Category Archives: LOAD

Feb1

LOAD Proof

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LOAD Proof

While getting ready to make my page for today’s first prompt for LOAD, I thought it might be useful to talk about what, if any, excuses that might pop up during LOAD, and how to talk yourself out of letting those excuses control how much and what you scrap.

In other words, what’s the process for scrapbooking every day? What kind of self talk goes on? How does a prompt turn into a page? What kind of excuses pop up, and how do you recognize a valid reason vs. a  lazy or fearful excuse?

Let’s see what happens this month, shall we?

2 Wild and Crazy Girls || NoExcuseScrapbooking.comToday’s prompt was to scrap an imperfect photo. Since I’m an imperfect photographer, finding one wasn’t that hard. I flipped through the pile of photos I still need to put away, and pulled imperfect ones, until I can across one from college.

It was exposed during a party, so is partially orange, and is filled with the mess from the dorm I used to share freshman year. (I hereby claim all said mess as my own. My poor roommate!)

Anyhoo…

From the photo, I moved to paper selection, and chose papers that helped illustrate the theme. I thought originally that I was going to do an 8.5×11 page, but then realized I had a lot to say, so went 12×12 so I’d have room for lots of journaling. A simple design (One of my go-to’s. I should do a post about my go-to design structures for you), some journaling, and a few embellishments, and it was done.

Today, I didn’t have any issues to deal with. The only problems I ran into were ones I made for myself. For example, I really want to make a point of using up scraps from my scrap bin this month, but when I first started putting the page together, I was pulling fresh pages from my shelf. So I paused, and took a second look at how the page design was shaping up , and pulled out a few scraps to use as well. The purple and orange are from the scrap bin, the blue and lined paper were full sheets.

And then, because I’m spastic like that, I managed to get stickles all over the place while coloring the grungeboard camera icon up top.

So that’s my quick little page for the day. Did you make a page today?

Jan25

Rocking LOAD (aka LOAD214 bloghop!)

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Rocking LOAD (aka LOAD214 bloghop!)

Welcome blog hoppers! LOAD is almost here! Aren’t you excited? I know I am!

If you’re hopping around on the LOAD blog hop you should have come here from Cara’s blog.

(LOAD, for the uninitiated, is also known as Layout A Day, and is a month long event run by Lain Ehmann, where she challenges you to scrapbook a layout every day for a month. The next one starts February first.)

So many people I know, when I describe LOAD, immediately say “I could never do that,” and quit before they ever start. I’m so happy for those of you who have jumped in and said “I can do LOAD, or at the very least try.”

The thing about LOAD is that success is all about mindset.

There are two ways in which mindset determines how well you succeed at LOAD.

The first mindset is to stop making excuses. If you say you want to scrapbook a page everyday, then the only thing stopping you from doing it is yourself. I know there are things that can get in the way and keep you from completing a challenge like this, but regular everyday life? If you can squeeze in time for a TV show, or visiting with friends on FB, then you can find the time and energy to make a page. So that’s the first way you can change your mindset.

The other way you can change your mindset? Redefine the meaning of success. While the official-unofficial definition of a successful LOAD is completing a layout every day for a month, that doesn’t have to be your definition. Maybe it’s completing 28 layouts at some time during the month. Maybe it’s doing 10 during the month. Maybe it’s continuing to make layouts even after you’ve missed a day or three or ten.

The thing is, you are the only one who can determine if you have been successful. You can join the competitive side, and make yourself make a page every day, whether you’re feeling inspired or not, or you can decide to define your own version of success.

Anyway you do it, at the end of the day you will have rocked LOAD, because you will have gotten up off the couch, walked away from social media, and made SOMETHING. In my book, DOING trumps PLANNING every day of the week.

After all, if I hadn’t done LOAD last February, I wouldn’t have done this page:

my perfect day || no excuse scrapbooking.com

My favorite page from LOAD 2/13

So how are you going to define success for yourself during this LOAD?

Are you ready to hop along to the next blog? Check out Kim’s blog.

The full list of participants in case you want to hop and skip around:

Kelli — Use It Scrapbooking

Dani — Scrapper On The Street

Valerie — My Own Little Rainbow Coalition

Karen — Photos Kept Alive

Danielle — Ecoscrapbook

Connie — Clicky Chick Creates

Sherrie — A Little Bit of Everything Me

Cara — C’est la Vie (ours anyway)

Heather <<< That’s me!

Kim — I’m So Full of Scrap

Christy — My Scrapbook Evolution

Lisa E — Lisa E Design Blog

Lisa H — Recklinghausen Musings

And if you haven’t yet jumped feet first into LOAD, what are you waiting for? Go and sign up here! The only thing stopping you from being successful at LOAD is fear, and you’re not going to let a little fear get in the way of some creative fun, are you?

Need more convincing? Want to visit some old bloghops? Check out this post from last year.

Jan15

Getting Excited

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Getting Excited

Two super fun things are coming super soon to the online scrapbooking world that I really want to share with you.

First up is the next True Scrap event: True Scrap Pocket Pages. (affiliate link) If you haven’t heard about the True Scrap events yet, they’re a lot of fun. Usually they are one or two day online events with multiple instructors in a single classroom, hosted by Lain Ehmann.

 

TSPP logo

 

True Scrap Pocket Pages is a one day event, and all the classes will focus on ways to use all those journaling cards from Project Life and Snap and MAMBI, as well as ways to use pocket pages for more than the usual slip a photo in, slip a card in, call it done approach.

The classroom is a lot of fun, with a pre-recorded video portion, a chat room, where you can connect with other scrapbookers from around the world, and a Q&A session after the video, where the instructor and Lain answer any questions that may have arisen during the course of the class. I have found every event to be highly entertaining, and full of inspiration, so it’s something you won’t want to miss. What’s really cool about the event is not only do you get to take the class live, while the instructor is there, but you also get unlimited replays, which means if you miss anything, you can always go back and rewatch a class, or even the entire event.

I’m looking forward to the event. It should be a lot of fun!

The other thing I’m looking forward to is next month’s LOAD (Layout a Day for the uninitiated.) (affiliate link) I’ve written a LOT about how much I love LOAD, and what I’ve gotten done during LOAD, and why you should attempt a challenge like Layout a Day yourself. This is one of those things I’m going to nag you about. Do you want to use up your stash? Do you want to improve your style (and by that I make it even more YOU, not make it like every one else)? Do you want to be a faster, more confident scrapbooker? Then you need to do something like this. There’s nothing like that daily commitment to really get your creativity flowing.

If you want to know more about LOAD, we’ll be having a blog hop on January 25th. Hop along with us. It will be fun, and filled with lots of inspiration.

So that’s what’s got me excited this month. What are you looking forward to?

Oct30

Stuttering Along

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Stuttering Along

This month has not been kind to my LOAD aspirations. Between birthdays and dental problems, parties and new business beginnings, I have not been able to make a page every day. I have made over 29 pages for the month, they just haven’t been every day.

How about a quick round up for you?

This one started with the prompt (cabbage patch dolls!) and ended up here. I may be able to break apart the kit these supplies originally came in now. Woo hoo!

dress up doll

Inspired by the mere thought that I might be able to finish up a kit, I dug around and found a couple flourishes to finish off the next days’ page. Two more packages out of my stash!

smooches

No pages got done the next day, but I was comfortable with that since the day after that was a full day crop.

The way to be productive during a crop (at least for me) is to bring pages that don’t need more than a who, what, where, approach to journaling. I can NOT journal any more than that in company. Entirely too distracting!

The first layout finished was this one created during the crop sponsored class. Jennifer Leamy Loftfield of Caffeinated Papercuts did a great job showing everyone some fun Tim Holtz inspired techniques.

trick or treat

I then got cracking and did six more layouts to add to my oldest’s school of life album. The design is very repetitive, so let’s only look at a couple.

This is will give you a good idea of what each year’s title page looks like:

5th grade title page

And this is a set of filler pages:

Fifth Grade filler pages

I’ve got two more filler page layouts and another title page, as well as an end page for fifth grade done. However, since that has other kids on it, I won’t be showing that here. 😉

Sunday rolled around, and I pulled out some more glitter paper to use on a page about my niece.

pedicure

Sometimes the simplest layouts are the best, aren’t they?

I didn’t escape the full day crop without buying some more stash. However, I don’t believe in saving it, so I used a couple pieces on the next day’s sparkly page:

hello sunshine

Yesterday, I used some lovely Christmas paper that I got from the crop as well. I can’t show that to you right now, however.  How about a little sneak for you?

sketch peek

That brings us up to today. What should I make today? Any suggestions? I’m all ears. 🙂

Oct21

Buried

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Buried

My desk is buried underneath a pile of scrapbook supplies, Origami Owl containers, and other random items. Want to see?

What do they say about messy desks?

What do they say about messy desks?

That would be fine, except my whole craft room is like that. I have got to clean up for my own piece of mind! A little bit of clutter is nice and comfy, too much is stifling.

That may be why I’ve fallen behind with my LOAD pages. Yes, I am behind. That’s okay. LOAD is not a source of stress!

Let’s see what IS done:

This page about my sister and BIL bringing home their baby. Love that I have these pictures done for my scrapbooks now. (I’ve already made and given away the ones for her scrapbook.)

nervous

Another recipe for the family recipe binder. Love that I’m getting the family favorites recorded. Plus, less hunting for a particular recipe is always a bonus.

taco seasoning

This silly one, about my goofy, now 12-year-old boy. Whenever anyone asked him what he wanted for his birthday, he’d say pineapple. Of course his amazing grandmother came through, and got him a pineapple. This pineapple is made from a Stampin’ Up stamp and punch in green on assorted yellow and orange cardstock scraps, with hand cut leaves. This was so much fun to make!

pancakes peanut butter and pineapples

A TrueScrap5 class inspired page. Layle Koncar did a great class on using pocket page cards on a non-pocket page. When her class is up for sale individually, I’ll be sure to link you up to it. It made me want to stop, drop and scrap immediately.

full of win

Then I went back to trying to use up the kit I put together for the month. One of the reverse sides of the patterned paper was this graph paper, which seemed like a perfect fit for a page about playing D & D with family friends.

D & D

With this page, I’m down to one full sheet left from the kit I put together last month. Woo hoo!

Also, this kid has been rolling his eyes since he was three. He’s going to be a hoot as a teenager. Only one more year to go!

the eyeroll

I got tired of playing with the kit, and started with the first piece of cardstock that sang to me. These dots were so happy, I just had to find photos that were silly enough to do it justice.

doin it wrong

There were a few days that I didn’t get a page done. I did start on a digi page one day, but I got so tired of staring at the computer that day that I gave up and went to bed.

Today, I got back on the bandwagon, and created this digi page. Now all I have to do is clean off my desk so I can do three more pages for the days I missed. Or maybe not. I don’t HAVE to do a page for every day of the month. I just WANT to.

rainbow page

So what have you made lately? Show me!