Using Sketches to make other Layouts

Tonight in class we had a discussion on sketches - of course I'm a huge advocate of using sketches! I use them all the time! But some people still don't get it - how using the same basic layout can actually look different by just changing the paper and embellishments. Well - I have some samples! If you didn't know already - I am the mom of 4 boys! No girls for me - that's alright! My boys are awesome!

Some of my classes in the past have looked a little "girly" - If the product "speaks to me" I have to use it in layouts. For example: Last months GIGGLE layout



It's a great layout...I just can't use this particular layout for any of my boys' pictures. So, I used the same sketch and made the layout work for me...Here are some samples of what I did:

Essentially the same layout, I just changed it a bit to fit my pictures. Look at the upper right corner of the right pages. For the Giggle layout - I used a scalloped flowery thing that I made. When I changed it to make it a baseball page - I found a great pattern paper that had a huge baseball on it. I just tore around the entire baseball and adhered it to that corner (trimmed off the edges and voila!) I made the sketch fit the theme of my pictures! Most of the pictures are from a layout I did for my older son. I did the same layout for my three older boys, because they were on the same team this particular year - I did throw in a sample of what I did to one of my other boys' page...I had more pictures of him that I wanted to get in there - so I added a hinged picture.
Hope this helps to inspire you to take another look at sketches and use them to fit you and your pictures!

Sketch Planning Progress - Update

Just wanted to show you the layouts that I completed this last Friday...although I didn't get all 7 layouts that I planned - I did complete 6 PLUS I did a few more that I had ideas for...so here they are to show you my progress. It was really easy - because I had already done all the work beforehand planning where I wanted everything. I just picked out paper and embellishments that I wanted, and went to work putting them together! I even used the Cricut to make some titles! I'm excited to plan out some new layouts!

Tropical Paradise Sketch of the Month

ALOHA! This layout is the newest addition to my sketch of the month layouts...Bright, colorful, vibrant paper, stickers and ribbon. Check out my calendar to see when and where this class will be held. Hope to see you there!

RIBBON

Ribbon makes me happy...ribbon adds so much to a layout! Here is a picture of my ribbon wall in my scrapbookroom.

Sketch Planning Progress

Here's my progress with planning my pictures and sketches. I'm going tomorrow to scrapbook and I plan on at least getting these 7 layouts finished! I wanted to show you what I did in my sketch book...It took me a couple hours, but once I got the hang of it...it really flowed! I jotted down notes saying if I had paper or not... Most I don't so I'll have to get some tomorrow while I crop. I'll post pictures when I have them ready!

Multiple Sizes of Layouts in 1 Scrapbook!!! Update

Well I have been working steadily at getting stuff out of the file and into the scrapbook. I have finished my eldest...working on the youngest...and have done a few in the middle two's books. The two files are almost empty. Wanted to share a few pictures...They aren't anything fancy, but they are where they can be seen now! That's what I like!

I have only done the 8 1/2 x 11 (landscape and portrait) so far. I did buy some 8 x 8 page protectors as well, but I think once I've gotten the files emptied, I would go onto something a little more creative!

Hope you like them...let me know what you think!

Multiple Sizes of Layouts - Look What I've Done

Scrapbookin' On the High Seas!!!

I don't know about you, but I don't get alot of time to scrapbook for myself. Alot of times, I'm putting class kits together, but not much time to actually scrapbook. I love to try to get in a Friday or Saturday night crop once a month. They're fun, but I never seem to get more than a few layouts done in a 6 hour period. (Although, most of the time I go to socialize with my friends) About 4 years ago, a store that I was teaching classes at, offered a "scrapbook cruise". Well, I had been to retreats in the mountains, but I had never heard of a "scrapbook cruise" - what a novel idea. So myself and about 11 friends tried it out. You know I liked it so much, that I've gone every year since then!

Scrapbook Cruises are a little more common now...I know of several stores that offer
them. Two stores that I teach at are offering cruises that leave later this year, but you have to make your reservations now - spaces fill up fast. If you are interested, here is the contact info:

Collective Journey - Oct. 19 - 22 - www.collectivejourney.com
There is a link to a flyer with more information

Cool Scrapbook Stuff - Nov. 9 - 12 - www.coolscrapbookstuff.com/cruise.htm
You can also call the store directly at: (858) 679-9100

Both cruises offer lots of fun stuff...so check it out! I can't wait to go this year. Last time I completed over 50 pages in one weekend...and still had time to eat, see shows, eat, go to shore, eat, oh and did I mention...eat!

I will be going on both of these cruises! I can't believe it! Not one, but two cruises! I'm not sure that I'll have enough pictures to scrapbook...I guess I'll just have to take a bunch between now and October!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day! I hope that you had a wonderful Mother's Day! I sure did! I got to relax! We went to church and then came home. Every year my husband and boys get me flowers...not the kind in a vase, but the kind that go in the garden. I love those kind, because they last alot longer! So I planted my flowers outside and then I came in to rest a few minutes...two hours later I woke up from my nap! That just doesn't happen very often!

I'm so grateful to be a mother...my boys are so precious to me! Each one of them brings something special to my life.

I'm also so grateful for my mother...she lives far away, but I get to talk to her almost everyday! She is such a great support to me - spiritually and emotionally! I love her very much and miss her terribly!

My grandmother is like a second mother to me...I think she always has! That's what happens I guess when you're the first grandchild. She is my shopping partner. My friend. The one who said yes - when mom said no. My retreat to escape to - away from my little sisters. She has sound advise. I'm so thankful she is able to watch my children grow up. I love my grammy for all she is and all she means to me.

There are several other women in my life who I am also grateful for! Friends, aunts and cousins...each one brings such joy to my life! I wouldn't be who I am without each of them.

I hope that you are blessed with special people around you, as I am!
Again, Happy Mother's Day!

Page Protectors

I just got back from Michael's...I can't wait to get started on my multi-sized pages for my scrapbook...I'm going to start with my older son and work my way down through the kids.

FYI - I found a bunch of different sizes of page protectors at Michael's...8 1/2" x 11", 6" x 6", 8" x 8". The only one I had a hard time finding was the 8 1/2" x 11" landscape...I did find them eventually, but they weren't with the others. They were with the new Martha Stewart stuff (I'll save my comments on Martha Stewart jumping on the scrapbooking bandwagon for another post!). And of course because they had her name on it, they were $4 more! At this time, I just wanted to get them and start working on my project, so I paid the $$$. I think I will check online to find them less expensive!

I'll try to have some pics to post in the next few days.

It's a Pirate's Life for Me!

The 3rd Pirate's movie will be out later this month...YEAH! So I thought I'd share my Pirate Mini Album that I'm currently teaching at some local stores! Because of the popularity of the movie (thank you Johnny Depp), this particular class has been selling out all over! It's a great book - the paper, stickers and embellishments are just so beautiful! If you're interested in joining me for a class, you can check out my current calendar on my website: www.scrappychickspagekits.com

ARRR!

Shiver Me Timbers and Yo Ho Ho!

NSD Re-cap

Wow! What a weekend! As I said before, I went to my LSS to crop in celebration of National Scrapbook Day! 30 hours of cropping altogether! Of course there was talking and eating involved as well!

I went with a friend and we sat at a table where we didn't know any of the other croppers. By the end of the weekend, we had 6 new, amazing scrapbooking friends!

I wanted to share something that I learned this weekend (and they say you can't teach an old dog new tricks). I love the idea of sketch layouts - I love it so much that I teach a class each month using sketches! Well, this one lady at our table was just pumping out page layouts, one right after another. What really caught my eye, was that she had all different sizes of pictures on her layouts: landscape, 2 x 2, etc. All she did was look in this little notebook of hers, layout her page and slap down some pictures and she was done! voila! I was intrigued...so I asked. She was in fact using sketches to make her layouts, but instead of just developing her film in the standard 4 x 6 print, she did a little homework before hand. She would pick the sketch that best fit the amount of pictures she had for her layout and put it in her little notebook. Then she would decide what size each picture in the layout had to be. She then would go to her computer and crop or enlarge her pictures to the size she needed and then send them online to Costco for developing. (I use Sam's Club, but you can develop pics using whatever method is good for you) She would then decide what paper, embellishments, ribbons, etc she would be using for that particular layout and put them all in a sleeve. When she picked up the pics, she would also put them into the sleeve with the paper and stuff. When she goes cropping, she brings the "kits" that she's made and sits and makes one at a time. As she finishes them, she checks them off in her little notebook. She says it takes a little bit of time in the beginning, but it really saves time when she goes scrapbooking.

Well needless to say, I bought a sketch notebook today and will be adapting this method to help me get some pages done!

I'll keep you posted on my progress with this little organizational tidbit!

Multiple Sizes of Layouts in 1 Scrapbook!!!

I was talking to my friend, Mel today about the trouble I have in using larger photos in layouts, (ie, school pictures, professional portraits, etc) and she told me that she had just read something today about a great idea that she herself was going to try. She showed me the website and sure enough - it is a FANTASTIC idea that I am definately going to try!

The idea is in an article by Lisa McGarvey on the Two Peas Creating Garden. You can read the entire thing and see pictures at the following: Two Peas In A Bucket

It's one of those things that is so easy - why didn't I think of it before! I already use the 3 ring binder scrapbook album, because like Lisa, I don't scrap in chronilogical order - I scrap what I feel like scrappin' at the time. I do however, like my books to be in chronilogical order, so the binder system works best for me!

I also have so many certificates, awards, artwork, etc that I have saved for my 4 boys over the years, and they are just sitting in files where they can't be seen. I always thought it was such a shame not to be able to share these items as well. Now thanks to Lisa's article, I'm going to pull everything out, buy some other size page protectors and get going on this new little scrapbooking project!

I'll keep you posted on my progress!

Where does the time go?

My second oldest son, Korey, will be turning 13 this Saturday! I can't believe it! Just yesterday...he was joining our little family - all 6 lbs 9 oz of him! What a blessing he is to us...I thought that I'd share a few pictures of our beautiful red-headed, freckle faced, blue eyed heart breaker!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KOREY!!!

Korey's Turning 13!!!