20 Layouts for $20?

2P's is running a special offer right now, offering an incentive for uploading new ideas into their idea gallery. If you add 20 projects by the end of the month, they'll give you $20 free shopping credits!! I'm psyched about this, because 2P's is my favorite online scrapbook store (although with all my posts about Etsy lately, that fact might be in question, right?). So who can say I'm unemployed? I'm gonna make $1 a layout! *haha* Quite a pay cut from what I used to make as a personal scrapbooker, but it's so much more fun to be scrapping my own stuff! And I think I might take some pictures of old pages and upload them, just to ensure that I make the deadline. I'm listed as MissPeppy there is you wanna check me out. Or, go here to find out more about this offer! 

For now, here are the pages I did yesterday!

I love this page! These pictures are just too, too funny. The background is an OLD piece I pulled out of my huge stack of KI paper. They're one of my favorite companies and I've been "collecting" their lines for years now. It was so fun to finally use this piece of paper that I've loved for so long! :) The felt crown is from a Fancy Pants pack and the paper flowers are Prima.

This page was really fun to do! It's been a while since I've done a page with pictures of our church friends. These were taken at the Newlywed Game night Jeremy and I hosted for the group. It was hysterical to watch and since we made up the questions we didn't have to participate. *haha*

The paper is reeeeally old Valentine's paper. I can't even remember who makes it, Reminisce maybe? Then the stickers are from a Sandylion "He said, She said" set which I bought after we had this event. I knew they would be appropriate! 

The title is cut with the Alphalicious Cricut cartridge. This is the first time I've used the "negative" space after cutting. Originally I was just going to lay the strip over the background paper, but my letters didn't show up so I added the black. I'm pretty happy with the result!

That's it for now, but I've been scrapbooking more today so I should have something else to show by day's end. :)

OOPS I did it again...

I ordered online

I can't seem to stop

Oh baby, baby...

OOPS it's Etsy.com! 

I can't stay awaaaaaaay

I'm not that innocent!

(If you didn't sing that to the tune of the Britney Spears song, I'm sorely disappointed.*hehe* Go back and do it, now!)

So tonight as I watched "Superstars of Dance" on my DVR, I popped back over to Etsy to *ahem* "browse." Silly me. I must have added and trimmed my "cart" about 10 times. I'd get all excited and add a bunch of stuff, then I'd see the total and go, "Whoops!" and have to take a bunch of stuff out. Then I'd find more....etc. etc. you get the idea. I held back fairly well, I'd say. I got out for under $20 including shipping! Here are a few of my finds:

(Saw these on Kim's blog earlier tonight. Maybe I can blame my visit to Etsy on her?)

So now I really have to reign myself in. Although on the job front, I did bite the bullet and apply online for a position at Borders. I know, I know. "Sarah, you're not even a reader!" Small detail! *haha* I love so many other things the store has to offer... stationary, journals, gifts, cards, children's books, CD's, DVD's, magazines, coffee. Oh wait, I don't like coffee. I'm sure they sell coffee CAKE and I like that! HEY! It's a job, people. *shrug* We'll see what comes of it, I certainly haven't signed any contracts.

If anyone knows of someplace FUN that's hiring, let me know! :)

Somethin' Special

I don't know about you, but sometimes I get tired of the same ol' scrapbook products that I see in every craft store. I mean sure, like every six months the companies put out something new. But who can wait that long for new inspiration? ;)

I've mentioned Etsy on here before, sharing some of the paper goods you can purchase there. But only recently did I place my first order...and guess what! My goodies arrived today! And I'm THRILLED with them! Unfortunately it makes me wanna log right back on and order more stuff...that's not a good reaction is it? *haha* 

So you wanna see my awesome purchases? Well who am I to deny you that pleasure? :)

I bought these:

(follow the link to see more views)

I personally get SICK of seeing the exact quotes on every single die cut and sticker. (You know what I'm talking about. "If friends were flowers, I'd pick you!" "Too Cute to Spook!" "A dog smiles with it's tail!" Blah blah blah.) These are quotes from movies. Some of my favorites are: "What's happening hot stuff?" from Sixteen Candles, "Oh, you must be grumpy!" from Snow White and "Just keep swimming!" from Finding Nemo! YAY! (Hey Michelle you should check these out: there's a Princess Bride quote included!)  And not only are they unique and fun, I absolutely love the way they're printed. They're fantasmic! (Yes fantasmic. I've decided the make that a word.) But seriously, they're very cool.

I also bought these from the same seller on Etsy:

I think they'll make cute little additions to a page. I love the font and thought the ones with images were neat too.

Then the last thing I purchased from that particular seller were these bingo cards. Yes, I realize these aren't exactly unique in the world of scrapbooking these days, but I hadn't gotten any yet so they're new to ME.  I've seen some super cute pages using these things, I can't wait to do something with them myself. 

The other seller actually has a website as well, but I didn't discover that until today.  I only got one set of tags (with Christmas carols printed on them) but after looking at their website I think I'll definitely be placing another order with them. They have the cutest journaling spots and alphabets. It's a fun find and most of the stuff is relatively inexpensive. Check 'em out: Elle's Studio.

Wow, scrapbooking is fun?

Yesterday I spent all day in my scrapbook room again, this time not organizing but actually putting pages together. And I have to say, it's the most fun I've had with this hobby in a long time! I had become too much of a planner-scrapper, only doing pages which I had specifically picked papers for. I had made it into such a process of particulars that I think I'd really taken the fun right out of it. This is one of the reasons I'd had such trouble scrapbooking since leaving Scrapbook Garden, because I was no longer able to go in and match up every single thing. So when I would try to put a page together, I would just sit in my room, befuddled. I couldn't even scraplift someone else's idea as a springboard anymore. I was just completely over the whole thing. 

Well after going through all of my supplies and looking at new ideas, yesterday I was just really inspired to get started. So I whipped out some photos, found some papers I already owned...EVEN incorporated some SCRAPS! *gasp* And it was so much fun. If I had to describe it, I would say that it felt like the days when I first started scrapbooking. Back when I didn't care about "the rules" that have been imposed on me...back when I just created what I wanted to because I liked the way it looked. It was so exciting and enjoyable, never stressful as it had recently become. It didn't need to look "just so," or meet anyone else's approval. It was supposed to be FUN! Remember? Maybe the rest of you have never fallen out of love with scrapbooking as I had...and I'm not expecting to never have another moment of scrap-block, but it was a wonderful feeling to rediscover that joy and creativity. 

This page features my adorable Livvie and some of the cutest pictures EVER taken. My Mom took these and I stole them. *haha*  She's turned into quite a talented little photographer! Thanks Mom! :) 

The paper and diecuts are both Fancy Pants. I bought them on clearance because I saw this particular phrase and KNEW that it had to go on a page about miss Livvie. I think it sums up the page quite nicely. :)

I've never done any 12x12 layouts of dog pictures. MoJo's puppy pictures are in an 8x8 album and I've done a few for Wrigley's 8x8 book as well. (Sorry Cubby. I'll get to it eventually. *haha*) I really love the way this layout turned out. And I have to say, I was pretty pleased with myself mixing old and new papers together. Might not be a big deal for the rest of you, but remember I've been such a planner there wasn't much room for that kind of thing. :^/ 

The apples and grid (background) papers are from an October Afternoon kit that I got from 2P's a while back. I LOVE it! I actually set out to use more of that paper set on this page but there's a lot of red and dark blue in it that just didn't seem to fit. So I dug through my monstrous stacks of paper and found the teal with polka dots. (It's from a clearance My Mind's Eye Kaleidoscope line that I bought who knows when.) Oh and the letters are from my Cricut with the Alphalicious cartridge.

And since poor Cubby didn't have a single page dedicated to him yet, I put this one together in is fuzzy honor. :)  I accidentally cut the title off in the photo. It says "Snuggle Puppy." 

I think this is my favorite of the batch. It's scraplifted but man it fell together so easily I felt like I really knew what I was doing. :) The papers are a mix of Basic Grey lines, mostly Blush but the blue with tiny polka dots is from Blitzen (I think. Not that it really matters, it's all been discontinued. *haha*)

I just reread this post and realized...almost all of the stuff I used on these pages was bought on clearance!! *haha* Guess I shouldn't beat myself up too badly over shopping the sale racks.

Thanks for looking! 

Feelin' Scrappy!

Just finished my first scrapbook page of the new year! (Also my first scrapbook page in about...oh...two months.) The pictures are stolen from my Mom, aren't they great? I bought this paper with every intention of scrapping these exact photos. It's the first "BOY" page I've really ever done and it was fun! I loved the little robots the minute I saw  'em, how fun to have such a cute nephew to use them with! (Sorry it's backwards, I took it with my Mac cam. If your mirror-reading skills are rusty the title says "Swing." Real imaginative, huh?)

Earlier on my way to get groceries, my car drove me to Michael's. Imagine that? So I decided to go inside, just for kicks. :) They didn't have much, I guess I got in on their clearance sale a few days too late. I do have a confession to make, however. I bought some Martha Stewart stickers. I know, I'm as ashamed of myself as you are of me. ;) But up until now I've never been tempted but I thought these were really, really cute. See? So judge me if you must, but I am only human after all. *hehe*

Out with the Old

I spent almost the entire day in my scrapbook room yesterday...not scrapbooking, but straightening, organizing, cleaning and PURGING. It was way past time, folks. For one, that poor room had become the dumping ground for everything after our floor project, vacation and Christmas so I couldn't see my desk. (I know we scrappers SAY that a lot, but literally, I could not see my desk! *eek*)  

Then I started to pull all of the items I'd been saving up for my New York album and put them all in one spot. I figured since my photos should be here fairly soon (I ordered them online earlier this week) I should get everything ready for inspiration to strike! :)

One thing led to another and I ended up sorting through my entire paper stash, something I hadn't done in a while. Gah - where did some of this stuff come from?!? I swear I must have had an out of body experience when this paper was purchased. Some of it is uuuuuuugly! The funny thing is, I actually remember buying it and thinking it was cute! But as I started to look back, some of this stuff was over 10 years old!! I bought it before I started working at Scrapbook Garden, right after I met Jeremy and started scrapbooking. So I guess styles in other areas have changed in that time...if you looked at clothing and hair ads from 1999 they look a lot different than they would now. (I know I looked a lot different 10 years ago...I was a hot li'l blonde. Some things haven't improved. *hehe*)

Clearing out that old, uninspiring paper was really liberating.  I then pulled out my idea binder that weighs about 15 lbs. I've been snipping ideas from magazines and printing them from the internet for probably about 6 years now...and trust me some of them were looking pretty dated as well. So I tore out all of the ideas that felt old and tired...or the ones that I just didn't like that much anymore. And I added in the ones from the stack of magazines that have been sitting neglected for a few months.  

It left me feeling excited about scrapbooking again! Let's face it, I haven't been exactly inspired lately. But it's a new year!! And I have some amazing pictures to scrapbook and the only paper left in my scrapbook room is paper I LOVE! So what's not to be inspired about? :)

Laminin

Something to ring in the new year....this is Louie Giglio. He is one of my all-time favorite authors and speakers. The title makes more sense when you watch...please watch the whole thing, you will be blessed!

Hallelujah!