. I seriously think it’s all about Jen Wilson’s challenges. They just inspire me to write my feelings down on paper, even though I’ve been more focused on photography more than ever.

And speaking of photography – did I mention I have my first paid photo gig this coming Saturday? Eeeck! I’m taking photos of my friend’s family but I am still incredibly nervous. I just hope the Portland weather is kind to me. Of course I will give her a full refund if it doesn’t work out, but I’m really hoping I get at least 20 good photos. She has two adorable children – they’re nearly the same age as my kids, both boys and part Asian. I really couldn’t ask for a more comfortable setting for my first shoot but the paid part of it adds some pressure.

Back to the scrapping. Here are some of my latest pages. Click on images for a closer view and credits.


This is my absolute favourite.


And a girly one for fun

Freebie Fun

So it seems that this blog has become more about photography lately and much less about digi scrapping. It’s a shame because I still enjoy making scrapbook pages.

I have had an excuse though, with both of my CTs on a little hiatus of late. But I am excited to say that they are both on their way back with cute new stuff.

And I have a couple of cute fun freebies to share to celebrate valentine’s day. Yes, I am late. I know. I know. Valentine’s day is a non-event in our house so it’s easy to miss it – not that I’m complaining. It’s just not a big deal for me. Since we’ve had a wedding anniversary, we really don’t need a Valentine’s day anymore. I’d rather celebrate on a day that just ours.

That’s not to say I don’t enjoy all the gorgeous Valentine’s digi supplies. I am a sucker for hearts and pinks and reds. It’s about the only time of the year when I can scrap with hearts on my boys pages and really get away with it.

Here are the freebies.

First – an adorable alpha from Lauren Reid on the newly revamped team blog.

And a fun frame from Tara.

Click on images to go to the blogs and download.

And here’s a little page I made for hubby as we celebrate our tenth year of marriage this year (Gasp!). Click on the image for credits and journaling.

Hope you had a fun love-filled day.

Nicole

STORIES

Lately I have found myself focusing on my photography more and scrapping less. Which is fine. I love taking photos and I am learning more and more every day (although I still REALLY need to get away from Auto mode).

At the same time I don’t want to move away from telling the stories. The thing that makes my scrapbook so special every year is that it tells the stories that can’t be captured in photos alone. When I was putting the book together I found myself including fewer of the one photo layouts and more of the pages with a lot of text.

So it’s important for me to continue with my scrapping – and achieve this by using more of stash and buying less new stuff. I really don’t need any more papers. (I will be helped in this goal thanks to a $50 GC that I won to Emily Merritt’s store – whoo hoo). I am also taking part in Jen Wilson’s Project 52 which is really great because I have a ton of Jen Wilson products that I have never used and her challenges are always so inspiring. 

And so to end my rant, I actually have a few new LOs to share – surprise, surprise. (click on image for credits)

This first one is my very first Jen Wilson Project 52 LO.

This one is for a Paislee Press challenge – where I am going to be a guest artist in April – Yippee!

This is just one of the LOs I plan to create about the big snowstorm of 2008 – yes, it was that impressive.

 

I guess I’m off to a good start.

Finally some layouts

I have been scrapping. Not that you’d know since this has become more of a photo blog. My mojo has been a little MIA but somehow I managed to create enough pages to finish my 2008 book (which arrived a couple of days ago and looks fabulous. It even arrived in time to make it to Australia by Christmas).

The one thing I learned through the whole book-printing process is that the page that mean the most to me – the ones I choose to print – are those with the most journaling. In the end it’s the story that matters, not the design. (would still like some mojo back though).

Here are a few of my latest pages. 

Spin

Water Wall

Lucky

6 months

Shine

Christmas. The Gifts Are Done.

How did Christmas sneak up on me so fast? It’s not fair to have Thanksgiving as a floating holiday. If it was on a set date I would be prepared, but having it just four weeks before Christmas this year, totally threw me.

So…I am a little late with printing my scrapbook. It’s supposed to arrive late next week and then I have to ship one copy to Australia and one to Japan. Mail was fast last year, but not sure if it was that fast.

Nevertheless, here are the final products. The scrapbook is going to my mother and mother-in-law and the baby book is a gift for Samuel (and myself).

Stories of 2008

Samuel Baby Book

I used the Paislee Press Happy as a Lark album for the baby book. It was such a quick and easy solution as I love the results. Such a modern, simple design.

I am also avoiding the scrapbook page guilt this year – you know, the feeling you get when you don’t scrap every great photo you have? In addition to my scrapbook, I am printing a photo book with the results of my photo-a-day project. Of course that won’t be printed until next year so I can get through December. So far I’ve uploaded and organized photos through the end of October but I still ahve to go back and add text to some of the pages. That’s where my blog posts are going to come in handy. 🙂

I have one additional treat for my family (also photo related) but that one’s going to have to wait until after christmas on the off chance one of my brothers drops by this blog.

Off to wait patiently for the mailman.

Nicole

 

Suffering from scrapstashitis

OK, that sounds worse than I thought it would. 🙂

Sales in digi land have been killing me. I have been buying and buying but not scrapping a whole lot.

On a side note: have to watch how I use that phrase. A couple of days ago I said no to Thomas and he turned to me and said “You’re killing me”.

But I digress. First there was a $1 sale at Shabby Pickle which got me totally hooked on Kasia Designs (talk about successful marketing). So now I find myself obsessively going back to Shabby pickle to save 20% on new release days.

And now We Are Storytellers is having their own trick or treat $1 sale. If I don’t already own everything by Emily Powers, then I will by the end of the week.

Here are a couple of pages I have managed to scrap lately but I’m desperately in need of some inspiration. My photography – and lately my job – have been sucking up all that Mojo and there doesn’t seem to be much left for scrapbooking. I’m hoping that some of the challenges at Shabby Pickle will get me started – and maybe earn some gift certificates to help feed my habit.

Click on images for credits.

Life is good

Everything’s falling into place. I don;t want to jinx things but I do want to say how grateful I am that it seems like the family is finally getting back to normal after our trip to Australia. Don’t get me wrong, we had a great time, but it takes a few weeks for little bodies to get back on schedule.

This one is close to being potty trained. After a few false starts he finally seems to be getting it. Tonight we were just about to start eating dinner when he said “Excuse me. I need to go to the loo.” I don’t know if I was more excited about that fact that he used the potty or that he used the word “Loo”. 🙂 He also used the real toilet instead of his potty chair which means I didn’t even have to clean up after him. Nice!

After two weeks this one is finally settling into a routine at daycare. It was a rocky start. He wanted to be held all the time, cried most of the day and wouldn’t nap. Thankfully eating was never a problem but I was worried that Michelle would decide that looking after a baby in addition to a bunch of toddlers is just too difficult and that we would have to look for alternative childcare. I am excited to report though that he has been great all week. He is now on a fairly regular napping schedule and happily sits and watches the kids or will lie outside on the grass and coo for a good hour without needing to be held. And he is eating more than ever (5 bottles today!).

Oh, and he can now officially roll over. He rolled from his back to his front while going after a toy and I’m pretty sure he can roll the other way as well. I left him on the floor lying on his stomach and when I came back he was staring at the ceiling. I knew he was close to rolling but it doesn’t make it any less exciting when it actually happens.

And one more positive – I seem to have found some of my scrapping mojo. Here are a few of my recent pages.

Life is good. At least until I go back to work full time next week. I’ll be sure to provide an update…

Vote for Me?

I recently entered a little contest to win a Wacom Bamboo Fun. I know I know – who ever wins these things. But I have been scrapping and I am actually proud of most of my latest creations (about time – I have so many unfinished pages that I could make a book of those alone).

I enetered two pages – one for each child.

Anyway, you can vote for me if you feel so inclined. I draw the line at begging. 🙂 There is a button below for each layout.

Vote 4 me at PenScrappers.com!

Vote 4 me at PenScrappers.com!

I will be back soon to show some more pages. I have become a little distracted trying to catch up with my P365 posts but I’m getting there.

The stories… and the scrap.

My focus this year has been more and more on photography and less and less on scrapbooking. I love taking photos and it has become a passion – although hopefully not a passing fad like some of my other “passions” (aromatherapy, The Sims).

The thing is that there are always stories behind the photos and scrapping has allowed me to tell those stories. I don’t want to lsoe that, even though this blog is achieving the same result in many respects.

I have set myself a goal to create a photo book from all my P365 blog posts at the end of the year. That is going to be one HUGE book, but what a fantastic collection of memories. Maybe I’ll give it to my family each year for Xmas as a record of our lives. OK, now I am definitely getting ahead of myself…

But I HAVE been scrapping. I still love the process of designing a page and putting together all the pieces to make something beautiful (Well I think they’re beautiful :)). Here are some of the latest. Click on the image for credits and a closer look.