So many challenges...

Yesterday I didn't have anything major planned, so ended up participating in a few online scrap challenges. I had a blast - it's good to push outside my comfort zone every now and then!

We had an online crop over at Good Grief yesterday. I posted three challenges: an advice challenge, a cardstock & story challenge, and a re-challenge challenge. The last two are layout challenges, so I'll pick random winners next Sunday (which will hopefully give me time to complete the challenges myself!) I was able to do 2 layouts for other challenges though.

This challenge was to document a trip taken with a lost loved one - I scrapped a picture of Kath & I from the cruise I went on with my family in February:

Journaling reads: I want to remember this moment forever. The cruise was so perfect: laughing, smiling, making memories and trying to forget about cancer. The timing couldn't have been better - we celebrated life before we would lose Katherine a mere 4 months later. I cherish these memories.

This challenge was to use only chipboard & cardstock ... it was HARD! That's what challenges are for, right? I was inspired by Tania Willis with the tone-on-tone cardstock.

Journaling: This is my family... with marriage, divorce, non-blood relations, untraditional relationships ... but lots of love.

I also completed 3 layouts for another group of challenges - this was just a group of scrappers emailing each other different challenges.

The first challenge was to only use scraps and products within reach. This is Andrea and me at a local scrap retreat.

Journaling reads: So much fun hanging with this girl. She inspires me, makes me laugh, _and_ knows the importance of self-portraits!

Next was to use a fun color combo ... I'm loving gray & orange right now! Earlier this year I went to a trivia fundraiser with a few friends in Seattle - this picture was from that night.


The last one I did was to use white as a background ... another tough one! When I was in CA last year, Christina and I went to Sprinkles ... YUM!


Thanks for looking ... hoping I get the chance to do some more challenges this week!

Good Grief: Document a Game

It's time for a new challenge at Good Grief! This challenge was a bit light-hearted, a nice change from the tear-invoking layouts! We were to document a game we had played.

First up, my layout for Katherine:

She Likes...

Journaling: (on envelope) She likes: puppies but not dogs, books but not magazines, giggles but not smiles, jogging but not walking, butterflies but not ladybugs, Halloween but not Christmas...

(on tag, in envelope) Kath introduced us to this fun game without telling us how to play. We just had to listen & guess what was next. If we were correct, we played along until everyone ‘got it.’ The game would start randomly, as someone else thought of more things that ‘she liked’...

Can you figure out the game??

And my layout for my Grandma:

Wheel of Fortune
Journaling: A favorite memory I have is watching Wheel of Fortune with Grandma. We’d try to guess the puzzles, as Grandpa sat in his chair, reading with his pipe. Not quite sure why this memory sticks out, but it’s one I’ll cherish from my childhood, especially now that she’s gone.

I apologize for the lack of picture quality - I recently got a new laptop, and my Photoshop Elements isn't cooperating. I had to be creative for photo editing (I used Picnik) but it looks like I sized the layouts too small!

Please link me to your layouts if you play along - I love to see how everyone interprets the different challenges!

Making Memories

Scrapbooking manufacturer Making Memories recently requested stories from those impacted by breast cancer, in honor of October being breast cancer awareness month.

I'm honored that my story is posted today!

I like to tell my friends and family "we're making memories" and I'm touched that Making Memories allowed me to share my story.

On a related note, my sweet friend Andrea Ancich recently used Making Memories' slice and Think Pink slice card to create a layout of us at the 2008 3 Day, as well as some cards for her design contribution at Lasting Memories. Aren't they beautiful?

Good Grief: Have a Conversation

It's that time again ... a new challenge is up at Good Grief! This challenge was a bit difficult for me - we documented what a conversation with our loved one would be like. I just jotted down some thoughts of what I would say if I were to talk to either Kath or my Grandma.

WWKD

Journaling reads: Note to Self: I wonder all the time what Kath would do. I’m more understanding & sympathetic… I give money to the homeless, I’m present. She continues to make me a better person. I miss her so much.


Heaven

Journaling: A few questions: What is it like? Beautiful & light? Have you seen your relatives & friends who have passed? Did you give Michael a hug for me? Are there just spirits, or does everyone look like they do on Earth? Do you realize how often I think of you? I see a butterfly float by and smile … almost like you’re checking in with me. I hope heaven is as magical as I imagine it to be … and you’ll be waiting.

Thanks for looking!

Scrapbooking Extravaganza!!!

I was out of town this weekend at a camp out on the peninsula, for a weekend of scrapping, laughing, snacking, and hanging out with some of my fave girls! Friday was a *crazy* day at work (meetings from 7:30-4:30, straight!) so right after work I headed out. It was fabulous to spend the weekend with the craftiest girls I know - it's always too long between our visits. :)

We did something different this time around, and completed 3 Round Robin challenges. The short of it: you start with your own picture and background paper, and every 5 minutes, you pass it on to the next person to embellish the layout. After 10-12 people work on the layout, it comes back to you! I love these challenges... so much fun to see how everyone interprets your picture, tries new techniques, and how the layouts change since you worked on them. I LOVE how my layouts turned out (although I can't take credit - since I all did was pick out the background paper and the pictures!):




I also worked on my layouts for the next Good Grief challenge, some cards, layouts made from page kits, as well as a couple layouts just because. (The Good Grief layouts will be posted on the 15th.) Here are a couple of the other layouts I did:


And here are my ATCs for the favorite drink ATC swap at Scrap in Style:


Such a fun weekend ... we already have started planning our next one - and I can't wait!

Forever a student

I always have enjoyed learning, and even now that I'm done with my education, I still like to learn. I've taken a couple online crafty classes recently ... fun because I end up with a beautiful project AND I don't have to think at all! :)

Last month I took Shimelle's Learn Something New Every Day class, and although I haven't made the mini book yet, I did journal something I learned each day throughout the September. I'll get to the mini eventually!

Right now I'm taking a class by Christina Clouse called Bits and Pieces. I love Christina's style, so quickly registered when she listed the class for sale. The album is cute so far (just have the foundation of the album done!) I bought the kit that corresponds with the class so it's super simple to follow along and do exactly what she does! Sure, we have creative flexibility to 'make it ours' ... I just like to follow directions and not have to think too much. If it worked for her, why mess with it?! :P I'll show the mini book once I'm done ... also, it's not too late to join if you're interested.

Good Grief: Ask A Child

Time for another challenge at Good Grief! This challenge was to ask a child about your loved one. Since I don't have any children in my life that I could talk to about my aunt or Grandma, I thought I'd journal to myself as a child. My layouts for this challenge:

Did You Know?
Journaling (on tag): Did you know? She would change your life more than you could ever imagine? She was more than an aunt, but an inspiration? You would later cherish these times, wondering what you two were thinking? You would wish you could spend just one more day with her?

Remember
This layout didn't include anywhere I could put journaling. So I'm going to be including the story of this picture on the back of the layout: This picture of my Grandma and me represents a day where one of my very first memories happened. We were taking a ferry to visit my granparents' good friends, the Becks. I remember sitting on Isabelle Beck’s countertop as she painted my toenails ... and years later, I still referred to her as the lady who painted my toenails. At only 27 months old, I don’t remember many details of the day, or the ferry ride, but I love this picture, knowing that one of my first memories at that time was later documented.

Thanks for looking - and be sure to link up your layouts if you play along. I'd love to see them!