The Blue Chair

When Payton was born she had a lot of hand-me downs from Morgan to use. A pack-n-play, a baby tub, toys, and clothes.

But we did buy her one thing. We bought her a chair.

From day one, she slept in this chair, she sat in this chair, when she was a little bit older she ate while sitting in this chair. They didn't have Bumbo's (or at least, I didn't know there were Bumbo's).

Last fall when she was 3 1/2, still often sitting in this chair, I decided it really was time for it to go. She didn't really fit in it anymore. It didn't match the decor of our house and we didn't need the clutter. So I took photos of it one day and then donated it to Goodwill. I keep a lot of the baby things, but I just figured this dingy blue chair would never get used by the grandkids, and that it was better if I didn't take up the space.

I've been wanting to do a layout about this chair for a while, and decided the time was finally right with the Joyland kit.

After the fact, I decided to go back through my digital files and pick out any photos that had the blue chair in it, and then go through those to choose what photos I wanted to use for my layout.

I knew it in advance, but what I discovered through this process has changed me as a record keeper in my family.

What I discovered was Payton's history. What I discovered were random family moments that make her who she is.

This chair was there for every moment. All of them. We brought her home from the hospital, and if someone wasn't holding her, she was in this chair. I have a photo of her sleeping in this chair with an Easter egg that Steve had decorated with her name on it. She was only about a week old.

Her first smile was in this chair. She ate rice cereal for the first time in this chair. On her first birthday, you can see this chair in the background of a photo of Payton opening presents.

This chair sat in our living room for 3.5 years. And that's what we called it too. The blue chair.

I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to head to Goodwill since that day in the hopes that my chair is still there, but I know it's not.

I wish I had taken one last photo of Payton in it before I donated it. At the time, I knew I should do a layout about the chair, but I had no idea how much that process was going to touch me.

I wish I had hugged that chair and had a good talk with that chair before I sent it on to take care of the next baby.

In the end, I came up with 20 photos of this chair. I wish there were more. I can't tell you how many times she got out of the chair for the photo, or I moved the chair out of the way to take away from the "distracting background" or because we had a ton of family over and it was in the way.

I wish I had left it in the way.

I've seen discussions before about how our modern focus on photography and "filling the frame" is taking away from the nostalgia of our photographs. How many times have you looked through an old album from your childhood and laughed at the orange couch, the avocado countertops, the random extras in the photos that make up your history? Imagine if those photos only focused on your freckled face. Would you still be able to "see" your story?

Any photo with that chair in it went on this layout. I have several photos with her in it, but I also have photos of her near it, like the random photo Steve took one day with her in a firefighter hat, or a photo I took of her gazing at herself in the mirror, with the blur of the red chair legs in the background. I used them all.

I was going to pick and choose with this layout, but in the end, I didn't want my photos to be too small, I really wanted to be able to look at them, and I couldn't exclude any photos of that chair, so I made a 3 page layout. Yes I did.

I made all the small photos 2.5 x 2.5 and layered them in a collage, leaving a few blank spaces for patterned paper and flowers. I then enlarged a photo of the chair, and also included a photo of Payton taken around the day the chair was donated.

As for the details in the design, the flowers were created by layering a few punched circles, and adding some chipboard pieces from Crate Paper in the middle. I also used some Prima leaves from the Tilt-a-Whirl add-on for more detail.

The jillibean corrugated alphas started out green. I first tried to mist them blue, but it didn't take very well, so I used some turquoise paint from MM that I had in my stash first, and then misted over that. I like the marbled look they got from the mist settling into the cracks.

I finished it off with just a wee bit of hand stitching and some of my scallop sentiment border punch, that you know I love.

To be honest with you, I could just about bawl my eyes out every time I look at the finished product, lol. Some of these moments are so random and I wonder why I even had the camera out.

THAT is what scrapbooking is all about, should be all about. The documentation of it all. If I take 200 photos of Halloween, I already know what I did that day. The story is obvious. But through this layout I learned that I need to document the non-obvious, every day moments better. I'm taking the photos, but I need to do better about writing the story.

THAT is why I am SO excited about Project 12. I can already tell how valuable those layouts are going to be to me, 3 years down the road. I have been doing this since 2009 so I'm already in the game, but I am going to do better. More journaling. The first couple of months I just used labels. Lucky for me, Becky's sketches include lots of room for journaling, and I'm going to make sure I fill them up in 2010.

So there. Payton's story is here. You can see her first three years in one layout. But you know what?

Tomorrow she's 4. 4 years old. My baby, the youngest, is 4.

I'm not sure I can take it, lol. Can't time stand still for just a moment so I can take it all in? It's moving far too fast for me. I just had an epiphany, a pivotal moment, and "aha moment" here, lol.

The design wasn't the best. But at this point this layout is my most treasured. Ever. I'm so glad I made it. (and if you are wondering, I'm going to put that last page first in my scrapbook, and then have the remaining two pages together, so you see all the photos, and then hear the story about the chair).

The new homeowner is......

Kelsey said...
Oh, love that stamp! Saw it on a sneak peak...

10:15 AM




Kelsey! Send me an email at cooperdees (at) yahoo (dot) com and I'll get those houses in the mail for ya!

Davinie

Joyland!

It's live! It's time to race to Studio Calico and pick up the April kit, Joyland. There are also three add-ons available with this kit this month; Skycoaster, Tilt-a-Whirl, and Whacky Shack. Skycoaster sold out this morning on presale (I think it was because of the stamp and this Jillibean Soup corrugated alphas), so if that is the add-on you are interested in, I'd race there first.
Many of the punches are also sold out but will be restocked next week in time for shipping, so you will get a second chance at those if you missed out on them this morning.
There are pink slipped stamps in the shop too, so if there is a stamp you've been coveting, you might want to check that out. The tree stamp is one of them and I think it would be super cute beside that house stamp in Whacky Shack!
Project 12 friends, I also saw that the month stamps are back in stock. I use these for my Project 12 layouts and they are handy to have around.

Anyway, the kit:


And this is what I came up with. As soon as I saw Skycoaster and that Sassafras paper, as well as that MME die cut sentiment, I knew I had to do a layout about my girls and Dr Seuss' birthday.

The micro mini BG alphas were the same size as the font in the die cut so I was able to add an "s" for things and you can't even tell. I just inked over the top of the letter to change the color.

I used Claudine Hellmuth's green paint for my chipboard banner. I also wrapped jute several times around my layout and through the banner pieces, tying a bow over the title. I LOVE jute and have been using it on everything lately. It's *almost* more fun than ribbon.
New to the shop this month is twisted burlap, and I'm telling you right now, I ordered it all and can't wait to wrap it around everything as well. It's like two pieces of jute wrapped together.

I wanted to play with the different patterns in the kit for this next layout:

I had the paper strips in mind from the beginning, and the rest of the layout came together after that. Originally I was going to do the whole thing on kraft but in the end decided to add more color by layering it over the die cut paper from Crate.

To keep it from being too simple, I decided to cut out the image of the flowers I wanted to use, a wee bit larger than the size of the chipboard. I simply laid out my papers, placed everything where I wanted it, traced over it with a pen, removed the chipboard, trimmed it out and then pieced it back together again.

Adding to the design element of doing this, I made one flower and left it blank to add some interest and show more of the kraft.

If there is one shop item I would encourage you to add to your kit, it would have to be the Brook chipboard pieces from Crate paper. There are 49 pieces! AND you will have no trouble using them with upcoming kits (hint, hint).

I wanted to have an 8.5 x 11 layout this month, so decided to do Morgan in the springtime:

To make it fun, I trimmed a photo in half and used each in one of the K&Co. frames, with a chipboard branch in the middle.

I still had time so I had fun with this last layout, simply because the photos were so fun:

LOVE the hydrangea punch!

I just had fun with this one, using bits and pieces. I need to do that more often. My clouds make me happy too.

I then finished up the kit with cards.

I have a two pager to share too, but it needs it's own post. I have a LOT to say about it. Suffice it to say, it has changed me as a scrapbooker.

Have a good night! Davinie

P.S. Did Whacky Shack sell out, or are you just unable to justify the money for an add-on this month? Maybe you just like the stamps. Either way, if you are looking to add to your collection, check out this post. I am giving away a super cute house stamp set!

Stamp Giveaway!

Imagine my surprise as I was going through my Studio Calico box one day and an extra house stamp set fell out. I had already used it on a project, so I knew that somehow I had ended up with an extra.

Maybe it was accidentally on purpose, maybe it was pregnancy brain (APRIL, April's pregnant brain! heeeeee), but either way, the Fiero household has ended up with one extra house stamp set, which is looking for a new home.

How about yours?

This stamp will be included in the Whacky Shack add-on as part of the Joyland kit.

It will also be in the shop in two months, as all SC exclusive stamps are.

But some lucky crafter can have this stamp right now.

Simply leave me a comment on this post! I'll draw a winner Monday morning and a new house is on it's way to you.

Have a great Saturday! I'll be back tonight with my projects.

Davinie

Scrapbook and Cards TODAY!

Hooray! The Spring issue went live for Scrapbook and Cards Today! If you haven't had a chance to check out this free publication, please check it out here.

Doesn't it look great! It is! There are a lot of inspiring layouts and informative articles. I have an article on embellishing with paper on page 42-43.

If you are interested in submitting to this publication, and of course, I encourage you to do so, check out the summer call:

Scrapbook & Cards Today would love to see your artwork—including layouts, cards, and altered projects with the following themes:

wedding
We are looking for pages that showcase this ultimate celebration of love! Send in your pages reflecting any part of this special day—from the planning and the preparation, to the parties and showers, and of course, to the day itself.

page maps
Pagemaps is a new addition to Scrapbook & Cards Today and designer and author, Becky Fleck, would love to see your interpretation of her sketch. Becky’s sketches are always inspiring and this one is no exception. Download the sketch, use it to create a scrapbook page, and then submit it to us for possible publication.
(See the site for the sketch image).

summer cards
We are looking for your most inspiring cards that use a summer colour palette. Cards can be of any theme (graduation, birthday, thank-you, get well, etc) and can reflect your own personal style—be it simple, or a little more intricate.

organization
Are you perfectly organized, or, have you found a way that helps curb your messy ways? Share your tips and tricks with us so that you can help others in the same situation—most of us have had disastrous scrap areas at one point or other, haven’t we? Photos, as well as written tips or submissions, are welcome.

summer pages
Do you love the colours of summer? We are searching for the freshest scrapbook pages that showcase all that is wonderful about summer. These can include, but not be limited by:

•time at the beach
•summer celebrations
•graduation
•poolside fun
•camping
•Canada Day or 4th of July celebrations
•vacation and more
something special
We are always on the lookout for a “special” project to feature in our “something special” column. If you have created something outstanding, be sure to submit it for us to see.
Scrapbook & Cards Today is also looking for:

•well-balanced, double page layouts
•multi-photo, single page layouts
•unique paper crafted gift ideas
Be a part of the fastest growing scrapbook publication! Submissions can be made by clicking here or at ideas@scrapbookandcards.com. Compensation includes a fabulous goodie box from our sponsors, plus two copies of Scrapbook & Cards Today! Please include your name, address, phone number, email address, and supply list. Please ensure that all files sent are under 500KB. This call ends March 31st, 2010. We look forward to seeing your work.
This call is ending soon, so if you have something, please submit it! Projects do not have to be unseen. Any other questions about the call, please let me know!

EDITED: I almost forgot to tell you! This Spring issue marks the 4th anniversary of Scrapbook and Cards Today, and they are having an awesome giveaway on the SCT blog. Check that out here.

Have a great Friday! Tomorrow, Studio Calico reveal! Right now? Reveal Night Giveaway! Brand New SASSAFRAS.

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

Hey Mom, look what I can do!

We are home and getting the laundry going! Steve and the kids were having so much fun that we stayed another night and just came home today. It's Spring Break in these parts so we decided to take advantage of the break from school.

The kids were on their bikes or playing soccer the entire time. We did a spot of fishing and some hiking too.

Isn't it weird how fresh air wipes you out? I need a nap, lol.

Here's a bit of the fun the girls were having:

Morgan can barely take two steps without falling on her face, silly growth spurt, so I was impressed with her balancing act. She got up there without holding on to anything.

Not to be left out, oh no, not her, Payton called me over to share her own acrobatic skillz:

And that was that. Good times were had.

I am really happy with Steve's new camera too. He played with it and devoured the user manual the whole time. I'll have to share some of his photos as soon as I can pry the camera out of his hands to upload them, lol.

I'll be back tomorrow with scrappiness. Enjoy your night! Davinie

Unplugging

I am on the computer all the time. If I'm not reading blogs in my Google reader or checking out my favorite boards, I'm working. I work part-time from home in health insurance, and I need the computer to do it.

Today is Steve's birthday.

The girls and I got him a new camera (in red, and oh my, it'll fit perfectly in my purse).

It's the first day of Spring.

And we are headed to the lake.

A'camping we will go. This is the earliest we've ever done it, but the weather looks like it may cooperate. We'll have full hookups which means unlimited water and electricity, so we can stay inside if it doesn't.

I have a book and my journal, which REALLY needs updating.

I'm looking forward to unplugging and rejuvinating with my favorite people.

I wasn't quite ready to post my Project 12 layout so I am behind the times. But you have until midnight tonight to get yours linked (check out the March post under the blue botton on the right).

I will be back soon with my Project 12 layout and some more Studio Calico sneaks, as well as the next card for the Cardalicious challenge. The Sketchbook class with Kelly Purkey starts soon too!

Have a wonderful weekend! Davinie

Sketchbook Winner!

briscrapper said...
thanks for the opportunity to win a spot, Dav, I would so love to do this class.Marina

2:00 PM





Congratulations Marina! I know you won't be disappointed in the class. Email me at
cooperdees AT yahoo DOTcom and I'll get you the info you need to register.

Have a great Wednesday! Wear green!

Joyland sneaks!

I already have a few to share, but I wanted to start off Monday with just a couple of peeks at the upcoming kit from Studio Calico. As I mentioned, many of the girls are declaring this their favorite kit to date, and I can't disagree. I have had a lot of fun with it.

The following image shows the Studio Calico exclusive papers, one of the most delicious parts of the kit this month.

(Sneak show here).

(Paint and jute is from the Studio Calico shop. To be honest, April can't keep me in stock with this stuff. I can use a yard on a single layout. I love love love the Jute and order a ton of it every month).

This next sneak also includes a couple of items that will be in the shop this month:


More to come!

If you are interested in the Sketchbook class, I'm giving away a seat here. All of the Studio Calico girls were offered a spot to give away, so you should have an opportunity on all of the Design Team blogs to win. If you have already registered and then win a spot, your money will be refunded or you can gift your spot to someone else.

With that, I wish you a happy Monday! And remember.....

"When there are no stars at night, I just wish on the sky". Payton Fiero

Sketchbook Giveaway! (CLOSED now, thank you!)

Happy Sunday!


First I want to thank you for all your support for my very first race! It turns out there was absolutely nothing to worry about.


Nobody is looking at you.


There is every shape and size at this race, so you don't need to worry about how fast you can run or how in shape you are. Just do it!


Steve and I had a blast. We started out the race with a flat right tire on the stroller, but that just made it more fun. right? This course wasn't set up the best for a double stroller, and there were so many participants that we got stuck in a few spots, but overall, it was so much fun.


The bonus? I beat the time I was hoping to beat. I haven't seen the exact times posted anywhere yet, but I was somewhere in the 32 minute range. And I could have beat that time. I still had oomph. I should have signed up for the 10k. And I should have ran faster that last 1/2 mile. I just wasn't quite sure where the end of the race was so I didn't want to peter out.


Anyway, it was a lot of fun and I can't wait to sign up for the next one! These races always benefit a great charity, so that's a double bonus. In fact, Steve came home and signed up for a 10 mile race coming up in 2 weeks. I didn't, because I'm not ready for 10 miles, and this is a trail run, which means hills and rocks and dirt paths. HARD. Good luck to him though, lol!





Here's a pic of us before the race. Yes, I ran with THAT man. The one needing a major fashion intervention. I saw him in this getup, and was just thankful he hadn't gone for knee socks to finish it off. Seriously. You have to watch him!


Anyway, the race was great.

I have Studio Calico sneaks to share, but first I wanted to share this awesome class opportunity. I was asked by the super talented and super sweet Kelly Purkey to participate in an online class she has put together, and she has generously donated a spot to one of my blog readers.




Sketchbook is a 12 day class filled with fresh sketches, easy instructions, beautiful examples, and lots of fun. Beginning on March 29th to April 9th, a PDF will be delivered to your inbox each morning so you can work at your own pace. By the end of the class, you'll have a complete sketchbook of 12 sketches and over 30 example layouts. For each of the sketches you'll be receiving an example layout from Kelly Purkey, along with one or more example from a member of the incredible Studio Calico design team. All of the examples are brand new layouts, exclusive to this class... you won't see them anywhere else! Sketchbook will also include a private message board for questions and sharing ideas, as well as two scheduled chats - all on the awesome Studio Calico website.

the link to registration on Kelly's blog here.

and some sneaks she posted can be found on her blog here:

I haven't seen all the sketches, only mine, but I think this is a great concept and am completely honored to participate. What a great resource to have in your craft arsenal, complete with examples from different designers.

I hope you will check it out and join us! Leave a comment on this post to enter. I'll draw a winner on Tuesday. As always, followers of my blog are entered in all drawings. But if I don't hear from the winner by Wednesday, I'll draw again. :)

That's it for me today. Next: Studio Calico sneaks.

Davinie

She'll be runnin' around the mountain...

and by "she" I mean ME. And Steve. And our girls. And by "mountain" I mean that although we might look at them, because the Cascades are beautiful, in reality we'll be running downtown through the streets of Bend. Today is my very first official 5K! I'm totally nervous because I haven't really done this before (unless you count that one time I walked with my friend, pushing the stroller, and I don't even think I walked fast....). I've never RAN a 5k before.

So I'm nervous.

Okay, I'm not nervous, because I don't expect any prize whatsoever. My goal is to finish without walking. I know I can do that. My goal is to finish with a good time. I'm just nervous about that part.

The bonus is that Steve took a vacation day just to do this with me. And he's going to push the girls in the double stroller, which is @100 pounds. So he'll only be twice as fast as me as opposed to the usual 3-4 times. lol. But this will be good because it'll force me to go faster than I would on my own.

The other bonus is that it's all a flat surface. Paved. The 3 mile loop we run at home is dirt roads and hills. So really, I've been cross training. Go me.

Anyway, that's where *I* will be this morning. Right now, maybe. Wish me luck! I'm hoping I like doing it! Maybe next time I'll sign up for a 10k. And maaaybe someday I'll channel my inner Lisa and do something with the word "marathon" in it. Someday.

I'm mostly just nervous about the unexpected. You know?

Tonight, on the other hand, is sneak night at Studio Calico. And I'm REALLY excited about it. I already have 3 finished layouts, and the last couple of months, I've only had time for 3 layouts, so my gallery is going to be packed this month.

So I hope you'll check back! I will have sneaks for you tomorrow.

In the meantime ..............

This last week I was the host at the SEI Lifestyle blog. I made a few springy projects using the Jocelyn line. One project is this sweet spring garland that is now adorning the windows in my living room:

And now SEI is giving away the collection! Check it out here.

And with that I'll leave you with a snapshot into my life this last week. My girls were channeling their inner Olympian in their own version of the bobsled.

Enjoy your Saturday! Davinie

P.S. Studio Calico has an AMAZING sneak night giveaway on the blog today. Be sure to head over there and comment on the giveaway post. As soon as I see it up I'll link you to it here. I will give you a clue though. (American Crafts).

P.P.S. Do you have your Project 12 layout ready but aren't sure where to post? Check out the Project 12 button on my sidebar and look for the March thread.

The number 2 is the #1 !!!!

Becca said...
Happy Birthday Davinie! My favorite restaurant is Dish, here in La Crescenta, CA- it has all vintage furniture and decor and is SO cute. The food is great too. I hope you had a great day!

9:00 PM


Becca! You get to take home some crafty goodness from my Scrapbook room! Vintage decor at Dish sounds very cool!

JanaZavitz come on down....

Janazavitz, you have one more night to email me at cooperdees (at) yahoo (dot) com before I give away that big box of scrappy goodness to someone else. I have family coming to visit and I am trying to convince them that I do clean in between visits. heeeee. They are never going to believe me if they have to trip over a big box of craftiness to get into my craft room.





My box came from Studio Calico and I am having SO much fun. Many of the girls have declared this their favorite kit ever (most of the boy mama's) and I have to tell you.... I am along similar lines. Really and truly having a blast with it. Can't wait to share.

Also coming up, a little hint:

More to share on that later! Have a great day! Davinie

Happy Birthday Dr Seuss!

Signed,

Onery Thing 1 and

Onery Thing 2

Project 12 Challenge - March - Loaded with Inspiration

My comment fingers are numb, but I managed to go through all the submissions on my last Project 12 post and I am so excited to share some of the inspiration with you all! I left comments if I could, and will endeavor to do better about my timing next month. That was a lot of work, which makes me extremely happy!

Before I relay all the details about the next challenge, I wanted to highlight some of the projects posted here.

The first are some fun things regarding the sketch. If you'd like to see the sketch again, check out this post.

I love what Elizna has challenged herself to do with regards to this challenge. She told her story using old product in her stash. I love that! (I also like what she did with her buttons instead of using snowflakes.



Like the sketch but have a hard time stitching, especially in a circle!? Do what Shelly did on her two page layout. LOVE the spirals. Love. She also went back in time and is working on 2008. Nothing wrong with that!

I really like how Alison changed the sketch a wee bit. Following the basic outline, she added a couple extra photos for more detail about her subjects of the month.

Next I wanted to share some non-sketch related layouts that caught my eye.

Jennifer has been participating since January 2009 (and I am SO honored that she has!). I love what she did with he two pager this month. I love the blocks of color, the embellies inside, and the square photos. That title and stitched butterfly make me very very happy.

When I saw this layout from Anna, I literally gasped outloud. It is beyond gorgeous. The white background, black and white photos and subtle feminine colors are just perfect in this layout. The exciting thing for her in January was a new sweet baby girl.


A fun trend I saw in the submissions were collage photos. SO very cool.

Ally highlighted an entire trip to Costa Rica where she took more than 1000 photos in a single layout, and the results are fabulous. She can go back and scrap individual photos, or make a mini album, but she can also load her scrapbook with one layout that tells a big story. That's what this challenge is about.

Kathleen was scared of the two pager so made something on her own, and I'm glad she did. I LOVE this design and the collage is wonderful! I can still see inspiration from the sketch in this layout.

Gingmei didn't take a lot of photos in January, but was still able to create a layout about what she did. You don't need a lot of photos to tell your story.

Lastly I wanted to share two special projects that blow me away in their creativity. I hope they do this every single month.

Michelle used calendar pages and the month stamps from Studio Calico to create a really cool layout about her month. I love how she didn't confine herself to the small space in some places, her great use of product, and the evident FUN that must have been the creative process.

Lastly is this gem by Diane. I honestly wish she had been inside my head a month or two ago. I would LOVE to do something like this. Maybe it's not too late. What she has here is a valuable time capsule into her life in 2010, all contained in it's own album.

Check out her blog for more pages. Very cool indeed. She also made an extremely beautiful cover for her album. Check that out here.

I hope you now see that you don't need to be confined by a sketch. Sketches are great for some people. Sketches are a great starting point for others. In the end, it's about YOUR story, and you are the one who needs to tell it.

I'm going to have to register at ukscrapppers and splitcoast stampers for next month. There are so many of you participating and I am very excited about it! I'll register so I can leave comments next time, but know that I appreciate you so much!

Okay, now that the show and tell is finished, how about that next challenge?

You have until March 20 to link your layouts to this post. Link your layouts at the Scrapbook and Cards blog here if you want a chance to win a second prize. I shared more participant entries on that post from what was submitted on their blog. There is also a Facebook gallery if you don't do blogs or message boards, but still want to play along. It's also a neat place to see what others have been creating.

This month you are playing for a prize pack from Doodlebug Designs. The Barnyard Collection.

And as you plan your month ahead, check out the March sketch:

That looks easy enough!

If you are every looking for Project 12 info, be sure to click the Project 12 label in my posts, or click the great big blue circle in my sidebar. It will lead you to all the info you need.

Thank you so much for playing along! I look forward to checking out your entries again this month. You never know what might happen if you play along all year (wink, wink).

Have a great March! Davinie