May Madness

I have decided the month of May surpasses December in regards to schedule overload. Thankfully, I survived it and I'm now slowly relaxing into our summer schedule. Even though I didn't have big blocks of time to spend in my scraproom, I still managed to do a few challenges from various sites and want to share them with you today.

I realized that even when I'm pressed for time, it's not that hard to squeeze in a layout or two. Scrapping (for me), is also a stress reliever, so I must scrap for health benefits. :) Challenges are a quick and easy way to get a layout going, if you haven't tried them, you should!

New Kits Meets UFO

I've had beach photos matched up with patterned paper for almost two years, just waiting for some scrappy mojo. Every few weeks I would spread everything out on my desk and wait for the magic and I got nothing. I knew I love the photos with the paper but still couldn't get it together. Last Sunday, Studio Calico posted a sketch challenge and I really wanted to play along. I took out the beloved photos and paper and started looking at the last few kits I've received. I finally started feeling it and ended up creating a two-page layout that I LOVE! I think it may be my new favorite.

I love how the Studio Calico kraft die cuts pair beautifully with the My Mind's Eye paper (indie chic), and how the mixed alphas, buttons, and chipboard hearts pull the layout together. Don't ever give up on photos and paper that you love, it will eventually come together, if you're patient!

Wishing you all a blessed Easter weekend. We had a couple of surprises pop out of our bunny hole today... Meet Patches and Frosty!

Kit Inspiration

As soon as I received Cocoa Daisy's April kits, I was inspired to create. Take a look at this photo and you'll see why.

Here are a few layouts I've created with the kits.

Today it's cold and rainy, a perfect excuse to hang out in my scrap room. I still have tons of goodies left from these kits and some fun photos that are waiting to be scrapped.

Trading Spaces

When we moved into our house four years ago, we moved into a smaller home. Although it was not our ideal situation, we made the best of it and crammed most of our furniture into the space. I never loved having a big, bulky sectional right off my kitchen. In our last house, the beast was hidden away in a room above the garage, where I didn't actually have to see it. Now I was forced to look at it all.day.long, never escaping it's massive shadow. In the beast's defense, it was so comfortable that it could almost be forgiven for its ugliness.

Fast-forward 3 1/2 years, and I was finally able to talk my husband into getting rid of the beloved sectional. I always wanted the space to hold our farmhouse table, so at a moment's notice I could seat a crowd. I truly love the feel of a big eat-in kitchen, where everyone gathers and loves to hang out. Within two days, we had the sectional sold (yay!), and all the furniture pieces in place. Now I truly love the feel of the space - family dinners are much more relaxed since we're not trying to squeeze into our seats.

Here are a few close-ups of some of my favorite pieces:

This last piece used to be gold and I gave it an update with Benjamin Moore Palladian Blue. It's so fresh and fun, I love how it turned out. It's amazing how simply trading spaces within our home has transformed it into a relaxing environment.

Scraplifting for Inspiration and FUN!

A couple of weeks ago, I participated in a scraplift game at Cocoa Daisy. It was so fun to see how the layouts evolved from one person to another. The layouts were so different, but I could still see glimpses of the original inspiration in each page. Here was the layout I created for the game.

We also had to add one non-scrap item to our layouts. I wanted to use the map from our travel guide but the colors didn't work with my page. I copied the map (in black and white), onto a transparency and I love how it turned out. If you have creative block, scraplifting is a great way to get your mojo flowing again!

Our Girl and Her Cat

It's been a couple of weeks since I've done any scrapping, and I'm starting to go scrap crazy! I'm hoping to do some scrapping tonight, but until then, I will share my latest layout. This layout was created for a sketch challenge at Cocoa Daisy. I really love the end result.

Creating with a sketch is such a fun and relaxing way to scrap. There's a new sketch challenge at CD, and I'm planning to tackle it tonight! Have a lovely weekend!

Scraproom Update

If you've been following me for awhile, you may remember this video. I've made some changes to my room since then, and thought I would share a quick video to show the new and improved space. I hope you enjoy!