The next few days are going to be filled with layouts, layouts, layouts, cause I've been busy!
As I've mentioned before I have committed to this crazy 100 project challenge. Well you never know when it's going to hit you to create. I had quite a few assignments this past weekend so once the stuff was broken out, it was easy.
Saga continuing...I decided to put a huge dent in the laundry since Jim is now working out of town. I had all the piles ready, clothes hung on hangers, just needed to put away.Then I was waiting for SHAW Cable (another awful story) and ran downstairs to put my salon towels away. Being the ultimate multi-tasker (or possibly procrastinator in this case, not sure how to look at it) I decided that everytime I dropped a load of laundry in a room I would spend 5 min tidying that room. Seemed like a good idea since short bursts of cleaning are easier than logged in for a long time. But downstairs I found a box I haven't looked in for awhile. It was full of about 150-200 layouts. They were ones to put away in albums, ones that I had been an attendee for a class, and actual classes I taught or just ones I premake all the time cause I want to use the new paper. Gold mine.
So one thing led to another, I started reminiscing . Soon the nicely folded laundry became ways to separate the kids layouts for their albums. Well let's just say, I became easily distracted and this is what it looked like...
DISASTER!!!!!! But such a colourful disaster. OMG, seriously can I ever make anything easier for myself? Obviously now laundry wasn't getting done till the layouts are put away, I spent hours putting layouts away in albums, then realized I couldn't do anymore cause I am out of page protectors. So I need to buy more. (which I don't feel I will be breaking the rules as this is a necessity)
BUT, the stash of premade layouts, class layouts sat there begging me to complete them. I decided no matter what, they are going to be finished, and I will NOT start a new one till they are done. Well some of these layouts are just plain hideous. Uggh. you are going to laugh!!!! So the challenge to recreate them will be a challenge. Usually I donate all my class samples to be auctioned off for charity events. When I teach 99% of the time I never have photos on my samples unless it has been for publication. I want people to be able to picture their photos in the layout, not mine.
Well 2 nights ago this adventure began, I completed 33 layouts. I have at least that many more to complete. It has been a rush. I will tell you some tricks on how I made this go fast for myself. I LIMITED my choices.
- I only brought up 1 box of photos to select from.
- 1 box of alphabets (this included Thickers, remarks, rub ons)
- my "to go" kit of embellishments. These all fit in a large size ziplock bag. (Kaisercraft pearls, rhinestones, Prima flowers, Chatterbox chipboard, Heidi Swapp stuff, rub ons, stickers, a few glimmer mist colours and a bunch of My Stik refills (there is more, but can't quite remember it all). I will admit that I did go to my room for specific things that I really felt the layout needed and knew I could find them within seconds.
Now the guidelines I set for myself are this:
- None of these are for publication or assignment purposes-no need to reinvent the wheel.
- Don't fuss over it.
- spend a few minutes figuring out which photos will work with the layouts, then pick the embellishments. Once this is done, your assembly time is SOOOO fast.
- Enjoy yourself, this is for your kids, for you, no one is judging, they do not have to be super detailed or complex. Instead I had to goal to "get'er done" What good were they sitting in boxes??? May as well be used.
And I felt that I could use them for Project 100 because I am completing layouts, and that is the goal.
I thought I would show you a few class layouts I completed.
(sorry the crop is so wonky, The pages got a little warped in the box, after a week under the weight of the albums, it should work out nice and flat.)
supplies: My Mind's Eye pp, brads, stickers, die cuts. Bazzill cardstock, Clearsnap Ink, American crafts Memory writer, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L
This class was a blast. I taught it 26 times. The first few were the exact same layout, then I got a little bored and started to make changes. I ended up with an entire album of this colour scheme. I have donated almost all of them now, but I did save a few.
supplie: Kaisercraft pp, pearls, rhinestones, wood flourishes. American Crafts thickers & slick writers, copic markers, Riff Raff Designs, glimmer mist, Bazzill cardstock, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L
This class was fun, I LOVED the colours.
supplies: Graphic 45 pp. Fiskars circle punches, Bazzill cardstock, Kaisercraft rhinestones, American Crafts thickers & slick writers, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L foam squares & Ez runner, Tim Holtz edge distresser
This class was all about white spaces & minimalism. Quick colourblocking and FUN!
supplies: Kaisercraft pp, die cut pp, stamps, ink. Bazzill cardstock, American Crafts Thickers, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L
This one was a bonus layout. If time allows it I always try to surprise the students by doing an extra layout. I LOVE to surprise! Usually my 90-120 min classes are 3 layouts. 1 double page and 1 single. So this one I surprised them with a layout that could turn it into a double page. (Coming up you will see how I did just one side too, because I did teach this class a few times too)
supplies: My Mind's Eye pp, stickers, brads. Bazzill cardstock, Making Memories Slice, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L foam squares & Ez runner. American Crafts thickers. Clearsnap ink.Bo Bunny pp.
Ok, well off to prepare for sports tonight. hope you enjoyed these. I will be back tomorrow with more and a few reminders.
Your layouts are beautiful and I even recognize one of the layouts from a class that I took from you! Woo! But you do so much stuff and I wonder....where do all these layouts go? I'd love to see a picture of all your albums lined up in a row. Maybe that would help me move on with my scrapbooking. I've been in minimalist mode for awhile and refuse to do any papercraft/homedecorating projects because I never know what to do with them afterwards. And now that feeling is starting to overflow into my scrapbooking. Horrible! I want to scrapbook, but I think that I'll never have a space to store my scrapbooks! Ooh, this is starting to sound like a 'dear leica' column. Enough already!!
Posted by: Connie | May 30, 2011 at 12:47 AM
These are awesome!!! I totally understand your `scatter, seek, and attack`strategy... Think I was just purging last weekend and that then turned into 5 bags of donate clothes to hey, lets fill a semi!! lol
I at least know I am not alone! Good luck and Thank you so much for sharing!
Posted by: Linda Shewchuk... | May 27, 2011 at 07:35 PM
I had to laugh reading this... that is so like me.. start one thing, try to fit something else in. "Reward myself" by saying 'for every load of laundry I will scrap one layout'. And so forth. At the end of the day I say "look at how much I got done" and my husband laughs and says "yeah, but did you finish anything?"
That's not the point, is it?
Posted by: Chris Dumont | May 27, 2011 at 02:37 PM