January Personal Scrapper Kit layouts

The January kit from Personal Scrapper featured the Fancy Pants' "Arctic Chill" line of papers. I was very happy with the kit and found the papers very easy to use. If I had seen this line in a store, I likely would have passed it over simply based on the color scheme. However, the patterns and colors were great AND the papers were all double-sided.

By pulling out some extra cardstock, I was able to complete 13 layouts with this month's kit and add-on. Another thing that really stretched my creativity was scraplifting several layouts.

When we had a snow the week before Christmas, I wasn't too surprised to walk out with my camera to find the basketball in the driveway. A little snow won't keep my two from playing basketball! I loved the picture that I took and made a 5x7 collage of the repeating image. I loved a layout in the January issue of Scrapbook Trends by Kimber McGray and used it as inspiration for this page, "Freezing Snow and they still play Basketball." I added some American Crafts chipboard snowflakes.I made a page for Kevin's album using the same photo and one of their "attempted" snowman (yes, it's just a pile...and a small one at that!). This is a lift of a Lisa Risser layout in the January Scrapbooks Etc.Each month, Personal Scrapper will post challenges for you to complete. I did "2008 according to Amy" for the 2008 In Review challenge. It's a 2-page 8-1/2x11 layout. I added some Making Memories tiny type alphas here and there.

Blake's album has a whole page dedicated to the snowman (aka pile of snow). I lifted a layout by Kim Watson from the January Creating Keepsakes. The snowflake in the upper right corner is actually an embossing template by American Traditional Designs that I've had for a few years (just sitting...).

I fell in love with an Ali Davis layout in the January CK. I used my Bazzill stitching templates to mimic the falling snowflakes. I covered the Bazzill snoflakes from the kit with silver Stickles. They took a while to dry, but were worth it!

Personal Scrapper DT member Heidi had a layout I loved that used bling on snowflake on the paper. I copied that look on this layout. I love how these photos show Blake pushing Kevin down the "hill" at the end of our front porch.

I had to do a layout of these pics for both boys' albums. For "kick start" I added some old American Crafts chipboard snowflakes, Junkitz tiles and a Li'l Davis coaster.I had printed several photos as collages. They had a white edge around them which made for some quick pages. For "freezing fun" I grouped everything together. I accented the polka dot paper with buttons and added a snowflake covered in Stickles.

I made a 5x7 collage of some of my favorite shots from the snow day before Christmas. I made an 8.5x11 page for my personal album with that photo. I loved using the rub-ons from the add-on. I also used my Bazzill stitching template and floss to accent the page. (That took quite a while!)

I started to lift a layout from a magazine that cut the center of a die cut piece of paper out to make the outline a frame. I took it in a different direction though when I didn't have a die cut sheet to match. Instead I traced a die cut Jenni Bowlin paper onto a Hambly transparency and used it as a background. I used these pics from Jan. '06 of the boys playing the neighbor. I finally had a use for the Making Memories Labelfetti stickers that came in the kit. I used more AC snowflakes and some foam Thickers.

The rest of the snow pictures I scrapped were from January '08. I used large MM glitter chipboard letters for "Snow time."

In the Personal Scrapper gallery, I loved how Inaru/Lydia used the wing diecuts from the add-on with a photo of a snowangel. I couldn't get the wings to work with a photo, so I used them in my title. To make "snow", I painted spotlight Making Memories paint over Heidi Swapp alphabet masks. I also added some more AC chipboard snowflakes to this page.

My last page used every last scrap of patterned paper from the kit/add-on! I love this photo of Kevin from January '08. I just added some more AC chipboard snowflakes.

Now, I'm ready for my February kit!

I've been scrapping...

I received a Prima boxed set with chipboard letters, buttons, ribbon, and flowers in fall colors as a Christmas gift. Instead of putting it away, I decided to pull out products I had that would match the colors. I was able to make 7 layouts with it.

The first page I made was for Blake. I used photos from Thanksgiving this year. I had Jenni Bowlin papers that worked well with the letters. Using more Jenni Bowlin papers, I made a page for Kevin's album with some not-so-great photos. However, since it's rare to find Kevin and his cousin Dane getting along so well, I had to scrap them!

I mixed several misc./leftover items for this page of the boys goofing off with Dane on Thanksgiving. I didn't have a "g" for goofy, so I used a "9".

I lifted this "thanksgiving xo" LO from a magazine, but forgot to note which one. I used the September '07 kit from Personal Scrapper.

Here's another LO using the Sept. '07 PS kit.

I lifted a LO in the January issue of Scrapbook Trends to make this "let's talk @ 7" page for Kevin. I also used the Sept. '07 PS kit.
Here is a final page with the Sept. '07 PS kit adn the remaining Prima chipboard letters.

I went through some of my chipboard letter sets that were getting slim and made up words with the leftovers. I have had "quiz" setting on my desk for months with a plan to make a page about Kevin's spelling tests (something new this quarter). When he brought home his latest spelling test last week, I decided to go ahead and make this page. The photo is just a goofy random shot.
I had some papers I won as a prize at Personal Scrapper that I pulled out to make this page of our niece and nephews on Tom's side. I've had that large "w" (actually a whole alphabet set!) for quite a while. I backed it with Pink Paislee grid paper and used it for my journaling. The rest of the layouts used the Basic Grey Offbeat line. I won several papers from that line during the Croptoberfest challenges at Personal Scrapper. I picked up some coordinating embellishments on sale at Archiver's and also pulled some things from my stash.

This first page tells a crazy story about Kevin (I could write a book!). I lifted a Doris Sander LO.

I added Fancy Pants felt to this page for Blake.

There are a couple of funny stories about "Safety First." Seriously, this is how Kevin looked when he helped me vacuum. He's one of a kind! On a scrap-related note. When I first photographed this page, I noticed I spelled "safety" without an "e". Oops. I went back to fix it only to find that I still had the chipboard "e" stuck to my desk mat. I had just forgot to add it.

"I Made This" was inspired by a Laura Vegas LO in the N/D SBE.

I liked my title for Kevin's bowling page. Keep in mind, I usually scrap late at night!

I also did a page for Blake about the Cub Scout bowling event.

I've been scrapping this past week a lot more than usual, but I've been inspired by the photos I've recently (FINALLY) organized and also some supplies I've "found" while straightening up my area. That always boosts my creativity.

I have some scraps left from my January Personal Scrapper kit. When I use them up, I'll post all of the layouts I've made with the kit at once.

Tiffany Dawn Rose

In July of 2007, my cousin Tiffany was diagnosed with a stage 4 brain tumor -glioblastoma multiforme. Tiffany was 26 and single. Thankfully, my aunt Sandy, was able to leave her job and stay by Tiffany's side every day since.

Tiffany fought hard. We all prayed for a miracle. We wore our "Kill Ted" (the tumor) t-shirts and bracelets to show our support as Tiffany underwent radiation, chemo, and multiple surgeries.

Tiffany D. Rose

1980-2009

Tiffany passed away peacefully at home early this morning. I know she is now at peace with our Father in Heaven. She will never have to suffer again. Still, my heart aches, because I will miss her. I feel like my life is better for having known her and for experiencing firsthand the love she shared with her mother. Tiffany is survived by her mother and stepfather Sandy and Rob Temple, her younger brother Brad Rose, and her father Harry Rose.

Christmas and scraplifting

Over the past week, I took the time to scrapbook for several nights. I made the process go fast by limiting myself to use the December kit from Personal Scrapper and coordinating Basic Grey and Making Memories products that I had purchased and received as a birthday gift. The process also went quicker because I had marked several layouts in magazines that I liked for inspiration.

When I started using the December kit, I hadn't received my photo order yet, so I pulled some older photos to use with the kit. This layout is of Christmas 2005 and it is for Kevin's album. He's grown so much! This LO was inspired by a Robyn Werlich LO in the January issue of Scrapbooks Etc. (SBE). I impressed myself with the title of this page: "Four Wheelers on the 24th". Then again...it was late. These photos are from Christmas 2006.I had to make a page for my personal album documenting the boys helping me with our Christmas cards. I've enjoyed doing handmade cards for the past several years now. This LO was inspired by a Davinie Fiero LO in the January issue of Scrapbook Trends Magazine (ST).Every year Dad puts up a star on his silo. When we dropped the boys off at Mom & Dad's on our anniversary, I stopped to take this photo. I want it to be something the boys can remember. I got the idea to use up so many of my scrap strips of paper from an Elizabeth Kartchner layout in the January issue of Creating Keepsakes (CK). Here's a page for Blake's album. Tom even joined in on the cookie decorating fun this year. One of my favorite photos from the holiday happened by accident. I was trying to get a photo of the decorated cookies when Tom and both boys happened to reach in for more icing/a cookie. I love that I caught all three of their hands in the shot. Last year after Christmas, I found a Martha Stewart ornament set on sale at Michael's. I thought that would be a fun project for the boys to make this year. When they were out of school the week before Christmas, we made the ornaments. There were two each of four designs, so we divided them up evenly. They each made an ornament for me and then divided up their grandmas and aunts. We had glitter all over ourselves and the breakfast area, but it was a fun project. Plus, I think everyone really appreciated the ornaments when they received them on Christmas. A LO in the December CK by Wendy Sue Anderson inspired Blake's "Ornament Time" LO. The week before Christmas, Tom and the boys finished up my shopping. (I had gotten most of it myself.) Blake and Kevin wanted to wrap everything else for me all by themselves. It was fun to watch them and they did a really good job! This first page is for Kevin's album.
Blake's double page LO was inspired by a Cindy Tobey LO in the January CK.

I captured the boys putting the cookies out for Santa. For Blake's page, I scraplifted a Kelly Noel LO in the January CK. By the time I made this page, I was running out of the red foil Thickers. I had only bought one pack. So, I made SANTA out of a cut up "8", two cut down "q"s, an upside down "u" and a cut up "4". Pretty cool, huh? ;)Kevin's LO was inspired by a Tina McDonald LO in the January ST.
This year I decided I wouldn't try to capture so many photos of Christmas morning. I took some before/posed shots and then tried to just take pictures of their favorite gifts. Another thing I did different this year was in how I printed my photos. I used a software to make collages with multiple photos on either a 4x6 or 5x7 print. These prints had white borders already printed on them, so that saved a lot of time since the photos already looked like they have a mat behind them. This first page is for Blake's album.For Kevin's LO, I lifted an Emily Anderson LO in the January CK. This is one of my favorite layouts. I love how the color of the papers match the boys pjs so well!This layout for Blake was inspired by an Alison Davis LO also from the January CK.

Here's a LO for Kevin... The boys got Tom gift cards to Best Buy. I was going to get him one card, but they couldn't decide on which card to get him. Kevin wanted to get FELIZ NAVIDAD! Blake wanted HAPPY KWANZA. So...we got both. After we left the store, they were mad that they hadn't thought to get a Happy Hannakah one, too!
When Tom went to use the gift cards, I embarrassed him when I asked the girl for them back. She had to dig one out of the trash. Don't they look good on the pages though???A favorite tradition of ours is that the boys do a little shopping of their own for each other. This year Blake gave Kevin a bottle of Cars bubblebath and Kevin got a desk calendar and pen for Blake. I LOVE how they get so excited over their $2-3 gifts from each other.

I haven't scrapped the photos from Christmas with the Smith family yet, but did do our Wheeler side. Unfortunately, I was enjoying the visit at our home too much. I didn't take hardly any photos!

For Kevin's page, I had to tell the story about how when Dawn asked him what he wanted for Christmas and he told her underwear. Well, he got underwear and Terry tricked him into thinking that was all he got since he'd left the other presents outside!

I was sad to see that Blake's only picture from the day was blurry. So, I played on that photo for my title. Afterall, the day itself seemed like a blur, too. I got creative with my leftover Thickers and impressed Blake when he saw that I made THE out of a cut up "4", upside down "y" and an "e".

After completing all of these layouts, I still have paper and embellishments left over. It's a good thing, too, because I still have a ton of Christmas photos!