Chrissy's Challenge

I like options. I hope you do, too. My challenge is more like a five-in-one type challenge. I couldn't make up my mind, so you can chose one portion of the challenge or do all five.

A tough one: The first part of my challenge is journaling related. The story I told in this layout, is one I've been wanting to tell for almost five years. It was tough, I cried the whole way through typing it out, but it needed to be told. I think we all have stories like that. Scrap 'em.

B different: This is something I do a lot. Use a picture that would seemingly have absolutely nothing to do with the story you are telling. On this LO, I used an ultrasound picture to tell the story of a suicide. If you look closely, this ultrasound was taken at Companion Veterinary Care Center. That is how it ties into the story.
C what you can use: Local scrapbook stores often have very cool shopping bags. I couldn't find the right paper for this story. Couldn't go floral, obviously. With so much journaling, I couldn't use anything too busy or distracting, so I cut up a shopping bag with a faint pattern, and it worked! D efine a mood by going monocromatic: I am all about some brown. It's my favorite color and it happened to work with this story. Tell your story by using elements of all one color. E mploy a pre-made sticker in your title: I found these 7gypsie stickers 70% off the other day, and thought to myself, "I'll probably never use them, but they're only 85 cents." As it turns out, they were the perfect precursor for my title. Dig through your stash and see what you've got.


Don't forget! You have until July 11 to get your lifts of Dana's LO in! It's an awesome prize this go around, so give it a shot!

Carla's Challenge

The DT girls at UnPubbed decided that it would be fun to present a juicy creative challenge on the weeks that we aren't introducing a new Famer. I get to go first! So I started thinking about when my love of scrapbooking began. Do you remember those really old layouts you have in your first scrapbook? I'm talking about the layouts that you did when you didn't even know what a "LO" was. I 'm talking about way back when you had no clue Ali Edwards existed!

My challenge to you is to find one of your "old school" layouts and revamp it with your new modern style. You can either use the original pictures or just use the old page as inspiration for a whole new layout.

I decided to go back to the year it all started...2003! The first album I ever worked on was for my wedding and looking through it was pretty funny. I decided on one of my favorite photos that includes my whole family at the wedding. Here is the original layout that I created using some paper from a cheesy wedding scrap kit and I don't even remember what you call the paper I used for the background sqares.

Here is my new version of it:

I hope you enjoy this challenge and it would mean the WORLD to me if you actually participate!

Don't forget about our current Famer challenge, and your chance to win a kit from Scrapbook Lover's Dream. You have until June 18th to get your layouts linked to us via Colleen's post!

Challenge #1

Our houses are full of stuff.
Items that decorate and things that clutter.
Necessities of life and objects of desire.

And then there are the things that bring a smile to our face in the middle of a rainy day or just by walking by. The object that may just be mundane to any family member or visitor; but to you, it stirs up a memory that overwhelms you. It can be a well worn shirt, a bric-a-brac from a vacation long ago or even a new pair of shoes.

Something. Anything.

I want you to create a layout about this object. And journal what comes to mind.



















"Just Wanted You To Know..."

Artist: Melissa Raphael
Blog: random pieces of me

Me? Melissa. I am happily married to Andy (almost 5 years) and mommy to Tanner (just turned 3!). I am a preschool teacher, but have a million other things that I would rather be doing. Like scrapbooking. And blowing bubbles with Tanner. And eating chips and salsa with a tall glass of Pepsi while watching Heroes.

I started scrapping just over 3 years ago, right after Tanner was born. I had heard about scrapbooking before Andy and before Tanner, but didn't think it was me at the time. I was single and unattached, what was I going to scrap? The dinner I had on a Thursday night or the magazines I read by the pool? To me, scrapbooking was about preserving memories. And, I thought those memories had to be of people, not objects. Of events, not the everyday routines.

Guess I was wrong.

After Tanner was born, I wanted a way to remember him as a baby. More than just his baby book (which is not even up to date). I got into scrapbooking. A quick trip to Michael's and I was ready to go. I remember my first page. It was of me, in labor, at the hospital.

And, it took all day to complete. But, it got me hooked.

If I had to classify my style, I would call it simple. I don't like a lot of stuff on my pages. I love to use little accents, such as brads and buttons. And, I am a hand-written journaling kind of gal.

I really love to buy scrapbooking supplies, and usually stock up on goodies from Making Memories or 7Gypsies. I also love to play with KI Memories, Scrapworks, and Scenic Route.