Project 12 and some Studio Calico sneaks

Ugh.


Does anyone else feel like me? I get totally overwhelmed with things that must be done to the point where all you can hear is the "uuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" as I sit, paralyzed, unable to do any of them. Sure, making lists is great and I feel so good when I make one and follow through, marking something off, but sometimes I'm so unorganized that I can't even wrap my brain around a list, let alone FIND my list notebook.


Sheesh.


So. I have been a bad blogger. But I blame chaos in general for my lack of posts.

I will say I am extremely disappointed in myself for not having my Project 12 layout ready to post on the 20th before I headed out of town. That simply won't happen again. This project is too important to me to let it go by the wayside and miss my personal deadline.





But I'm back on track and have my finished layout to share. First, the sketch:

In general, I am not a themed scrapbooker. I shy away from themed prints, for the most part. But I have to say, that is one of my favorite parts about the sketches that Becky Fleck came up with. It IS a layout about February, a heart filled month. And this gives me the perfect opportunity to use product I may not normally use, and somewhat cutesy elements for embellishments, as I like to follow her sketches.

In this case, it was a great opportunity to use the Love me Do Collection from My Minds Eye, which I received in a Scrapbook Trends goodie box a bit ago. I thought the birds with the balloons were super cute, but don't know where else I would use this print in my regular paper crafting.

I am also going to continue to use my month stamps from Studio Calico for my layouts all year, as well as the sheer calendars from Maya Road.

There were also some great heart shaped die cuts in this little kit, but I also used my heart punch from Marvy to add a couple more.

To add some color, I mixed up the layout of the patterned paper on the sketch so that I wouldn't have to use more than one of the same pattern. I like how it turned out. You'll also notice how the color scheme of the layout flows in a visual triangle of sorts. See how the yellow pieces were laid out? That was on purpose and definitely something I thought about when planning the papers for this page. I did the same with the red elements. The placement of color on your pages makes a difference in how pleasing it is to look at through the eye of your viewer.

Another thing I loved about this layout is some of the photo choices I made. I used a photo of my heart garland. That isn't going to get scrapped anywhere else. I probably wouldn't normally do a layout about the time my kids got on the hood of my Durango and scraped the windshields for me one morning, but it was a significant and fun event that day for them, so I am glad it was documented. THAT is why I love this challenge.

That is why!

Speaking of that... and which..... one of my layouts I created for Studio Calico this month is my favorite. Ever. And the design isn't even that big of a deal. But I look at it and it makes me want to cry. Every time. AND it's actually THREE pages. I had a hard time cutting out any of the photos I wanted to use, so I decided to use them all.

It's the story of a chair.

It's Payton's story. It's my family story.

I am SO glad I have it.

I think Project 12 will do for me what this layout did for me the moment it was finished. I think I will treasure more and more how much this project can do for my memories, the more that time goes by. Just look at my journaling on my February layout. I never journal that much on one layout. Project 12 gives me a chance to say all the things I want to say in a single layout. It's almost a journal in itself.

I have had a journal since I was 8 years old but stopped writing in it as much after I had kids. Especially after having two. I scrapbook instead. But I was noticing that even though I take more photos and document them in layouts more now, I'm not saying all there is to say.

For example. My kids don't bathe together anymore. How do you do a layout about that? But someday, someone may ask me when they stopped bathing together, and I want to be able to give them a date. Not a specific date, I'm not like that, but I want to be able to at least give a general AGE as to when that happened. Time goes by and you forget the little details. This challenge gives me a chance to just note that somewhere.

Anyway.... love fest, temporarily over. At least, until I can share my chair layout.

So, speaking of Studio Calico, here's the last of my sneaks for the month. I managed 5 layouts and 2 cards, and could have kept going, if I hadn't camped for 4 days last weekend.

Have a great Thursday! I will be back soon. Promise. Really. Truly. I swear. I'm off to try and organize something. Maybe I'll do a load of laundry. Maybe. I'm sure I'll at least prepare 438,829 snacks for the kids before the day is over. They are RELENTLESS. If you have a filling kid snack to share, please do. I get so sick of food. And it's Spring Break too. So they are bored. Good grief.

Davinie