More from the Very Sweet Scrapbook Outlet Christmas Comp

I have so far kept up with each of the weekly challenges for the SBO VSSOC comp. The challenge for week 2 was to create a set of Christmas cards.

These were my first set, a very quick and easy Christmas tree design.

This set took a wee bit more to create, using stamping, inking, punching (scallop border) and labelling (dymo labeller). I have no idea where I got these patterned papers, I have had them for ages, but I am really liking them lately.

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Week 3's challenge was to create a layout about Christmas wish lists. I chose to scrap my wish list for 2008.

I have created wish lists in the past, shown them to DH and the kids but still no presents for me, so this year I bought two items off my list and will leave it up to them to wrap them for me to open on Christmas day.

(since creating this layout, DD has been busily working on a special painting for me - so at last I will have a surprise present to open on Christmas Day). yaaaay

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The Week 4 challenge, to make decorations, went up on Saturday morning, didn't see it till I got home from DS's softball game (btw he won player of the day!!)

by the afternoon I had started my 2008 decorations. Here are two of them, (see that green patterned paper again). I downloaded the bird template from here... Maya Road templates.

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I am hoping to get to a Craft Retreat next weekend (if DH's flight from the Chatham Islands gets back on time) so have been making page kits, some of which are for the latest DYL assignments, so have no DYL layouts to share in this blog post.
To date I have been creating DYL layouts for my BOM (book of ME), even though they may be using photos of other people (in some cases) the journalling is from my point of view. I am now starting to use Cathy Zielske's sketches to create more layouts, some will be for my BOM some will be for either DD, DS or DH's albums. Will share the layouts as they are created (so far they are just page kits for the retreat).

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Whilst I was busy creating at my scrap table today, Alyse and TJ were creating masterpieces of their own...

It was so cool to sit at my scrapping desk on one side of the family room and to hear them talking like they were actually friends as they painted side by side on the other side of the room. It has been such a long time since they even sat next to each other let alone talk as friends not enemies! I am not sure if it was the paint fumes that created the harmony or what!!! but long may it continue. LOL (btw the painting Alyse is creating here is not my Christmas surprise). You can tell Alyse is concentrating very hard on her masterpiece as she bends over working close to her art. TJ loves creating with bright colours and dark backgrounds. Neither of them get their painting talent from me, I am hopeless at painting, however two of their older siblings are artistic so maybe it is from Ross' genes.

Well it's 2.59am and time I went to bed (fell asleep in the recliner about 8pm and slept till 2am feeling quite rested so just popped online for a minute to check emails - one hour later I am signing off) sheesh

Nearly forgot to share

Over the last weekend I managed to complete some layouts for the DYL class and some for "no reason at all" and I almost forgot about sharing them.

This one is the latest photo of my DS Taylor (aka TJ) and I, and I can't believe my baby is growing so fast.

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My DD Alyse doesn't like this photo but I love it and it suited the theme for the layout I wanted to create about her future. Alyse has been at a local boarding school for 4 years as a weekly boarder. We recently applied for her to be a "boarder-at-home" as she has become increasingly unhappy being away from us. We would still have to pay full boarding costs but she could live at home. Our application was granted last Friday, this is a huge relief as we didn't know what we would do if they said no. We will reassess the situation in a years time.

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A quick layout about Alyse playing tennis, this is a very social sport for her and I was finally able to get to her game to snap a few photos.

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DS again, this time with two of his nieces (my step-grandaugters) playing in the mud hole in our backyard. I especially like the muddy (monochromatic) look to the layout and even inked the thickers and button to give them the dirty look. LOL

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This is one for the DYL class, featuring white space (which by the way doesn't always have to be white). It's all about grouping elements onto one big mat then leaving everything else open.

For this one I even used PSE to add some text to my photo and added some bling to two corners of the mat. This was one cool adventure going on an unexpected flight over our little town and then seeing the low fuel light come on! eek.

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Here is another layout featuring white space, Cathy Z suggested we could swap the patterned paper and cardstock around, I didn't this time but I can see myself using this layout sketch again and will do the swap around thing then.

The journalling block was a digital download designed for this class and was perfect for these few photos from the family holiday to Fiji. I am thinking of adding a CD to the reverse of this layout with all the other Fiji photos downloaded onto it. (btw the layout isn't crooked IRL, I am just a hopeless photographer).

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This time we had an 8.5x11 sketch using white space

I was going to add more flowers but the K.I.S.S said No! LOL
Allergies arrgghh they are such a blasted nuisance, but I know there are worse things out there that people suffer from.

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In Week 6 Cathy taught us about Unity, how grouping elements together created a sense of oneness!

Here I created a text box in black with white text for a different look (so easy to do too) and I used photos of the same fountain from two different holidays to Sydney (that's the Stacy Julian Photo Freedom thing at work you see). The only embellishments here are the scalloped edge and three orange mini buttons.

You may have noticed there hasn't been a tonne of embellishments used in my DYL layouts to date, that is because I am wanting to concentrate on the design principles of symmetry, asymmetry, repetition, white space, unity etc.

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Another layout featuring Unity. This one is a double page 12x12 layout which uses the orange strips on each edge and the white mat across both pages to create the united feel.

Hmmm for some reason I cropped the bottom of this layout off but you can still see how the unity works. These are photos from a few years back, makes me want to get out on my bike again and make use of all the fantastic walkway/cycle tracks we have locally.

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We are now up to week 7 of DYL and this week we are learning all about Emphasis. This first layout achieves this principle by way of the larger title and the larger photo - still only a 6x4 though but when teamed with the smaller photo it emphasises the 6x4.

These photos are from 1970, phew they are 38 years old! I was so stoked to find these photos amongst the school archives and yes I have used the smaller photo before but this time I have journalled about different memories.

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The emphasis on this layout is obviously the black and white photo, not by way of the lack of colour but because it stands on a large mat. The journalling is very sparse here as I am still deciding if I want to add some text under the photos, may also add some brads as embellishment cos I have some that are the perfect match to the teal cardstock.

Last October I spent 10 days checking out Auckland with TJ and his school mate who was our homestay student. The Sky Tower was a definite highlight for me even though I was terrified of the glass floors and freaked out when I got too close to the windows.

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Here is a sneak peek at my layout for the December jack but meanwhile don't forget the November jack challenge HERE.

That's it for me for now, boy my wrists are sore from typing hope your eyes and brains aren't sore from reading. LOL

Procrastinating

I haven't started on my DYL layouts yet, I normally get them done on the weekend and then have nothing to do throughout the week. (yeah I know I have a million photos to work with). I worked on various challenge layouts instead including this one below which was for the Bossy Scrapper #18 challenge. It was a challenge with a difference (Meek is always full of great ideas), we had a 5 course menu to choose from and from those choices Meek gave us the ingredients we were to use for our layout.


I ordered:
Shrimp Cocktail
Caesar Salad
Fettuccini Alfredo
Glazed Carrots
Tiramisu

and these are the ingredients I had to use:
6x12 layout
flower
brown, turquoise, white, gold/yellow colour combo
brads
use creative type/alphas

I nearly choked when I saw the colour combo but once I got all my supplies together I found I loved the combo!

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If you want to try this challenge with some of your friends then they have to order one dish from each course, then you give them the ingredients they have to use. Remember the ingredients are a secret until everyone has ordered!

Appetizer
Bruchetta –create your own journal spot
Bread and Butter - create a tag for your page
French Onion Soup – distress your paper
Shrimp Cocktail - 6x12
Hot Wings – scallops

Salad
Caesar Salad - flower
Greek Salad - felt piece
Tomato and Mozzarella - chipboard
Cobb Salad - bling

Main Entrée
Fettuccini Alfredo – brown, turquoise, white, gold/yellow
Steak and Lobster – red, blue, white, grey
Vegetarian Stir Fry – orange, white, black, green
Fried Chicken – black, pink, kraft, white
Baked Salmon – orange, purple, white

Side Dish
Baked Potato – 3 or more buttons
Green Bean Almondine - 2 rub ons
Mac & Cheese - stamp
Rice Pilaf - 2 ribbons
Glazed Carrots - brads

Dessert
Tiramisu – use creative type/alphas
Cheesecake - 2 pieces pp (that don't match)
Sherbet – pattern paper background
Hot Fudge Sundae - cardstock only
Red Velvet Cupcake - 3 pieces pp

Have fun scrapping, I will be working on my DYL layouts soon, I have a busy few days with my kids school activities and my own work/school visit to the local Marae.
R

A sweet competition and a couple of new layouts

I missed the deadline for ScapbookingbyDesign's October sketch challenge but managed to get it done today, only a couple of days late. I loved Sonya's sketch as soon as I saw it and knew it would be perfect for these photos (I flipped the sketch).

TJ is a great fire-lighter-person, sometimes to the extreme of being a pyromaniac but at least I know he will never go cold as long as he has a supply of firewood and a source of flame.

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There is a verrry sweeeet competition going on over at the ScrapBookOutletNZ forum check it out here (click on the banner image below).

The above pics are to show you what I have created for the first challenge. My countdown wreath is for Alyse to hang up in her bedroom at boarding school. Each day from the 1st of December she can pull the ornament out of the pocket protector and hang up it on the wreath.

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It's November already and that means another Jack challenge has gone up on the Kiwi Jack Me Up blog, this month we are jacking Tracey Agnew. Now for a little added twist, some fun and in honour of MO-VEMBER anyone who creates a layout using Tracey's Jack with a MASCULINE THEME will go into a draw for a wee RAK of scrappy goodies.

The circular elements and the strips of patterned paper from Tracey's layout inspired my layout. This is a bit grungey as it is for TJ's album even though it is about his Nana's 80th birthday.

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check back later in the week for my DYL layouts, this week we are learning about "white space"