2016 Week 12: Spring Break, Friends and a Birthday!

Weekly Life Templates 3 by Scrapping with Liz
Memory Pockets Monthly - Q & A (kit and add-ons) available at the Lilypad

Week 12 was all about taking a break from the normal routine. The first part of the week we didn't do a whole lot. We hiked with friends, had a sleepover with cousins and friends, served a goodbye lunch to a sweet friend and then on Thursday and Friday we took a little mini-vacay to Dollywood, and on Saturday we celebrated Matthew's 7th birthday. It was a nice change from our normal routine.

Weekly Life Templates 3 by Scrapping with Liz
Memory Pockets Monthly - Q & A (kit and add-ons) available at the Lilypad

I'm lovin' the neutrals with the pops of blue, pink and yellow in this month's Memory Pockets Monthly kit and add-ons. It works well with my weekly photos.

Weekly Life Templates 3 by Scrapping with Liz
Memory Pockets Monthly - Q & A (kit and add-ons) available at the Lilypad

While this week was fun, I'm ready to get back to a normal routine. How about you? Have you taken your spring break yet?

-Liz

March 2017 Calendar Topper

2017 March Templates by Scrapping with Liz
Memory Pockets Monthly - Q & A (kit and add-ons) available at the LilypadStoryteller Reed Alpha by Just Jamie

I've finished my 3rd page for my 2017 Gift Calendar album. Each month during 2016 I'm scrapping a calendar page, and by the end of the year I'll have a whole calendar to print. I did this project last year, and I loved the finished project. I'm also releasing coordinating calendar templates each month too!

I was asked by a customer to make more photo spots for future calendar toppers, and I plan on doing that, especially since one of my kids asked me why I didn't have enough photo spots for her! Oops! Next month I promise to have the option of more photo spots.

-Liz

Four New March Project Templates

It's that time of the month again - time for new project templates! Liz has several product lines with new templates each month. At the end of the year you can have a beautiful album or calendar all ready to print! And it's not too late to get started. These new products are 20% off through Sunday, March 27, 2016.

March Insta Review Template is for scrapping your random phone photos.

March Month in Review Template if for scrapping a double monthly summary.

2017 March Templates is a set of March calendars.

And Weekly Life Templates 4 is a new set of weekly double page templates with 7 photos.

Jenn modified the March Insta Review Template to make a single page with a graphic effect.

Katya used March Month in Review Template for a travel page.

Here is Amanda's 4x6 March Calendar card.

And here is Dawn's zoo page using Weekly Life Templates 4.

And the winner from Wednesday's giveaway is...Katie S. Congratulations!

2016 Week 11: It's all about the Tetherball

Weekly Life Templates 3 by Scrapping with Liz
Memory Pockets Monthly - Q & A (kit and add-ons) available at the Lilypad

Apparently I like the tiny polka dot background. I used it last week, and I didn't even realize it until I went to do this blog post! I guess it's a great neutral....actually, my whole page is kind of neutral this week. That's okay, because I like it. But I'll try not to use it next week!

Enough about that. This week was all about the Tetherball. Seriously, almost all of my pictures I took this week were of the kids playing tetherball...or Shawn and I playing. I guess it's because it's a new toy in our yard, and it's been super nice outside, again. I did find a few photos that show some other highlights. Other than the Tetherball, a trip to the Power Plant, some science experiments with daddy, and a sick little girl we had a pretty normal week.

Weekly Life Templates 3 by Scrapping with Liz
Memory Pockets Monthly - Q & A (kit and add-ons) available at the Lilypad

Weekly Life Templates 3 by Scrapping with Liz
Memory Pockets Monthly - Q & A (kit and add-ons) available at the Lilypad

It was a fun week, and I'm happy to say that only 1 kid got sick and she was better after just a few days!

-Liz

Amanda's ABC Album: Finished and Printed

Amanda made this gorgeous ABC Thankfulness album. I wanted to share it with you all because I thought it was a quick and easy way to simply be reminded of all the thing we have to be thankful for.

She used my Alphabet Journal Card Templates and InstaLife Journal Cards. The InstaLife Journal Cards are no longer available, but I think you could make do with just the Alphabet Journal Card Templates. She also used Urban Fusion by Amy Wolff, the Clock by Etc. by Danyale ~ New Year and the fonts are Josefin Slab and Debby.

She printed a 4x6 flip book from Wal-mart with full bleed printing. She did say some of her text got to close to the edge. So if you make this book make sure you account for that. It only cost her $10!

This is her cover page.

 For Wal-mart I think it looks great.

She says it's so fun and easy to flip through.

I hope this inspires you! I'm definitely adding this to my 'to do' list.
-Liz

2016 Week 10 and Facebook Cover Page

Weekly Life Templates 3 by Scrapping with Liz
Memory Pockets Monthly - Q & A (kit and add-ons) available at the Lilypad

The weather was gorgeous this week so we spent most of our time outside. We went on two hikes, went bike riding and played outside A LOT! We still did school work, cooking, laundry, cleaning, etc... but when I look back on this page I'll know that it was the first warm week of the year and we totally enjoyed ever single bit of it!

Weekly Life Templates 3 by Scrapping with Liz
Memory Pockets Monthly - Q & A (kit and add-ons) available at the Lilypad

I think I'm addicted to the colors of this month's Memory Pocket Monthly kit. I love the yellows, blacks, pinks and blues.

Weekly Life Templates 3 by Scrapping with Liz
Memory Pockets Monthly - Q & A (kit and add-ons) available at the Lilypad

 And it was about time I updated my facebook cover.  You should too. ;)

Cover Templates 2 and Memory Pockets Monthly stuff from February and March (all at TLP).

-Liz

Introducing Paper Scrapper Katrina

Swirl Templates by Scrapping with Liz

Gossamer Blue Kit Supplies

Pattern Papers-Basic Grey, Echo Park, Webster's Pages, Gossamer Blue (some are by One Little Bird one is by Traci Reed),Teresa Collins

Cardstock-American Crafts

Resin Flowers, Metal Flourish-Basic Grey

Chipboard, Buttons-Teresa Collins

Buttons-Heidi Swapp

Stickers-Webster's Pages

Other Supplies:Doilies-American Crafts

Adhesive-Therm O Web (there's a NON digital supply!)

Chipboard &-American Crafts

Enamel Dot-Doodlebug Designs

Stamp-Pebbles

Twine-May Arts

Isn't this paper page just gorgeous? It's from Katrina, the newest member of my Creative Team! She made this page with my Swirl Templates. I've been wanting to see how my digital templates could be translated into paper layouts (using a Silhouette and other techniques). Katrina is going to help show us how. She'll be making some pages and writing up some blog post for us. I'm so excited to have her join the team. 

Maybe she'll convert me back to a paper scrapper? Probably not, but I have been tempted to try some hybrid layouts and this just might be the key. And for those of you who are paper scrappers I'm excited to see how this might help you.

So, welcome Katrina to the team and check out her blog over at paperscissorsandglue.blogspot.com.
-Liz

That's My Plan Templates and Recyclables 47

Liz has some fun planner-inspired templates for us today, as well as a new set of Recyclables. Both are 20% off through Sunday March 13, 2016.

That's My Plan Templates are inspired by the planner trend! So fun. These have list/bullet style journaling, lots of little label tabs, and other fun elements. Use them for a weekly summary, or a week-in-the-life project, or just for a fun and unique visual style.

Recyclables 47 is a brand new set of past freebies and challenge prizes. This collection has a lot of variety.

Donna made a fun memory-keeping page with That's My Plan Templates. She's going to fit in some naps and relaxation in between all her photo taking, photo editing, and scrapbooking.

Dawn used Recyclables 47 to make a beautiful birthday/top 10 page. I love the mix of photos and papers.

Polly Amber made this fun page with Recyclables 47.

Rebecca made this with Recyclables 47. Isn't it a great story?

This one is by Wendy using Recyclables 47. I love the title!

Polly Courtney used That's My Plan Templates to start documenting her week. It's so fun.

And the winner from Wednesday's Giveaway is....Brenda P. Congratulations!

2016 Week 9 & Some House Pages

Weekly Life Templates 3 by Scrapping with Liz
Memory Pockets Monthly - Q & A (kit and add-ons) available at the Lilypad

I think I'm going to do what I did last week and just copy and paste the journaling from my pages. It's kind of random and all mixed together, but I think you'll get the gist of our week.

Left Page: This week started with a soccer game with all the cousins and then a Leap Year Party with our co-op. Matthew also lost his first upper tooth. We had our first lunch on our porch at the new house.

Weekly Life Templates 3 by Scrapping with Liz
Memory Pockets Monthly - Q & A (kit and add-ons) available at the Lilypad

Right: During Matthew's speech therapy at the Library Lydia and I had some one on one time doing a Dr. Seuss search. Emmie and Ashlyn's favorite snack to make is no-bake cookies. It's a staple in our house.

Weekly Life Templates 3 by Scrapping with Liz
Memory Pockets Monthly - Q & A (kit and add-ons) available at the Lilypad

And I had some time to finish up a couple more pages on our the house construction album. These will be side to side.

Simple and Sweet Album Templates 3 by Scrapping with Liz
Model Behavior by Forever Joy Designs
Home Collab by Kaye Winiecki and Studio Basic Designs
We are Moving by Pink Reptile Designs and Paula Kesselring
Handyman Elements by Lynn Grieveson Designs

It's coming along. Hard to believe that was almost a year ago. Maybe I'll be done with this album by next year!

What have you scrapped lately?
-Liz

Ever Been Stumped?

Hello there, scrappers! Hoping you are having a good start to your March! I can't believe it's March already. This is Jenn, aka jk703, around digiland. Today, we are going to talk about scrapping when you are stumped.

I've scrapped oodles and oodles of layouts, and there are times when a page comes super easy, while another might take me so so long to complete! I can't predict when my scrapping struggles will hit or specifically say why they hit. Sometimes, it might be a kit, a template, the photos, or even the story I'm trying to tell. Either way, I just know that I'm stumped. I'd like to share some ideas to get you out of your creative scrapping stump!

First, Liz has these awesome templates, Frame Starter Templates, that released for March BYOC. Lots of fun paper layers and shapes. With them, I was scrapping with Pink Reptile Designs Exercise and Energize Elements, Alphabet and Papers.

As I was scrapping, I realized that no matter what I put on the page, no matter how many times the papers or elements were changed, it just wasn't coming together as I liked. I tried deleting layers, shapes, and other various things. It wasn't working. It wasn't the kit, it wasn't the template, it was me. I was stuck. Now what?

I decided to go wander in the TLP Gallery, leave a little love, chat in the forums a bit, and looked at my layout again. No real change for me, though in the past, looking at layouts will jump start my creativity. So, I decided to put my layout on the back burner. I ended up reading a little of The Lake House, a book for the month of March in TLP's Reading Pad and then going to bed.

The next evening, I pulled open the page, and knew what I needed to do. It was instantly like my mind had figured it out already! I decided to modify the template and use the kit in a way that is not totally off theme, but not totally on theme. I shrunk the whole template and made a BIG title. Big titles are fun, and I don't use them enough! Then I switched out my photo and focus of my layout. After this, my layout came together in about 20 minutes.  Pretty fast, when my mind is working with me, rather than against me. :)

Here is what I came up with:

Scrapping can be tied to out emotions and sometimes, when the page doesn't come together as I'd like, it bothers me, almost stresses me. I find that galleries, and time are usually my best bet to getting out of my rut. Here are some other ideas if you ever find yourself stumped: 

1. Change your work setting or location. Work in another area, change out some pictures if you are confined to one room. Clean up your work space.  Add a candle. Maybe have some noise, or no noise - opposite what you usually have when scrapping.

2. Check out the galleries, Pinterest and other locations where you usually find inspiration. Also, check out your older layouts, and see how far your scrapping has gone. Looking at where you started versus where you are now, is a major confidence booster, and you can inspire yourself! 

3. Scrap Differently. If you usually start with the photo, try that last. Challenge yourself to only use pattern papers, or NO pattern papers if you love them. Mixing up how you scrap might lead to a better scrapping experience. If you can, take a peek at the monthly challenges at TLP, they could very well get your scrapping mojo going! A little friendly competition can get you going too! Challenge a friend to scrap too! 

4.  Have a glass of water and a snack. Sometimes, we just need a little pick me up. A snack might get those creative juices flowing. Maybe a piece of juicy watermelon, lol! 

5. Move. Have a dance party in your chair. Get up, take a walk, jumping jacks, move! LOL! It will get your energy flowing, and you might surprise yourself and have energy and IDEAS for your scrapping! 

I'm sure as scrappers, we have all have creative standstills, but I hope these ideas will help you out the next time one decides to visit you! 

Thanks for visiting! 

Jenn Marione | jk703

2015 Printed Pages and Album!

About a month ago this package arrived: 

Woohoo!

I had been waiting for a sale at Persnickety Prints before printing the 105 pages I scrapped for my 2015 Family Album. That sale finally happened about a month ago. They had a 150 pack purchase for just $1.49 a page (that's a savings of 50 cents a page). I had some extra pages from 2013 and 2014 that I hadn't printed yet. I knew that I would definitely use the 150 prints.

After I uploaded and ordered them it only took about a week to get them.

Look at those vibrant colors! I have always loved Persnickety and their quality.

The last few albums I've printed have been Layflat Shutterfly Albums or Blurb Books, which I've loved. For 2015 I wanted to try something different, just to see what I liked the most.

I bought this 12 x 12, 3 Ring Binder at Michaels at the beginning of 2015. 

My plan was to print pages throughout the year and slip them into the page protectors. I thought this might be easier on the wallet (spreading out the cost to print the pages), and I thought my children might like looking through the album as it was created, and maybe that would give me motivation to keep going. Well, it never happened. I just kept scrapping but never printing. Thus the waiting for a deal from Persnickety. Once I got them my oldest daughter organized all the pages and put together the album for me (thank goodness!).

You can see above how thick it is. 105 pages.

I love how it opens up and is so easy for my kids to turn the pages. No reminding them to be careful when turning the pages (which I have to do with the Layflat and Blurb books).

Right Side:

Left Side:

My kids literally spent hours looking at this album. I had added QR codes throughout the album, and they loved scanning the QR codes to see videos that went along with the photos. If you haven't used QR codes yet I HIGHLY recommend them. So cool!

And this photo wasn't staged at all. For real! It might just be my new fave of all the kids.

Somebody asked me where I kept our scrapbook albums in the new house. The same black bookshelf as usual, and it's still in the dining room. I am running out of room though. I had to stack the 2015 Album on the top along with the extra album I bought to stash all my extra 2013 and 2014 pages that didn't have a home.

I'm torn. I love the compactness of the printed albums. I love how the Shutterfly Layflat Album is really high quality. I like that the Blurb books are slim and you get a lot for your money. I like that when you order the printed albums they are done. You can open up that package and just enjoy them.

But I'm really loving the 3 ring binder mainly because it's so durable when it comes to children. I can freely let my 5 year old look at the album without worrying if she'll bend or tear the pages. Plus, with the page protectors, I can easily wipe down the page if they get grimy. I also like that I can go back and add pages if I forgot anything important. This past year I especially appreciated this since there is still a week I haven't been able to scrap. I'm hoping one day I'll feel up to it.

The verdict is still out on what I'll do for my 2016 album. I was planning on going back to doing a Layflat Album (it does end up being cheaper then printing pages individually), but I love this 3 ring binder so much....I'm not sure!

-Liz