Week 4... Still Going Strong!

I am LOVING the enthusiasm! It feels good to be scrapbooking regularly, even if some of us are only producing one layout a week. Some others are flying through them, and making up for my lack of enthusiasm (time, inspiration, whatever you want to call my creative slump...)

Here is challenge #4: Make your own: Chipboard Accents

A couple of us are new to chipboard, so we weren't completely sure what it entailed. Alison was kind enough to provide this explanation:

"Chipboard is like thin cardboard, but with no corrugation. To get some that’s acid free, just use what come in with your page protectors and pages from creative memories and lots of stickers and embellishments use it for their backing to. The stuff you buy labeled chipboard is usually thicker, but it’s really hard to work with if you have to cut out your own shape, it’s easier to just double up on the stuff you would already have if you want that thick look. "

Carrie's Layout:

Marlene's Layouts: (again, sorry about the weird rotation, blogger did it automatically and I don't know how to fix it)

Marion's Layout:

Laura's Layout:

Anita's Layout:
Alison's Layout:

Week #3

Challenge #3 "Customize a Ribbon Border"

Okay, this one was fun for some of us. I think pretty much everyone but me. My layout took me 5 nights to complete it. I kept moving things around and deciding I didn't like it. It didn't help that my kids kept dumping my layout on the floor --- grrr... hence the wrinkled appearance on some of the card stock if you look closely. In the end, it looks completely different than I intended, but it's pretty cute.

So, this one was a success, as well. And everyone finished early this week. It got us thinking outside of the box, and I think the layouts turned out beautifully! :)

Anita's Layout:
Marlene's Layout:

Marion's Layout:

Carrie's Layout:

Alison's Layout:

Laura's Layout:

Week #2

Focus on One Photo:

Challenge number 2... again everyone present and accounted for! So far, I have to say, this book is a success! I'm looking forward to week three (sneak peek, working with ribbon) which officially starts today --- but half of the group has already circulated their layouts!

Yay! We're well on our way to 312 layouts completed in 2010!

Alison's Layout: (I'm really sorry... can't figure out why blogger keeps rotating it

Marlene's Layout: Marion's Layout:

Carrie's Layouts:

... and Carrie's husband's contribution... (very nice, Dad)
Anita's Layout: (love the "make it go away", but is this El Nino thing your fault?)

Laura's Layouts:

... and digital

Challenge #1

Because it's not fair to the author of our manual, I'm not going to repost the challenge here. Just the title each week and our interpretations of it. I highly recommend buying the book. We ordered them from Chapters.ca and they were very affordable!

"Work Those Words"

Not bad... everyone is almost present and accounted for and it's only January 3rd!!

Here's what we've got so far (and only Marion and I cheated --- a bit):

Carrie:
Alison:
Laura:

Anita:

Marion:

Marlene:

52 Scrapbooking Challenges

A New Year's Resolution is always a good thing to make this time of year... :)

I resolve to complete (at a minimum) one scrapbook layout a week in 2010. This won't get me past my backlog, nor will it likely keep me caught up... but it might inspire me enough that I can keep my creative juices flowing. At the very least, by the end of the year I will have done 52 layouts, which is more than I accomplished this year!

To help with this, Mom and I purchased Christmas gifts, completely on a whim, and mailed a copy to every member of our disorganized little group. 52 Scrapbooking Challenges, by Elsie Flannigan, about which I got spammed a few weeks ago. I thought "Hey, that gives me an idea!" So I phoned Mom and said, "Should we order 6 copies?" She, being an impulse shopper like me, agreed to the brilliance and we have sat, on pins and needles, waiting for our shipment to arrive. The books trickled in via three separate parcels, Mom and I receiving our copies just Christmas Eve.

We included a New Year's card we'd made up, with the following poem:

There once were two women up north,
Who had scrapbooking pals of such worth,
They bought six of one book,
Without even a look,
To start January 1st (or the fourth).

All six love this hobby, that's true,
But all lacked motivation to do,
So, here is the scoop,
That to crop as a group,
Always helps them follow through!

So they'll crop, in two thousand ten,
It's only one challenge per week then,
If six creative women,
Get their wheels spinnin’,
That's 312 layouts complet-en!

Merry Christmas, 2009!
Love Carrie and Laura

Okay, maybe it's a little unpolished and I had to stretch the English language a bit to make it rhyme, but whatever! I'm excited to start the challenges as is Mom and Marion. And Anita actually already has (cheater!) so wish us luck! Maybe we'll get the ball rolling again in 2010.

Laura :)

First Day of School Challenge

Well, ladies, here's another attempt to get us all scrapbooking again! We had such a blast at our retreat on the May Long Weekend, that I thought for sure I would have the momentum to get moving --- and who knows, maybe finish my daughter's baby book before she starts school! :)

So... Mom was over last weekend and we were chatting about our collective lack of motivation or inspiration (or simple busyness) that is keeping us from creating. I got this email the next day:

"Yesterday I issued a very simple challenge for Laura and I, and I have asked her to come up with a challenge for me next Thursday.

I am going to do a one-page challenge of Alex's first day at kindergarten. Laura may do hers online until we girls get serious again. If Alison or Marlene are interested they could do a first day of school or back to school.


Let's make time to preserve our memories!

Miss you all. Carrie"

So... Aunty Marlene was the first to climb back on the wagon! Here's her beautiful layout of my cousins when they were kids!

Marlene's Layout:

And my oldest, who just this past month has officially become a Kindergartener, sigh! Where did the past 5 years go? I certainly didn't spend them scrapbooking... :)

Laura's Layout:

"Pretty in Pink"

Well, we're not exactly whipping off the challenges anymore, but here's our latest...

Mom and I occasionally phone each other and scrapbook long distance. It's not quite as much fun as cropping in person, but it's enough of a kick in the butt to get me motivated. For one night, at least!

This time Mom suggested a theme for a challenge "Pretty in Pink". The only other stipulation, use a Cricut Machine.

Here's what I came up with:

Mom's computer is down, so I haven't seen her layout yet... but I'm willing to bet her "pretty in pink" is about a very similar little girl! :)

Edited to add:

Marlene's Layout: