Weekly Challenge #11

This week's technique challenge is to scrapbook a photo (or photos) of you as a child. Depending on how old you are, those photos may be in an unconventional size, which can present an interesting challenge! If your childhood photos have turned orange or other odd colors with age/incorrect storage, there are several software programs that can correct that in a scanned image (I use Creative Memories Memory Manager, which works great!).

This week's journaling challenge is to use a quote on your page. You can handwrite or type a poem or quote that's meaningful to you, or there are plenty of vellum or rub-on ones all ready to put on.

Around here it's Spring Break, but that should mean MORE time to scrapbook - right? Well, maybe not. (: Happy scrapping!

Layout with 15+ brads challenge - Maria

I had fun with this one. If I were to do it over again, I'd take some time to space out the brads more evenly. I liked that the arrow made of brads helped point the title towards the dinner that Spencer was so anguished about.

I also used a technique I just saw in a magazine - when you mess up while handwriting (I goofed when writing "huge"), cover it up and repeat what you did so it looks like a deliberate design element. I actually like the effect of a few of the words covered in red, so I guess I'm glad I made a mistake. (:

Weekly Challenge #10

This week's technique challenge is to use 15 or more brads on a layout. This might not be much of a stretch for some people, in which case, try to use those brads in a creative way you never have before, as more of a design element.

This week's journaling challenge is to scrap a layout about a sibling. This could be about your current relationship with them, a childhood memory, a quirk or trait they have . . . you get the idea!

Happy scrapping!

Layout about favorite shows challenge - Maria

Yet another layout without pictures! I wanted this one to have a fun and upbeat feel, so I chose some very BRIGHT and glittery paper from my Nana's Kids stack, and then took another page of the same design, cut a strip, and placed it sideways on this page for some contrasting lines. I actually wanted the "Shows I love" to be in the black fuzzy chipboard letters, but I didn't have enough vowels! I had to change things around several times to make it fit, but it eventually more or less worked. I'm wishing I'd inked the edges of "Shows" so it stood out a little more, and I think I still want to handwrite a note in the middle about how hard it is for me to choose favorites, and that these aren't in any particular order or significance.

Include Memorabilia Challenge - Maria

This layout was based around a picture Spencer had drawn in June of 2007, to show him how sad he would be when Greg was on a business trip. Those big sad eyes and frown were just too cute not to keep!

The original drawing was on yellowing paper and was too large, so I scanned it, reduced the size, and printed it out. I used paper and tags from a coordinating line ("Hopscotch" by K&Co, I think), and changed the photo to sepia tone since the background colors were distracting. I have become such a fan of using flowers - even on a layout about boys like this one!

Weekly Challenge #9

This week's technique challenge is to do a layout that includes memorabilia. Here is a link to an article about how to include different kinds of memorabilia, to help get you started: http://www.scrapjazz.com/topics/Scrapbook_Basics/Getting_Started/399.php

This week's journaling challenge is to do a layout about your favorite movie (or movies), TV shows, etc. - this could just be a list, or include answers about such things as: What do you watch? Why do you like it? What was your favorite show ever? You get the idea! Have fun with this!

Crinkle paper on a layout challenge and Interview Challenge - Shauna

This is my crinkled paper layout. My son was in a confrontation with the neighbors dog. He ended up dirty and bruised. These were the perfect pictures to use for this challenge. I spritzed the paper with a little water which helps you to crinkle the paper into smaller balls. After smoothing the paper out I ran a brown stamp pad over the bumps to make it look dirty. I dry embossed the edges of the paper then ran the brown stamp pad over the edges also. He is so proud of this layout, he's been carrying a picture of it around for two days.

Interview the subject of your page challenge - Maria

This interview with my boys took place over two days that were a few months apart, which is why I didn't date it, but just put their ages. I kept the layout very simple, as I wanted the emphasis to be on the journaling, and didn't want to distract too much from it. I got such a kick out of their answers! I plan on doing this again with different questions in the near future. It will be fun to show this to the boys someday and see how their reality turned out, compared to their vision of it. (You can click on the image to see a larger photo where you can actually read the words!)

Layout without photos challenge - Maria

I am a picky sleeper. Things have to be just right in order for me to sleep. This subject lent itself well to doing without a photo, because it's an ongoing thing, and I really didn't want a picture of me sleeping. The paper I used was from the "Once Upon a Time" pack by DCWV, and didn't need a lot of extra embellishments. I did do the visual triangle thing with the red flowers, and tried to offset the weight of the large flower on top by using three flowers on the bottom left and using three chipboard tiles next to the medium-sized flower on the bottom right.

"Weekly" Challenge #8

The flu, and then bronchitis, have been running rampant around our house. It's awfully hard to feel like scrapbooking when you can't stop coughing!

I'm not sure whether or not challenges will actually be posted weekly at the rate we're going here.

The technique challenge is to do a layout without photos. Do you have something that you'd like to scrapbook about, but didn't take any pictures of? This one is for you!

The journaling challenge is to do a layout where you interview the subject of your page. This can be your kids, spouse, sibling, parent, friend . . . anyone!

As always, feel free to jump in wherever and do what you feel like and are capable of doing. There's no penalty for not doing each part of every challenge. (:

Scrap an emotion challenge - Maria

I've been working on using more authentic journaling in my scrapbooks. Sure, it's great to include birthday parties and trips to the zoo, but I'd like my children to get to know who *I* am by reading my scrapbooks, and that means writing about some of the painful things, too.

This layout was part of the "Book of Me" that I've been slowly putting together. It was hard to do, because it made me realize just how painful these memories still are. However, I also believe that being able to face them is a step towards healing them. Hopefully one of my next layouts in this album will be about how I was able to forgive the people involved and come to some peace about it.

If you want to join . . .

Just send me an email or leave a comment if you want to join, and I'll be happy to add you as an official contributor so that you can post your own layouts! (:

Back by popular request . . .

Okay, by ONE request. Still, no matter who participates, knowing I am posting here gives ME incentive to work on my scrapbooking!

So, since nothing was posted since my last challenge, it still stands:

The technique challenge for this week is to wrinkle or crinkle paper on a layout. Some people go as far as wadding paper up, getting it damp, and ironing it back out - personally, I feel like that's too much effort (I don't iron my CLOTHES, I'm certainly not going to start on my paper!), but if that appeals, feel free! I just wad mine up and smooth it back out. It adds an interesting texture to the page.

The journaling challenge for this week is to scrap an emotion - happy, sad, scared - anything!

Try to have something posted by next Sunday or Monday, 'cause the next challenge will be going up sometime during those two days.

Happy scrappin'!