Flower, Layers, and Gold, Oh My!

So not my typical type of scrapping, to say the least! When I received the Maggie Holmes Open Book ephemera pack, I knew I had to challenge/force myself to use the shiny gold elements in it. It's not that I dislike gold, but I need it to make sense on the layout, if I'm going to use it. I am not known for layering, and I decided I would also give that a try.

Yesterday, I pulled out an album to search for photos waiting to be scrapped. *If you'd like to see how I store my unscrapped photos, click here.* I came across a few snapshots from our niece's wedding and knew the feminine elements from the ephemera pack would be perfect for the photos. I started playing with the layout and layering the pieces - it's harder than it looks! Once I was happy with the overall design, I took a quick pic on my iPad so that I wouldn't screw it up when it was time to attach everything.

I then had to let go and start layering. I have to admit it was fun trying to see how many bit & pieces I could tuck in and still maintain a semblance of my style. Even though flowers, layers, and gold are not my go-to looks, I was surprise how much I loved the end result!

Can you believe I still have a ton of the ephemera left? Those little packages are packed with goodies. What are the products or styles that you find challenging to use in your layouts? I dare you to go ahead and give it a whirl, you may be pleasantly surprised! :)

A Challenge and a Scraplift

Just a quick post today showing two of my latest layouts. This first was created for a challenge by Emily at Cocoa Daisy. She threw in some quirky things like folding your paper twice to create a grid as a background. We also had to use both sides of three patterned papers (easier said, than done!), and a few more fun things were thrown into the challenge.

The second layout was created from a scraplift. I lifted the lovely and talented Terry (Cocoa Daisy), I especially love the way she uses distressed edges on her layouts.

I love taking challenges/scraplifting - it forces you out of your comfort zone, creatively, which is always a good thing! The holiday season is fast approaching, so I'm planning to clean up my space and get ready for the wild (wonderful) ride. :)

Recharging

You may or may not have noticed that I took a little break from blogging. It was not intentional, I just faded away. I have been doing some crafting, YouTube viewing, and scrappy soul-searching as the year is winding down. I was even considering closing down my blog. I initially started blogging to have a spot to share my crafty things, then I got caught up in trying to make it on a design team. Now I have come full circle and have decided that I do enjoy blogging (and crafting), for myself - imagine that! :)

I've been doing some craft room purging, and during that process realized that I have a ton of scrap supplies that I truly love and need to use them. I know that sounds ridiculous and obvious, but it's easy to forget all the beautiful things I already have when new products keep arriving every month. lol You all know I am a fan of kit clubs, but I am challenging myself to take a break for a few months and use my stash. I'm really excited to dig into my goodies and have some fun!

During my recent YouTube binge, I discovered a stamp company that I love! WPLUS9 has the most amazing stamps and matching dies. I had a chance to play around with my new stamps last weekend and I'm hooked! Here are a few photos of some quick and easy projects I made with them.

As you can see, they are fabulous! The shipping and customer service is top-notch, be sure to check them out if you love stamps. It feels good to be back, thanks for stopping by my blog! ♥