DCWV: August Stack-a-holic Template Challenge

This is based on a Sketch Savvy layout for DCWV ~ it includes 3 pictures in the sketch, but I used one of the spots to add a journaling card. The layout was 2 pictures from my daughter's choir concert in Nov. 2010, so I'll add it to my Document 2010 album along with the last one I posted. :)

I'm also linking this to Shimelle's Challenge: Signature Accent because I noticed that almost every layout I created tonight used brads - this one may be harder to see, but the center of each flower I added is a different color mini-brad. I think that punching the tiny holes into the paper for the brads is extremely therapeutic. :)

~Jen

Shimelle: Scrapbooking Challenge: Grid it Up!

Another one that challenged me ~ at first, I was looking at the papers to 'grid'... and then I thought, what if I just square up my pictures?!?! My best friend and I took our kiddos to Skate City for skating on the day after Thanksgiving in 2010 so this one will also going into my Document 2010 book.

I totally used Shimelle's technique of painting on the page this time - the gray borders around the photos is actually pewter gray acrylic paint. I also stamped the plain blue border on top and bottom, as well as the 2 circles in the middle. Then I punched flowers out of the background paper and stuck glittered silver brads in them. Apologies for the terrible picture - when it gets this late in the evening, my little Sanyo point-n-shoot doesn't like to take clear photos any longer!!

~Jen

Shimelle: Scrapbooking Challenge: 2 Birds... 1 Page, Again?!?

The next challenge was the Crop Your Paper challenge - which I immediately thought of that Echo Park paper that I won from another 4x6 photo love layout I submitted (Well, I won a gift certificate and used it to buy the Echo Park papers). There are several papers that have lots of embelishments that you can cut out and use along with the paper (and of course, you can just flip it over and use the whole sheet on the other side as well).

But as I started looking at this paper, I remembered that I really wanted to use it for another wedding layout because the colors matched so well with our choices.

And as I looked at my photos... I also realized I had too many (as usual) to choose from. That's when it hit me - why not combine again and use the 4x6 Photo Love sketch from July so I can use all of the photos and my pretty paper!!!

So here's what I came up with:

~Jen

Shimelle: Scrapbooking Challenge: 2 Birds... 1 Page

Shimelle had 2 challenges in a row - one was a printable challenge and the other was a starting point challenge. Well... as I started looking at the printables, I found this coordinating paper that looked awesome (SEI Black Orchid) and the 2 became 1!!!

~Jen

Shimelle: Scrapbooking Challenge: The Half Page Challenge

Another Shimelle Challenge - this one was to create a page that only took up half the paper on the page. Of course, I easily found a paper that looked like it needed to be shown on more than half the page - SEI paper with some cute swirl designs. :)

~Jen

Shimelle: Scrapbooking Challenge: Add to the Story

I searched and searched and finally found one with NO journaling at all... so I added a little blurb to this layout from my 2000 Associates Degree graduation. :)

Original 2 page layout:

Added a folded journaling block:

Included more story inside:

~Jen

P.S. Wasn't my flaming red hair just rad?!?!?! LOL

8.14.11 Ballooning

My pilot didn't run this morning... but some other balloonists did ~ which made for some cool 'in the clouds' shots. This one in particular made me smile:

I love the colors on this balloon - but one thing we noticed this week was how easy it was to 'lose' it in the sky within the clouds. :)

~Jen

Tuesday {10}

I'm going to combine 2 posts into one - the Tuesday {10} & "For Today":

{1} Outside my window... It's a beautiful sunny but cooler summer day in Colorado.

{2} I am thinking... about how to get my work finished so I can head home from the office!

{3} I am thankful... for my job, my hubby, my hobbies, my kiddos, and an overall fabulous life.

{4} I am wearing... dark jeans and my St. Patty's Day shirt.

{5} I'm creating... more hot air balloon photos and this blog post!

{6} I am going... to South Park in a few weeks with the family!!

{7} I am wondering... how long it is going to take me to finish editing the tons of pictures I need to work on right now.

{8} I am reading... Odd Thomas series by Dean Koontz

{9} I am hoping... that my son will call me since it's been 3 days and he'll be gone 2 weeks!!

{10} I am looking forward to... kiddos starting school again!!

~Jen