Today's post was completely inspired (and encouraged) by my friend and fellow demonstrator, Holly Krautkremer.  She makes scrapbooking look so fun and easy!

I am in the process of working on a scrapbook of my beloved pup, Kayla, who passed away from cancer a few months ago.  Armed with a scrapbooking magazine and a cup of coffee, I came across a sketch that really appealed to me.  So, I went to work to create a 12x12 page that showcased the beautiful, brown eyes that always melted my heart. 

The sketch is simple, but allows my sweet girl to be the focus of the page. The fun colors and patterns in the Sunshine and Sprinkles designer series paper (#126922) pops off of the white background.  I added a few flowers created with the Big Shot and the Blossom Party Original die (#115971) for some dimension.  And that was it.  Simple. Easy. Stress free. 

Does this sketch look familiar?  If you saw yesterday's post you might see the resemblance.  Take a look at the side-by-side comparison:

Same sketch! I actually made the scrapbook page first.  It didn't take long before I realized what a great card layout it would make too.  I was really surprised how quickly both of them came together. 

I know so many card makers that are intimidated by scrapbooking.  I was one of them!

Keep it simple. Don't stress out over a layout or sketch or the amount of embellishments you have.  As my friend, Holly, says, "Just have fun!"

 Enjoy what is left of your weekend.  Make some time to create something memorable!

I meant to post these last weekend, but I needed to make a few revisions before sending them off in the mail.  As I mentioned in this post, these pages will be part of a scrapbook that will be presented to my niece for her wedding. My hope is these will not only be a source of reference (with the family tree information) but enjoyment too. 

The pages above were the only "masculine" pages I did.  It showcases my grandfather and great grandfather.  I kept the colors dark, but accented the pages with Baja Breeze seam binding for a splash of color. Other accents include Chocolate Chip 5/8" grosgrain ribbon and metal embellishments from the Hodgepodge Hardware sets. The seam binding was tied around three pewter jumbo eyelets which helped emphasize the masculine feel of the pages. The name title was created with the Sizzix Big Shot and the Stampin' Up! Serif Essentials Alphabet dies.

Contrary to the pages above, the next two pages were made to be feminine.  These pages showcase my grandmother and great grandmother.

Again, I used the Sizzix Big Shot to help accent the pages. The Timeless Type Alphabet was the perfect size for the surnames.  The names and accents were made with Rose Red card stock and then embellished with mini pearls.  Hodgepodge Hardware was also used on these pages to identify the subjects in the photos.

Thanks for letting me share a bit of my history! 

Stop back on Tuesday when I will share an excellent article about creating a focal point on your projects. 

My niece is getting married in May and I have the privilege and honor of contributing to a scrapbook that her Maid of Honor is putting together (Hi Boots!).  The MoH asked for contributions from various women in my niece's life and what we submitted was completely up to us. Since I am the keeper of the family history and an active member on Ancestry.com I decided to assemble a few pages of her/our family history. 

I was able to print the family trees on card stock and on each page placed photos of the people within that tree.  Thanks to my father who kept a large album of photos from his mom, I have some fabulous photos going back nearly 90 years, or maybe more. My sister-in-law was also able to provide some photos of her side of the family too.  Below is the 2-page layout I made for her family. 

 
While the family tree and the pictures are the real "story tellers" I had so much fun using the Big Shot and some of my Stampin' Up! Sizzix dies to accent these pages. I used two Sizzix alphabets: The large letters are the Serif Essential dies and the smaller alphabet is the Timeless Type dies, both of which are available on pages 207 and 212 of the current Stampin' Up Idea Book and Catalog.  However, if you look close, you will see my absolute favorite accent on these page...the flower!  This is a new Sizzix die for the Big Shot called Fun Flower and is in Stampin' Up!'s Occasions Mini Catalog (page 39). Take a closer look:

Isn't it fabulous? I like how the flowers aren't "matchy-matchy" yet they nest together so beautifully. Love it!

Come back over the weekend and I will show you a few more of the pages I've completed.

Have a GREAT Friday!