Wednesday, February 29, 2012

LOAD29

LOAD29 by Miss_Niki
LOAD29, a photo by Miss_Niki on Flickr.

That's it! 29 days have come and gone. This time was by far the easiest LOAD yet. I believe that the reason Lain E. created this challenge has really sunk in for me...yes, you can let go of the pressure that it has to be perfect and all matchy-matchy. You can create a layout a day and do it quickly; most were created start to finish in less than an hour. I was happy with most of the layouts I created....but this one, well, the letters will have to go! Not sure what I will replace them with...definately something. The colors and the photos are just too perfect to be paired with those letter stickers. So, I will need to complete another LOAD in the near future...it seems that I'm not quite cured yet...perfectionism wins tonight.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

LOAD28

LOAD28 by Miss_Niki
LOAD28, a photo by Miss_Niki on Flickr.

The Joy of Love album is filling up! This is page 16: Together. This photo was taken at Jon's 20th Class Reunion!

I realized tonight that my last three layouts have been on backgrounds of different colors. I've branched out...not my usual kraft, black, red or white. Look at me go!

One more day of LOAD for February 2012. So sad that it is over...but never fear, we are scrappin' this weekend! Yay us!

Monday, February 27, 2012

LOAD27

LOAD27 by Miss_Niki
LOAD27, a photo by Miss_Niki on Flickr.

If I had created yesterday's layout and this one together I'm not sure this would have been the end result. I don't really think they flow together well but in the end it's done! I was shocked that I found this photo and above that, it was printed! Wow!

Maybe tomorrow I will create a page about her 12th birthday. I seem to be on a roll! Not so long ago (October, I think) I created her 10th birthday pages. She's 16 now....so let's see, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, oh my!

Sunday, February 26, 2012

LOAD26

LOAD26 by Miss_Niki
LOAD26, a photo by Miss_Niki on Flickr.

For several years I have planned to create this layout for which there are no photos of the birthday girl! The reason there are no photos of the birthday girl is because her dad took her and two friends to Kearney to shop for her birthday....but it was three weeks after her actual day that they were finally able to coordinate it! Then for a looooong time, I could not locate the envelope of receipts and needed to remember to take a camera to "fake" the mall photos later. Finally this half is done, other half will be the actual day with photos of the birthday girl! This was her 11th birthday....5 years ago this month! BAD, bad mom!!

Saturday, February 25, 2012

LOAD25

LOAD25 by Miss_Niki
LOAD25, a photo by Miss_Niki on Flickr.

Keeping on with the Joy of Love album in 8x8 size. I think I have completed 8 pages in this 28 page album to date. I have ideas for most of the prompts and am pondering 3 or 4 yet. Enjoy!

Friday, February 24, 2012

LOAD24

LOAD24 by Miss_Niki
LOAD24, a photo by Miss_Niki on Flickr.

Super, super quick tonight....thankfully I knew what photo I wanted to use and knew where the photo was at! Done. Start to finish in 15 minutes!
Glad this work week is done.
Off to bed for Me!

Thursday, February 23, 2012

LOAD23

LOAD23 by Miss_Niki
LOAD23, a photo by Miss_Niki on Flickr.

Another quick one this evening! Adding this one to A's Christmas ornament album.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

LOAD22

Basketball 2011.

I created the right half for my layout today. I had created the left half a few weeks ago.

LOAD21

LOAD21 by Miss_Niki
LOAD21, a photo by Miss_Niki on Flickr.

Making plans...no house number yet but there is a road that because a trail running through the pasture; and nearby just past the yucca plants but before the plum thicket ... you will find us...someday!

Monday, February 20, 2012

LOAD20

LOAD20 by Miss_Niki
LOAD20, a photo by Miss_Niki on Flickr.

The prompt was Fashion Plate today and I was planning a page for my Joy of Love album. It was fit nicely in the "What They Wear" page protector. I hope to add a page beside it with more tags and labels from their purchases! I need to collect a few to do this!

Sunday, February 19, 2012

LOAD19

LOAD19 by Miss_Niki
LOAD19, a photo by Miss_Niki on Flickr.

Thanks to Sarah de Guzman for the inspiration for this layout (found in Scrapbook Trends magazine.) She used a sketch from www.sketchythursdays.blogspot.com

Saturday, February 18, 2012

LOAD18

LOAD18 by Miss_Niki
LOAD18, a photo by Miss_Niki on Flickr.

C's 15th Birthday.

Friday, February 17, 2012

LOAD17

LOAD17 by Miss_Niki
LOAD17, a photo by Miss_Niki on Flickr.

I took this photo with my new 50mm lens (a Christmas gift). Wow! Do I LOVE it!


It seems like a tradition now to create at least one page for the Christmas ornament albums during LOAD. I think that's because they are quick pages requiring little journaling and few embellishments. Not room for much on a 5.5" x 7.5" layout.

T's 2011 page...game over!!

Thursday, February 16, 2012

LOAD16

LOAD16 by Miss_Niki
LOAD16, a photo by Miss_Niki on Flickr.

Absolutely no time tonight for anything. Good thing I had this idea tumbling around in my brain and a sketch on a Post-It Note! Came together super quick!! Good Night!!

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

LOAD15

LOAD15 by Miss_Niki
LOAD15, a photo by Miss_Niki on Flickr.

Today's prompt was about Songs of Days Gone By. These days have definately gone by...her first MP3 player (2008)...now a total dinosaur! She wore a couple of them out before graduating to an iPod last spring (2011). I miss the teeny-bopper Disney music happy-go-lucky lyrics! Not so crazy about the stuff they choose to listen to these days!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

LOAD14

LOAD14 by Miss_Niki
LOAD14, a photo by Miss_Niki on Flickr.

Orchestra again. It's a tradition that these three girls take their picture together after each performance.

Monday, February 13, 2012

LOAD13

LOAD13 by Miss_Niki
LOAD13, a photo by Miss_Niki on Flickr.

Finally done! Years in the making literally. I picked up the rest of the photos today @ Walgreen's.

I installed Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 this evening...let the re-learning begin. I had been using PSE 4.0 for several years and knew my way around fairly well but I tried the PSE 9.0 trial this past fall and love it ... so here I am embracing #10!!

Sunday, February 12, 2012

LOAD12

LOAD13 by Miss_Niki
LOAD13, a photo by Miss_Niki on Flickr.

Another school layout! Woot, woot! Thanks to Donnajazz at scrapbook.com for the inspiration for this layout! I love her work!

Saturday, February 11, 2012

LOAD11

LOAD11 by Miss_Niki
LOAD11, a photo by Miss_Niki on Flickr.

Here I go again...thinking I need to keep on working on school pages for C's album. She turned 16 yesterday, over half way through her sophomore year. I ordered a blue and a butter colored 12x12 We R Memory Keepers albums today. I thought I'd see if I like them and if so, use them for her middle and high school albums for our school colors.

Friday, February 10, 2012

LOAD10

LOAD10 by Miss_Niki
LOAD10, a photo by Miss_Niki on Flickr.

Inspired to keep working on pages for the Joy of Love album....I've got a long way to go but these little 8x8 pages with only one photo are really quick! I need to find the original creator of this layout...I scraplifted it from scrapbook.com.
A thank you to her will follow tomorrow.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

LOAD9

LOAD9 by Miss_Niki
LOAD9, a photo by Miss_Niki on Flickr.

Day 9. Home Sweet Home.
Today's prompt and the Joy of Love album prompt for page 24 "Where" were the perfect combination for today's page. I am thinking of an entire album about this home...a digital one from Shutterfly. I need to get that started before the next home gets started!

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

LOAD8

LOAD8 by Miss_Niki
LOAD8, a photo by Miss_Niki on Flickr.

Yish!! Not a great photo so late at night! Even though the style of this layout (paper piecing) is very dated I still like it. The title went so well with the story I wanted to tell and the precious few photos I have of the girls in this program. The photos only seven of them were all dark and distant.

This week of scrappin' has got to get better...it's a late one again tonight. Probably shouldn't have taken that nap!

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

LOAD7

LOAD7 by Miss_Niki
LOAD7, a photo by Miss_Niki on Flickr.

Went for easy again tonight as it was a busy one! Tomorrow and Thursday are as well so I'm planning ahead and have already found photos. This is another page for my 8x8 album called the Joy of Love...this one is for the prompt, "the things you love to hate". This is C. There is no changing it. In a weird sort of way I love this about her, but I hate the cluttery mess!

Monday, February 6, 2012

LOAD6

LOAD6 by Miss_Niki
LOAD6, a photo by Miss_Niki on Flickr.

I couldn't get organized enough to get the other photos printed to finish Tanner's Super Bowl layout so I went for something I already had printed. I am slowly working on pages for an album called The Joy of Love. The prompt that inspired this page was "going out". This was the first time Jon and I had gone to a costume party since college. We had a great time!

Sunday, February 5, 2012

LOAD5

LOAD5 by Miss_Niki
LOAD5, a photo by Miss_Niki on Flickr.

Not my best work. I'm hopeful that the right half of the page will pull in all together and I will like it better. I need to print more photos tho because T. used them on his own collage today for a Cub Scout project! I will post a picture of his project tomorrow.

Yesterday was a productive day.

I was able to start and finish another skirt for L. just in time to take to her. Can't wait to see the delight in her eyes. I looked for Minnie Mouse fabric today but decided not to take on more than I already have on my sewing list. I bought fabric to make her a Halloween one too (at Christmas time) and still have fabric to make an apron for me. Ok, I confess I did buy fabric to make two pillows for my hopeful scrap space...stay tuned for photos of those!I'm still learning. This is the second one I've made...both without patterns.

Next time, I'll get it perfect!









Saturday, February 4, 2012

So here's what else I've been up to...

LAUNDRY!!

LOAD4

LOAD4 by Miss_Niki
LOAD4, a photo by Miss_Niki on Flickr.

I went to the paint store today to start to think about colors for rooms in our new home. I want J. to start building the cabinets on the left for me before we even start building the house. I want this because I suspect once the "shed" and house are underway, this project will be last...sadly, not a priority for anyone but me.

Friday, February 3, 2012

LOAD3

LOAD3 by Miss_Niki
LOAD3, a photo by Miss_Niki on Flickr.

Super simple again. Contemplating a left page with a few more skate & maybe even magic photos. T. asked me to take photos of him doing his favorite things the other day for a collage he is making for Cub Scouts. Thank for the inspiration Lain and T!

Thursday, February 2, 2012

LOAD2

LOAD2 by Miss_Niki
LOAD2, a photo by Miss_Niki on Flickr.

Day 2 of 29 down. The prompt was so helpful and super easy! Thanks Lain!
I have to confess that I spent way too much time hunting for the "perfect" piece of floral paper with just the right amount of red. The first one was too red, the second one not red enough and the third one...lost! It took me a long time to find this piece but I did!

Another tip...

Here's another tip for including those photos that you find later and a way to include the missing pieces that were forgotten the first time around. Thank you to Ali Edwards for introducing this concept to me! It really has taken the pressure off as I am working on the Library of School Memories. I no longer get tripped up by looking for something or spending too much time on a layout because I have a feeling I've forgotten something. Thank you Ali!

I have been using these 6x12 page protectors by American Crafts. It's true they do not match the Pebbles in My Pocket protectors that I use, or the We R Memory Keeper ones or the Close to My Heart matte finish 12x12 ones (love these) but who cares! The important thing is to get it all together!
This 6x12 page protector is filled with 6 additional "outtake" photos!
It is inserted in between the two 12x12 pages below. It works fabulously!

Try it! You might like it!

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

LOAD1

LOAD1 by Miss_Niki
LOAD1, a photo by Miss_Niki on Flickr.

I loved the prompt today at LOAD but just didn't have the photos for what I was inspired to do. So, I'll be taking the photos tomorrow and creating a layout to match!
Anyway, I struggled this evening...on Day 1 because my crazy scanner is acting up already! Usually it waits til at least half way through LOAD. No time to diagnose, I just took a photo, editted it in PSE and uploaded...tada!!

I think I'm in love...

I have been attempting to keep my oldest daughter's Library of School Memories somewhat update. She is a sophomore. This worries me. I have much to do and organize in order for this album to be complete for graduation display. So I have been scrapping the stuff that is printed, easy to find and organized. I will have to spend many hours digging deep to gather all the missing pieces. The lesson here is NOT to let this happen to the next two children. I have been scrapping some of their school events along the way as well.

Anyway, the purpose of this post is to tell you about my new found love. As I am gathering and scrapping these school memories, I have found that I love using the We R Memory Keepers page protectors for a couple of reasons.

1. It's fast.
2. It's a great way to display lots of photos (dare I say, of the ones I really don't want to scrap but think should be included)

3. It's so flexible. If I find something I want to add later I can.


The big finale' will be trying to figure out what fits into the backside of these protectors. Most of the events I have worked to organize using what I can "bookends". So there is a 12x12 layout on the left and We R Memory Keepers page on the right...turn the page...the same We R Memory Keepers page now becomes the left page and on the right side is another 12x12 layout. So far so good!


Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Remember this? Of course, NOT!

I barely remember it! I have been working on this album on and off for a year now. But last weekend I made good progress because I worked on it all day Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. I even used supplies I already had and can say that I only purchased one piece of paper for the pages I made that day! Wow! I need a front cover and a back cover, a few more photos and stories and it will be complete...into the Friday's Finish Line pile!

Here's a peek at a few of my favorite pages:
My favorites are the small sizes that were inserted in between pages...they were fun and really seem to tie it all together. I will post more as I finish them.

Any cover ideas?

Monday, January 30, 2012

Sports Addict?

I had many sports photos gathered and decided that Saturday was the day to tackle them...not difficult to scrap but not really very exciting either. However, I had a productive day. I had taken a couple of previous complete sports layouts with me to use as samples....not much you can do with the same sets 1 horizonal 5x7 and 1 vertical 4x6. The previously completed layouts were ones I liked ... alot so why reinvent the wheel? It's a different kid and different sports, they won't be together in an album, maybe not even the same kid's album ... so why not? I was able to get a "start" on 9 pages or 6 layouts~ now they go into the Friday's Finish Line pile! ha!

Here's a sneak peek:
2 baseball, 2 volleyball, 1 basketball and 1 soccer!

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Friday's Finish Line Jan. 27th

I didn't quite get this one finished by Friday, but by Saturday noon, so that's close! I had started this one at a crop the weekend before so the idea was all there but not stuck down. Added a few facts and precious few embellishments and done!


Friday, January 20, 2012

Friday's Finish Line

After LOAD in May of 2011, I wanted to set small goals to finish layouts and get them put away. I started a Flickr group called Finish It by Friday. My goal this week is to add dates to three layouts and get them put in albums. I added the who, what and when to this one! The left page is a collage of six more photos of the event, nothing fancy and contains many other children so I decided not to include it in the post.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

School's in Session

Field Trip.
4th Grade. Lots more photos can be found in We R Memory Keepers page protectors. Orchestra.
Freshmen. Lots more photos again in those famed page protectors. She and two friends have a tradition of taking photos together after each concert...they are beginning to all look the same!



Middle School.

8th Grade. Door decorating contest for the Christmas holiday. They had fun!







Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Sports Fans

Up close...more layouts from the October crop at Maggie's.

Golf.
A nice start to this layout but it needs to pack a little more punch so I will have to hunt for some embellishments before putting this one in an album. Ribbons? buttons? Soccer.

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night...and we still will play! Thankfully this day wasn't too bad, duh! or I would have left the camera at home! Short sleeves and shorts actually without stocking hats, gloves and coats!


Tomorrow's forecast...school's in session.