LOAD May 11 - Day 23

LOAD May 11 - Day 23, a photo by Miss_Niki on Flickr.

I love red! So what's not to love about Minnie?! Hope to complete the second half of this page tomorrow. Looks like rain so the yard work will have to wait anyway....darn! ha!

LOAD May 21

LOAD May 21, a photo by Miss_Niki on Flickr.

Fell off the LOAD wagon for a couple of weeks...but I'm back! Worked on Disney layouts at a crop this weekend and got nearly 13 pages almost done....they need a few finishing touches (you know how that goes)! Stay tuned for tomorrow's layout....will it be Disney?

LOAD May11 - Day 4

LOAD May11 - Day 4, a photo by Miss_Niki on Flickr.

Again, not what I had planned...but still goes in the Joy of Love album. I couldn't find the picture I wanted of A.

LOAD May11 - Day 3

LOAD May11 - Day 3, a photo by Miss_Niki on Flickr.

Day 3 done. I need a better plan for tomorrow...spent too much time deciding on a photo to use with this layout design.

LOAD May11 - Day 2

LOAD May11 - Day 2, a photo by Miss_Niki on Flickr.

And here is Day 2. I spent many hours spinning my wheels tonight - looking for things! I found the pirate pictures that I wanted to scrap on Sunday but have lost the Joy of LOVE daily prompts book and all my notes with sketches and ideas! I will keep looking...stay tuned for Day 3 later tonight.

LOAD May11 - Day 1

LOAD May11 - Day 1, a photo by Miss_Niki on Flickr.

I guess I have forgotten the last couple of days to post my "work" for the LOAD challenge. Here is Day 1!

Several hours later....

I had the paper all cut and organized into 10 mini album. All I needed to do was add a few embellishments, punch holes, put the rings in, tie on the ribbons and personalize the covers. I really thought it would be simple and only take a couple of hours; why did it take me several hours to pull them all together? I am happy with the results and they are now in the hands of the gymnastics team members! I hope they will use them!

and more Disney....

Inspired by pages found in the Bella Blvd. com gallery! Thanks "girls" for inspiring me to get going with Disney again! I bought a couple of punches to use on future Disney pages at Archiver's and can't wait to give them a try. Right now I am "home alone" so I am off to try to organize some pages to complete at the next crop...April 30th!

More Disney....

Got inspired by friends to complete a few more Disney pages. Love these photos of A. and Eeyore! I found ideas to scraplift at 2Peas in a Bucket....thanks Stephanie for inspiring this one!

Day 28 - LOAD 211

Day 28 - LOAD 211
Originally uploaded by Miss_Niki

This is it. The last day of February. The end of LOAD for 211. It makes me sad. So sad....I plan to make another layout tomorrow. I don't really want it to end....although I do want February to end and March and April and May. June and July can linger on and on and on.....

This is the left half of the page completed on Day 26. Not sure if I really like the paper lion...I was hoping I'd love it....maybe in the morning.

I love LOAD and I'm not "lion"!!!

Thanks everyone for taking the journey with me....I have enjoyed it!

Day 27 - LOAD 211

Day 27 - LOAD 211
Originally uploaded by Miss_Niki

Here is one page that I will include in yet another album I am starting! The Joy of Love is a class that has been going on this month but with LOAD going on too, I just couldn't put the energy into both. It is my intention to go back and read the prompts and find old photos that match .... discovering the things / people / places I love. I plan to then take new photos to match the prompts that I do not have old photos for. Should be fun!

Day 26 - LOAD 211

Day 26 - LOAD 211
Originally uploaded by Miss_Niki

Off to Lincoln! Hope the roads are decent!

Day 25 - LOAD 211

Day 25 - LOAD 211
Originally uploaded by Miss_Niki

Here is the right half of the complete layout! It goes with yesterday's ....like I need to tell you that! Nothing special...just done!

Day 24 - LOAD 211

Day 24 - LOAD 211
Originally uploaded by Miss_Niki

Here are the boys playing the PS2 on the new big screen TV. I hope to complete the right half tomorrow night....not sure I will have enough of that pattern paper to make it work. Off to bed, I need some sleep cuz' I can not get out of bed in the mornings anymore!

Day 23 - LOAD 211

Day 23 - LOAD 211
Originally uploaded by Miss_Niki

It seems that each LOAD I have to punt and go to a digital layout because I can't find the photos I want to use. I was browsing through the girls' facebook albums and came across this photo....super cute I thought! So tonight I decided to place in on this digital template and call it good. The title and story just fell into place in my head but I'd be fibbing if I told you that it took less time than a cardstock layout because it didn't! I had lots of trouble getting the story to look "perfect"!

Perfectionism won this time! Double darn!

Day 22 - LOAD 211

Day 22 - LOAD 211
Originally uploaded by Miss_Niki

I had a near panic attack this evening. I was starting to feel stuck....I thumbed through a few envelopes of photos, debated about working on a page in the December Daily and thought about adding a page to make a double page layout to one I'd already completed this week but the inspiration just wasn't there. So as I felt the panic rise in my throat, I made a conscious decision not to let that feeling overcome me so I quickly decided to create something using these volleyball photos which have been in the depths of Courtney's room for two years....I had never seen them before but knew that I had paid for them!

As I said in the flickr gallery....I am disappointed in the scan because the flower here is Doodlebug bubblegum bright pink!

Day 21 - LOAD 211

Day 21 - LOAD 211
Originally uploaded by Miss_Niki

I think I may have already said this somewhere so forgive me for being a broken record....but seriously, why does my dear hubby insist on updating this house this month?!?!? Does he not know that LOAD is going on? Does he not know that I work all day? Taxi children and serve as their ATM well into the evening, cook supper, fold laundry, watch WWE and create a layout too? When would I possibly have time to vacuum behind all the furniture and vac the blinds too, take apart a monster of a computer desk and above all....I MUST scan and upload a layout (if I get one created) tonight. Did I mention we took apart a computer desk and moved it out of the house....which left me with a computer & scanner/printer in a heap on a different desk in a different room?

This will be worth it, I know it will...it has to be!!

So here is what I was able to throw together in a flash tonight. Thank you to Lain for the prompt today, without it I'd be in a puddle on the floor crying because I would have no idea what to do surrounded by a disassembled house and my scrapbook stuff even more scattered and unorganized than it was before.

Callgon anyone? Then I'd have to clean the tub again....I'll settle for a glass of wine....again!

Day 20 - LOAD 211

Day 20 - LOAD 211
Originally uploaded by Miss_Niki

Not at all sure how I will make the second page work with this one and maybe I won't. Need to look at the photos again and decide....too tired right now.

Went shopping for home decor, baskets, groceries, paint and lights. Updating the house....so time consuming and such a mess! T. said he just wants the house to be back to "normal".

Day 18 - LOAD 211

Day 18 - LOAD 211
Originally uploaded by Miss_Niki

Oh my goodness! I just visited my blog and there is no post for yesterday the 18th! The clock had struck midnight by the time I had completed this layout, cropped it and uploaded it! And I might add the the information super highway was having a major traffic jam! Needless to say, I forgot to add yesterday's layout to the blog....so I present to you....the left half...the better half? You decide!

Day 19 - LOAD 211

Day 19 - LOAD 211
Originally uploaded by Miss_Niki

The better half?....I'm not so sure. But it's done and as I have thought about scrapping these photos (evidently twice cuz' I have two sets now), I wanted to keep it super simple and focus on the photos.

My scrapping friends are at a crop today...due to so many things in our busy lives I could not join them. That makes me so sad. So I went shopping and visited for a bit with them. Scrap on my freinds and enjoy your weekend!

Day 17 - LOAD 211

Day 17 - LOAD 211
Originally uploaded by Miss_Niki

Today's prompt was to use this quote on your page or use it as inspiration for a page. I thought that it fit quite well with the sillyness of Easter last year so I just expanded yesterday's layout into a two pager.

"It isn't the great big pleasures that count the most; it's making a great deal out of the little ones." Jean Webster

I'm not usually a quote person so I really liked Lain's idea of using it as a source of inspiration rather than physically placing it on the layout:)

Day 16 - LOAD 211

Day 16 - LOAD 211
Originally uploaded by Miss_Niki

A scraplift was the prompt today. We were to copy a layout by Melanie Louette. So simple and yet it ended up to be a struggle due my perfectionistic needs. I am actually taking a class called Embrace Imperfection that is teaching me to listen to the voice in my head and RUN away from it and follow my heart. (Trouble is I think my heart likes things in a neat, tidy box as well.)

Day 15 - LOAD 211

Day 15 - LOAD 211
Originally uploaded by Miss_Niki

Today's prompt was to use ribbon in a unique way...

I hadn't been back to the December Daily album for awhile so I thought I could make a quick page using ribbon. Simple. Done.

Day 14 - LOAD 211

Day 14 - LOAD 211
Originally uploaded by Miss_Niki

I am hopeful that J. will be able to build the cabinet pictured in this layout. I need three of these double units!

What paint color would you choose?

Day 13 - LOAD 211

Day 13 - LOAD 211
Originally uploaded by Miss_Niki

This is the second half of yesterday's page. I could not muster any new creativity today...my DH has decided that we are putting the house on the market. So we spent the day cleaning, organizing, painting, stripping wallpaper, doing laundry, shopping for light fixtures, appliances, sinks, blinds, paint, shower doors, shower surrounds and carpet and packing up a bunch of clutter. Tomorrow we are moving out a bunch of furniture to storage. I think we should be ready to list by June....he's thinking the 1st of March.

Day 12 - LOAD 211

Day 12 - LOAD 211
Originally uploaded by Miss_Niki

I like the circle embellishments in real life so much better. The lose their dimension online. Page 2 tomorrow? Depends on the prompt...

Day 11 - LOAD 211

Day 11 - LOAD 211
Originally uploaded by Miss_Niki

She turned 15 yesterday....it is so hard for me to believe! As a teenager we ride the roller coaster of emotion, that is why I treasure this photo! A happy moment!

Went shopping at Archivers while in Omaha this past week and found some new paper by Doodlebug and had to use it on this layout! I rarely scrap with the color yellow but this color matched the feeling of the photo as well as her shirt...bonus!

Day 10 - LOAD 211

Day 10 - LOAD 211
Originally uploaded by Miss_Niki

As I said in the flickr description....oh, the extremes that one will go to. I hauled a laptop and camera to Omaha so that I could complete a layout while I was away from home. Yes, Lain, you are right....you CAN create a layout a day with, not a little planning but A LOT of planning and preparing ahead! I was happy with this one and can add to his school album. Yea!

Day 9 - LOAD 211

Day 9 - LOAD 211
Originally uploaded by Miss_Niki

Super fast page! Literally 20 minutes....leaving for Omaha now! Not the photo I had planned to use but the one I wanted wasn't printed. So 10 of the 20 minutes was spent looking for this photo to go with the papers and ribbon I already had picked!!

Day 8 - LOAD 211

Day 8 - LOAD 211
Originally uploaded by Miss_Niki

No time again tonight! I thought all day about how I would use buttons on a layout and kept going back to the idea of making a snowman from a couple. I saw a sweater a Christopher and Banks that inspired this idea and have not created it yet. However, I really did not have a snowman layout to create so I went with snowflakes instead. This layout was inspired by katieplus4 in the LOAD 211 group....love her layouts!

Day 7 - LOAD 211

Day 7 - LOAD 211
Originally uploaded by Miss_Niki

Today's prompt was to find a photo with colors that inspire you...I do love John Deere Green and these two little boys! So the layout grew from that point on! Simple!

Day 6 - LOAD 211

Day 6 - LOAD 211
Originally uploaded by Miss_Niki

I do not know how today got completely away from me but it did and this simple layout was all I could complete. It goes with yesterday's layout so I am happy with that. Tha is one thing I really like about LOAD....it forces you to truly finish the layout....right down to the last dot on the "i" and cross of the "t"! Looking for to tomorrow!

Day 5 - LOAD 211

Day 5 - LOAD 211
Originally uploaded by Miss_Niki

Squeeezed this one in at the end of a busy day! Thankfully I had a 'game plan" before we left the house this morning and I had a strategy for scoring before midnight! I made it with only 4 minutes to go in the "game" (day)! Woohoo!

Day 4 - LOAD 211

Day 4 - LOAD 211
Originally uploaded by Miss_Niki

Sometimes things don't come together as quickly as one would hope! But done is DONE! Not sure how I will squeeze in time for a layout tomorrow but I'm going to try! See you then!

Day 3 - LOAD 211

Day 3 - LOAD 211
Originally uploaded by Miss_Niki

I had this idea to make Valentine's for the kids this year but forgot about it! Funny how that happens! Anyway, when I read Lain's prompt this morning...I remembered my valentine idea. School was the topic I associated with glue so here it is! Very early "Pebbles" days but I like it!

Day 2 - LOAD 211

Day 2 - LOAD 211
Originally uploaded by Miss_Niki

eBay inspiration result! You like?

Day 2 - Inspiration at eBay

When I went to eBay and typed my name in the search bar I found oodles of formal dresses. (Whenever I do something like this the computer always states, "did you mean Nike"? This is the one I chose for my inspiration for the day! Gorgeous, isn't it?

I had fun typing in others names:
Melissa was about shoes.
Tanner was about books.
Tara was about technology.
Courtney was about dolls.
Jon was about boats.
Amanda was about Kidrobots.

Day 1-LOAD 211

Day 1-LOAD 211
Originally uploaded by Miss_Niki

Here we go...creating a layout a day through the month of February.

My inspiration was the photo of T. = JOY!

My layout inspiration was from www.nicholmagouirk.typepad.com

LOAD 211 Blog Hop!

It's time again! Yea! I enjoy LOAD more each time and I think the reason is that it has truly become FUN! The first one and one somewhere in the middle were really stressful for me. But thanks to Lain and a great group of LOAD followers, I have learned to let go of the pressure. It doesn't matter if you complete 1, 5 or 28 layouts, what matters is that you got something done and that is certainly more than I would have done without LOAD!

How do I prepare for LOAD?

Prepare. That is the key! The LOADs that I found stressful were for two reasons:
1. I was not prepared.
2. I forced layouts. I have learned that if something is not coming tobether fairly quickly within 20 minutes...STOP! Go to Plan B. (be prepared!) Choose a different topic and a new set of photos. Get a fresh outlook!

Preparing looks like this for me:
a) Focus. I choose a theme or album to focus on. This eliminates 100s of possibilities. I will probably bird walk due to a daily prompt but may also use it on an already planned layout. (Themes might be portraits, posed pictures such as sports team photos or dance, etc. An album might be a trip to Disney, Halloween or your December Daily.)

b) Organize. Gather your photos, papers, ephemera, embellishments and inspiration in the next couple of weeks. Place them together in ziploc bags, scrapbook totes, files or page protectors. It's like making a kit ahead of time and putting it together one the given day. This is the same thing I try to do to prepare for a crop. This way when you have a large chunk of time set aside, scrapper's block will not set in!

c) Inspiration. That is the theme of LOAD so I will be looking at what I have already gathered. Looking in my tumblr account, LOAD faves. in Flickr and in my notebook of printed layouts / magazine pages for ideas. I will then take these ideas and place them with the photos in the page protector.

I can't wait to see what Lain has in store for us! She is so inspiring!

2010 Dec. Daily - Day 2

Day 2.

2010 Dec. Daily - Day 1

Finally! I was able to get started with my Dec. Daily album. I am using a Fancy Pants album so keeping the pages organized ... left page, right page is challenging!

So, you want to make a December Daily album....

but can't!

I tried three times to get started and just couldn't get going. I had photos printed, papers selected, embellishments located, inspiration bookmarked and printed but kept getting stuck. I finally figured out what was stopping me....it was the whole left/page right page concept due to the shape of my pages! It made a difference. I needed to know which side the holes would be punched on. So what I did was to create an outline of what photos I decided to include, the story I wanted to tell, the ephemera I wanted to include and general things I did not want to forget. Here's page one of my outline. It took about two hours to create the whole outline but it's been worth it. Pages will be posted soon!

December Daily - Day 25

Santa was here.

Merry Christmas!!!

December Daily - Day 24

Christmas Eve.

Attending candle light service at 7 p.m.

Sisters ready to go.
Girls ready to go.

Can you guess who does not want to go?

The boys ready to go?!