Scrapbook Mythbusters Pre-LOAD214 Blog Hop

Welcome to the Layout a Day Scrapbook Mythbusters Blog Hop. If this is you first stop along the way, you may want to head over to Kelli's blog so you don't miss any of the pre-LOAD tips.You should have arrived here from Kim's blog.

It's that time of year again! February is fast approaching, which means many of us are getting ready for LOAD 214. What is LOAD 214, you ask. Load stands for Layout a Day. These events occur a few times each year. February being one of those months. Hence the 2. The fourteen simply represents the year. Each time, a different theme is chosen and we strive to create a layout each and every day. This layout needs to be submitted by the stroke of midnight.

Some of you are now a bit intimidated by the thought of creating a layout each and every day. At one point in time, I myself was. I am now a veteran of the process and can proudly say I have completed 2 full LOAD challenges. I have written before about what Layout a Day really has meant for my process. I have a few kits prepped and will be, in a large part, working to use up my current and past JBS Mercantile kits. I'm ready to choose products on a dime and finish pages in under 30 minutes. Yes, that's right...30 minutes.

Most days I allot about an hour to a LOAD layout. Some days I have extra time, however, many days I also need to work on pages for creative team assignments. I have to homeschool my son, keep house, and I still want to spend time with my family. This means I have learned just how much time I have to dedicate to LOAD. What does this mean?

1. I have to understand that not every layout I make during LOAD will be super awesome. That's not to say it isn't a good layout. It just means that I need to give myself a little leeway in regards to perfection and must accept the layout as is when the timer goes off. I can always tweak it a bit later.

2. I accept what products I have at the ready and use them on the layout. No shuffling through items. No thinking about whether or not this paper or that embellishment might be better than what I am holding.

3. Nix the fancy techniques. I don't plan on doing things like handstitching or using art supplies that have a long drying time.

4. I like to have some photos ready, but should the photos I  have on hand not fit the days prompt, I am more than willing to explore my computer files. I just make sure to set a time limit on the search. The first photo to catch my eye and make me feel like it can work with the prompt is the right photo for that moment.

Sometimes, all the planning in the world doesn't work out the way you expect it. There are nights when I find myself creating the layout while watching the clock tick towards midnight. Luckily, I have found a few spots in my scrap space where I can take late night photos. The lighting is adequate. I let go of the fact that they will be less than perfect pictures of the layout. You can take a better picture in the morning for you blog. Meanwhile, make sure your camera has fresh batteries.

Most importantly of all, Layout a Day is about having fun. If you would like to join in, there is still time.
Click here to view more details

Now it's time to hop on! Your next stop is Lisa. 
Just for reference, here is a list of all the Pre-Load Blog Hop Participants:
Kelli www.useitscrapbooking.com/
Dani scrapperonthestreet.com
Valerie myrainbowcoalition.blogspot.com/
Karen www.photoskeptalive.com/
Danielle ecoscrapbook.blogspot.com/
Connie clickychickcreates.com/
Sherrie littlebitofeverythingme.blogspot.com
Cara www.vincens.typepad.com/
Heather noexcusescrapbooking.com/
Kim sweetscrappinggma.blogspot.de
You are here-> Christy myscrapbookevolution.blogspot.com/
Lisa E lisae-design.blogspot.com/
Lisa H lisahausmann.blogspot.com

Additional Resources

my past LOAD Experiences
Sketches for quick layout ideas

This is a free tool which enables you to quickly outline a story for your photos. It can be used on-line or printed for reference.

LOAD in Vogue Blog Hop

Welcome to the LOAD in Vogue Blog Hop! You should have arrived here from Lynette's blog. She is the first stop on this hop and you sure don't want to miss here post! If you have never heard of LOAD, it stands for Layout a Day. Several times a year, a bunch of us get together for a challenge in which we do our best to create one layout every single day. This month, we'll be playing along at Scraphappy.org. You must be a member of Scraphappy to play along. If you aren't a member, no worries. There is plenty of time to head over and join.

One of the benefits of being a member of Scraphappy is that you get to participate in every LOAD challenge for free. Usually, Lain Ehmann heads up the scrappy hijinx. During October, the members of the Scraphappy family give her a break. Lynette is just one of the fabulous ladies who step up to get the challenge organized. I say Scraphappy family because many of us have formed friendships. We all share a love of scrapbooking and we're just crazy enough to want to scrapbook almost all of the time.






Layout a Day is a series of prompts which are designed to take you deeper into your own process while also stepping outside your comfort zone. Several years back,I would have complained about being a slow scrapper. LOAD taught me how to make more decisive product and design choices which also led me to scrap faster. I have participated in LOAD for about 2 years now. Of the many challenges I have participated in, I have completed two.

While the point of the challenge is to create a lot of layouts and have fun, the biggest thing you need to remember is how this particular challenge really forces you to focus on what's important. The story becomes the main focus of your creative process because you can not stop to worry about whether or not there might be another perfect paper in your supplies. You learn to use what you have close at hand and to really make those products support the story. In short, LOAD is a great stash buster.






It does help to be prepared before you set out to create a layout a day. I like to make sure I have plenty of adhesive and cardstock in basic colors. I keep several kits close by and often have a set of photos ready to go. This month, I will be using up current and past JBS Mercantile kits. Having a set of papers and embellishments that match make LOAD less stressful. Knowing the theme may also help you gear your kits to match. Some LOAD's have focused on journaling style prompts. October's them is Vogue. To me, this means the prompts may be very visual in nature. I plan to kit some of the current trendy items to use on my layouts.

Don't let the challenges stress you out. It's easy for me to say that as a veteran. I can remember how much I would worry about getting a page done every day. Once I realized that this challenge is a creative learning exercise, I was really able to focus on learning more about my own process. Do your best to get a layout done every day. If you don't finish one, think about what held you back. Did you take too long to select supplies or photos? Do you need a go to design to use for quick layouts? Knowing the answers will help you become a more confident memory keeper.





I know you may have heard some of this advice before. If you still think you are a slow scrapbooker, the advice might not quite have clicked. LOAD is really the perfect place to have that eureka moment. Trust me when I say that participating in these challenges will really help your process out. Plus, you have the added bonus of meeting some truly wonderful people. I hope you will join me over at  Scraphappy!

It's time for you to hop on to Heather.  Just for reference, here is a list of all the participating hop members.

Lynnette http://sassyscrapper2010.blogspot.com/
Christy http://myscrapbookevolution.blogspot.com/
Heather http://noexcusescrapbooking.com/
Lisa http://lisahausmann.blogspot.com/
Cathy pikespeakscrapper.blogspot.com/
Dani http://scrapperonthestreet.com/
Nolwenn http://creationspapier.com/
Kelli http://scrapbookgirl71.com/
Theresa http://scrapsbygracie.blogspot.com/
Leslie http://lcsmithsaved-...e.blogspot.com/

Related articles

• Collect and Use Scrapbooking Inspiration with a Reference Template
• Prompts, Sketches and Templates for Scrapbooking the Month of September
• Quick Pages with 4x6 Photos
• Scrapbook Coach: In A Block
• Sian Fair Makes Scrapbook Layouts with Charming Details | Motivated to Scrapbook Series

LOAD512 progress report

It's official. I'm out. My streak ended on Monday. I am not mad or upset though. It came down to a decision to make my LOAD page or spend time with my husband. Time with him wins, always. I then spent the day on Tuesday with my son. I may not have scrapped on either of those days, but I did give my camera a workout. Since then, my creative endeavors have been involved in photo editing and printing. Just that alone is enough to make me excited to scrap some more. I have some cool photos of my son as we explored a small local cave. Some fruit bats also star in some of these photos. I must say that it's one thing to see an animal in the zoo and quite another to see them in their natural habitat. It's so awesome to see a creature as they were meant to live. I think my son was moved in the same way I was.

As far as LOAD goes...it's much more than the number of pages you create. When I started participating in the layout a day experience over a year ago, I did focus on the number of pages. Frankly, that often stressed me out. Somewhere along the line,my experience with Layout a day changed. It has become a way to peek into my creative methods. I experiment. For a little while, I stop worrying about taking the perfect photo of the layout itself. I concentrate on what I do and how I do things. Some of the pages are wonderful. I am now plan to go back with the intent of getting a more crisp photo of those pages. Doing so inspires me to continue onward.I am a little worn down, as far as making pages, but I feel the creative spark there. Figuratively, I may have banked the fire, but I can add more kindling any time I am ready. That's the wonderful thing about LOAD. I can take what I learned about myself and then use it to move forward.

So you may wonder why I keep track of the layouts I have made in the sidebar of my blog. It's not for bragging rights, I assure you. Last year, I tracked the number of pages made for a competition on Club Ck. I realized that just knowing how many pages I make is gratifying. It seems to help me feel like I am not behind in my scrapbooking. I have so many photos to document that at times it can become overwhelming. It's easy to look at the glass as half empty. Looking at the number of pages I have made helps me see things as half full. Sometimes, I forget to update the number on the sidebar. That's ok. Again, it's not about how much you were able to create, but rather, just knowing you have created.

LOAD512 progress report

I know I said I would check in after the weekend. Here it is, Friday already. It may seem as though my week went fast. In reality is felt slow but busy.  As far as how last weekend went, we beat Diablo 3. We had a great time but all of us lamented upon how short the game was. I did manage to keep up with the LOAD prompts. I am still keeping up in general, though I must admit that I am tiring out a little. Part of that may be how the week went. Nothing bad happened. We took our car in to get bodywork done. It's now repaired. I had the usual housework to do ( which I LOATHE). I worked on assignments for SNR mag.My son finished off last year's homeschool curriculum. This was really the big event of this week. He has been working so hard. Both of us are a bit mentally exhausted. So, I declared we should take a little break before summer term sets in. We homeschool year round and allow for flexible breaks as needed.

What I am now looking forward to is a nice long weekend with my husband. He has a three day weekend. It's still raining here. It has been steadily for days. So more than likely, we will watch a movie or two, play games and I will scrapbook. Sounds delightful to me!

Now I will share a LOAD page with you before I go bake some blueberry bread with my son.

Not every page you make during Load is stunning. Many are quick, but fun. That was the case with this page. This was based from a sketch we were given and it came together pretty quickly for me.

Patterned paper: Basic grey, Fancy pants and Crate paper
twine: twinery; chipboard: Crate Paper
other: cork, sequins, tickets

Part of the speed of making the page came from the pre-made kit. The paper had been grouped together in a game themed kit with a few matching embellishments. I was then able to add quick touches like the cork and twine. All of which supported the theme of my son shooting cork guns at the Easter fair. The cork letters were simple to make. I have thin sheets of cork which I got from an office supply store. I did hand draw the lettering, but you could easily use a stencil. The cork is thin enough that I was able to cut it with scissors.

The moral of this LOAD page...making pre-made kits is not a bad thing. I store much of my paper this way. It allows me to choose items quickly and get down to the business of making pages. Consider making some of your own kits this weekend and see how far they take you!


BTW,If you haven't had a chance to check it out, the latest volume of Scrapbook News and Review magazine is available. My first ever article is inside along with some wonderful pages from yours truly and fellow staffers. I saw some great tutorials to try my hand at, some of which include  mixed media techniques I hope to adapt to my pages. Stay tuned to see what unfolds on that front.

Load 512 Progress report

It's Friday! For the past few years, Friday has been my favorite part of the week. It means that when my husband comes home from work, there is nothing to do except for enjoying time as a family, scrapbooking and playing video games. This weekend is going to prove a bit challenging for me in regards to LOAD. Diablo 3 came out this week. I have been able to complete my pages in the early mornings, but now, with the weekend, Hubby is going to expect that I play this game with him. Quite honestly, I do want to play. Even my son can play with us. With rain in the forecast for the whole weekend, what better way to spend the weekend. The problem being, that hubby and I will most likely be playing the game pretty much non-stop. I know that sounds excessive, but you have to understand that this game has literally been a decade in the making. For fans like us, the Diable 3 release is EPIC. I guess I will be scrapping during the game's load time sequences. LOL It takes a long time to finish a page that way. However, you'd be surprised how doing a little thing here or there adds up to make a whole page. Last night, I stitched on an LO every time the game had to stop and load. Consequently, I have a page pretty much complete this morning.

As for the page I am sharing with you today, I must confess that part of it was made before hand. I started making base pages earlier on in the year. It's sort of a creative jump start for me. I play around with stamps, paints or found items in the house to see what effects I can get on paper. In the case of this layout, I had stamped with the bottom of a yogurt cup and some yellow acrylic paint.

Cardstock: Colorbok; Patterned Paper: American Crafts; Alphas: Sassafrass; Other: Buttons and ribbon

The daily prompt had been to use something from the trash. Since I had made this page a little while back,  and with the use of a yogurt cup rescued from the trash, it certainly fit the bill.

      It's a page made in under 30 minutes with a minimal use of supplies. Quick pages like these are another great way to jump start your creativity. I suggest choosing photos that don't have a great significance. You would not want to do a 30 minutes page of your wedding day( or maybe you would, but not me, I want it detailed and extravagant). These quick pages are also a wonderful way to use up scraps or spare supplies laying around on your desk.

I had taken these photos of my cat laying on my desk when I was practicing with my camera. Yep, you guessed it...another creative jump start for me. I am not a great photographer. So I like to practice and try things out with my camera settings. I end up with sets of photos like these that don't have a specific story to them. In this case, I did journal about practicing with my camera. However, you could easily use photos like these to tell a story about the subjects personality or to document a story for which you do not have any photos.

Ok, so now I am off to make my LOAD page for today. Ideas are already brewing in my head. I'll check back with more LOAD progress after the weekend. let's see of I can play my game and make my pages. Only time will tell!

Experimenting with Distress Ink

Disclaimer: Yes, I know it's another pet page. I made it for LOAD. Today's prompt was to scrap about a conflict. So I scrapped about whether I was a cat or a dog person. I do love both. Lately though, the difficulties of caring for a VERY senior dog have left me loving the ease of caring for a cat. Both types of animals are great, but for a long time, I thought I would never have a cat. I had been told I was allergic. I am, in truth, slightly allergic to them. However, I REALLY like having cats. A few years ago, we rescued some kittens which I hand raised. Sweetpea is one of those pictured in the page below. We thought at first we would care for them and then give them to good homes. Happily, caring for those little fur babies allowed me to realize my allergies were not all that intense. Now our home is populated with 2 cats and 1 dog.

  This page was quite the experiment for me. I have a few of the Tim Holtz distress inks but really had not delved into using them. I saw a video over at Scrapbook News and Review magazines forum which inspired me to try using them with stamps and misted water. I also decided to pull out a stamp which I had hand carved about a month or so ago. My original intent was to stamp just a little. I ended up covering the whole page. I confess. I was having quite a fun time with the stamps and inks.

Which leads to me the page itself ( Pardon the photo.It's late here). It kind of reminds me of those times you go to the hairdresser wanting something different. It takes you a while to get used to your new haircut.Well, I'm still getting used to this page. I based my design on Paula Gilarde's Ad Inspiration challenge. I liked the grid design that challenge #49 provided. Grids are often  difficult for me since I can rarely measure anything straight( despite quite a lot of tools designed for that purpose). I felt that adding the artsy water color stamp effect might be a nice way for me to keep crooked lines a little less noticeable. Initially, I used a brown marker to make the grid lines. It was too bright, so I diffused it with some white acrylic paint.

Cardstock and alphas: Colorbok; background stamp: hand carved by me;
pet stamps: Basic Grey; ink: ranger; Jewel: Making memories;
 brads: Basic grey and Karen Foster; other: acrylic paint, google eyes

The stamped background added a bit of difficulty in finding the right embellishments for the page. I solved the problem by stamping a cat and dog directly onto the layout. I then used pen to outline the images and added small embellishments like brads, jewels and google eyes. Now my flat stamps had a little more character. I stamped a subtle border of circles with white acrylic paint. I then added some small punched circles to the border. The punched circles are simply made with  ink on photo paper scraps.
   Experimenting like this is not just for fun. It's a way for me to try out something that may become part of my regular arsenal of techniques. I am more likely to use a technique again in the future if I try it out on a page or tag. I don't recommend trying something new out a page with special photos. New techniques, at least for me, are done on pages which, though wonderful to have and part of my story, are not as important as say, wedding photos.
   I am off to submit my page to the Second floor challenge. I've been wanting to try one of these for weeks now. It's a wonderful challenge to try to inspire you to do something new. Check it out at Balzer Designs. If you need a little more inspiration, pop over to Scrapbook News and Review Magazine. Inspiration is posted on the blog weekly.

LOAD 512 progress report and NSD

 Day 11. I am still hanging in there though I have no idea how. People often ask me how I can even think about making a page a day. I really attribute it to time management and a good creative habit. LOAD pages are not always my most detailed pages. The idea is to get the story captured, after all. Sometimes on weekends, I do manage a more detailed page.
 As far as NSD, well, I just did not get a whole lot of time to do the challenges. I made two pages. So not bad, but nowhere near what I was expecting to do. I had no internet on Saturday and a Power Outtage on Sunday. So I had no clue as to what the challenges were. Regardless, at the end of the day, pages were made.
  So I guess now you are wondering exactly what these pages look like....

Die cuts: scenic route, Alphas: Pink Paislee, Echo park and Sizzix
Flock: Hampton Arts; Buttons: Basic Grey
Jewels: Making memories and Prima; arrow: Sizzix
badge: Making memories; ink: SEI and Ranger
stamp: bubble wrap; Mist: Tattered angels and homemade

I made Fluffed and Dangerous for today's LOAD challenge. The idea was to use the sense of touch as inspiration. So I chose to add flocking to the word Fluffed. I also chose spiky elements to add to the theme of dangerous.

Cardstock: Colorbok; Patterned Paper: Basic grey and WE R Memory keepers
Ribbon: Making memories; Alphas: Sassafrass
other: Brads

Getting to know you was a page for LOAD. We were given a sketch and told to alter it.

Cardstock: Colorbok; Patterned paper: Crate paper and American crafts
Flowers: Prima; Brads: making memories
Rub ons: Maya road; Chipboard: Sassafrass
Alphas: Basic grey; Badge: October Afternoon

This was a LOAD page inspired by sound. Around 3 pm we always here our kitten reminding us to feed her.

Cardstock: Colorbok; Patterned paper: My Mind's eye
buttons: Basic grey, twine: twinery
alphas: Paper trunk, Other: Brads, button

This was an NSD page for Big Picture Classes. I love how I made this with a 6x6 paper pad.

I'll have more to share later. I'm off ot create just a little bit more. It's good therapy.

Load 512 progress report

 So far so good. It always seems to start this way. I keep up just fine. This go around, I am really shocked that I have found a way to keep up with the daily prompts. I made it a point to have all of my page calls and assignments done for Scrapbook News and Review magazine.  Working on their staff has been awesome so far. it was a bit harrying at first, as is any job. Now I have a handle on the workload and am just enjoying being a part of the team. What did throw me a monkey wrench was life, as usual.On day one I was dealing with a sewage back up in the house. I haven't been feeling my best. The landlord asked me to show our house( it's for sale.) Little things here and there, but I have still manages to pull out pages.


Day one was to use a self portrait. I really dislike these type of prompts. Then I remembered I had a wedding photo of me prepping for the big day. So the issue of the self portrait became a non-issue. I used Paula Gilarde's ad inspiration challenge and was able to crank out a page with ease.

Cardstock: Bazzill; patterned paper: Basic grey
alphas and Stickers: basic grey, trim: Maya road
stamp: glitz designs with colorbox gold ink
mist: tattered angels, other: pearls, button, DMC floss, tulle

I am not 100% in love with the page. I liked everything until I got a little experimental. I painted the vine design with glimmer mist in the hopes of mimicking a design on the BG paper is was using. I then stamped the frames to use as journal spots. I have received many nice compliments about that portion of the page. I personally feel like it's kind of flat. It's funny how the parts you love are usually a miss but others rave about the parts of the page you think look horrid. LOL.

Day 2: I worked on my project life pages for February. I am no where near finished with those. I will share the full February pages in a later post. I know I am seriously behind with PL. Quite honestly though, it's not worrying me in the least.

day 3: My favorite page so far.  I have these HORRIBLY grainy photos of my new kitten meeting the family dog. Since these photos were a one of kind/ time deal, I am using them. I cleaned them up with photoshop the best I could. I used a stencil to make a custom background. Then I just layered some paint and embellies. The page came together fast. It's a fun page and I adore it!

Patterned paper: Die Cuts with a View
paint: claudine hellmuth; Die cuts: the Girls' paperie and
iloveitall- etsy; Buttons: October afternoon
Stickers: October Afternoon Other: acrylic paint, stencil,
and heart button

For whatever reason, the Beatles song was stuck in my head while I made this page. : You say "goodbye, I say hello..." It's time for me to go make dinner now. Check back with me later for the Mother's day blog hop and more LOAD pages.

Getting Ready for LOAD512, day 2

The big day is tomorrow. So today, as a final step, I have gathered together some 15 minute sketches to use. I got mine as a scraphappy member. Lain has them for us every month. I may not use them during the month they come out, but they sure come in handy for quick pages. I have also gathered together some kits. One will be my JBS mercantile kit so I can play along for a few days with the Donkey Kong game going on over there. I plan to counterfeit a few kits as well. I may or may not use the kits I have put together. Sometimes the prompts call for me to take an audible. The biggest thing at this point that one can do is to just relax and enjoy the whole experience that is Layout a Day. It's not supposed to be stressful, just a fun and fast paced scrapbooking. See you in the morning for the first prompt!

Getting Ready for LOAD 512

  Here it is again. That month where I go a bit crazy trying to make a layout a day. It's called LOAD for short, if you are not familiar with it. I participated in my first Layout a Day in February, 2011. Quite honestly, I have only been successful once in completing the entire challenge. What I learned though, has become quite invaluable. It taught me about how I work, how to work faster and make more confident choices in what I do. Most importantly, I learned how to get over imperfection.
 So how does one get ready for a month long event in which you attempt to make a page a day? First of all, you print a lot of pictures. Since last weekend, I have been editing photos,printing them and then grouping them inside my albums. I group them by how I wish to tell their stories and have them placed into the albums in the order I hope they go when the pages are complete. It's how I always sort my photos. It's a real time saver and it can help me get motivated to scrap. I do have several albums like this already started. All are in various stages of completion. So while I do have my pages organized chronologically, it does not always mean I scrap that way. So when I have an assignment for Scrapbook news and Review Magazine or I participate in something like LOAD, I can just scan through my albums to find the photos that inspire me to work with the prompt at hand.
  I don't know if I will be successful at scrapping a layout every single day for LOAD 512. Only time will tell. I'll do my best to keep you up to date with my LOAD progress. Meanwhile, if you want to join in on the madness and learn a little more about yourself,  head on over to this link to sign up:  http://www.layoutaday.com/load512 . Remember, this isn't about perfect pages. This is about making pages and telling stories. As you do so, you will learn a bit about yourself in the process. I hope to see you there!

Without a Doubt

Without a Doubt...life has been busy. First a hurricane, followed by a move,starting back to homeschooling then a sinus infection coupled with muscle spasms. Despite it all I have had a little time to scrap. So today's post will be short and sweet. I made it for September's Mother LOAD. The prompt was to scrap about an emotion. Going back to the title( which is for the blog post and the page itself)...it's a lyric from Scrappin the Music's current challenge. Without a Doubt, I can always count on my husband to act silly and get my son laughing...so much so, that my son's infectious laughter will get me to laugh. Then, full circle, all of us will be laughing and joining in on the silliness. My husband's since of humour always gets me through everything.
I think this page is a nice way to end the month.

Materials: Echo park For the record
 papers,stickers, borders
Sassafrass flower
Artsylicious brads
Maya Road Sheer Calendar
Basic Grey paper clip
DMC floss
Sketch Support 2 page sketch

Home Economics

  I don't know about you, but I never learned to cook in school. I have heard that some took such classes. Home economics in my school was all about sewing...which I never have done well(except for on a Layout). Anyhow, cooking is and important skill. I learned only a tiny bit from my mother and grandmother. The rest I learned on my own. I am no gourmet chef, but I can feed my family just fine. I didn't want for my son to one day go out in the world without the skills he would need to cook and care for himself. So I set out to make cooking part of our homeschool curriculum. I figure that he's there with me anyhow and I also admit that I really enjoy these moments with him in the kitchen.

Sketchy Thursday 2-17-11 sketch
Scrap Whispers Go Green Recycle challenge-bread tags

  On this particular day, my son had decided he wanted to cook a whole chicken. So we got out some rosemary and other spices and set to work. As you can see, he quite enjoyed the experience. Little Yellow Bicycle's Savor collection was the perfect line for this page. I have been saving bread tags and this was the perfect page to use them on. I added a little pen detail and a recollections sticker, then hung them on some Twinery Pea pod baker's twine. For a fun twist to the title, I substituted the Maya Road house motif for the "o" in the title.

  I chose to use scraps from the first page to create a second layout. Going with today's LOAD211 prompt, I kept it simple with 5 patterned papers, alphabet stickers and journal strips.

I am finding these  LOAD prompts fun and inspiring. It is wonderful to make quick, decisively made pages that I like the overall look of. Almost as wonderful as enjoying a meal I have made with my son.

Finding Inspiration on Ebay

This is my first year participating in LOAD211(aka Layout a Day 2011). The theme this year is to find inspiration. On our challenge for day two, we were asked to go onto eBay and to do a web search for our name(or the name of a loved one). Then choose something on page one that inspired you to make a page.It was something I never thought to try before. I honestly did not expect much to appear with my name in it. However, a variety of novels and DVD's appeared. I settled for the cover of an Agatha Christie DVD. I could envision it as a sketch for some of my photos.

Amer. Crafts Cardstock, Cosmo Cricket Snorkel papers
Colorbok arrow, Basic Grey Brads,
Colorbox Chestnut Roan Ink

It ended up being a simple yet satisfying page. I invite you to try it out if you are missing a little mojo in your life right now. If you do find some mojo and want to share your work, pop on over to Scrap Our Stash. We'd love to post it for Show and Tell Sundays.