Need a few scrappin ideas?!

I am wanting to provide inspiration to those of you who may want to buy the scrap kit but are worried that the creativity well may run dry! I plan to show you lots of ideas through the week. These are for those of you who say you don't have time to scrap! I promise you ... if I have time, you have time! I stand beside my claim that we have enough time to do whatever it is that is a priority in your life! and that is all I have to say about that! The pile above is from my art room and is a stack of layouts which I have recently completed but have not put in the appropriate books yet.

Let's just start, shall we?
The way I get inspired is to always have my pictures at the ready! I actually sent a big wad of them to Walgreen's yesterday. I don't have a plan for them, but when that 15 minutes or so show up and I want to run upstairs to do a layout, I have to have the pictures ready! This layout was a quickie! The Easter Bunny brought me some new patterned papers and I keep them by my work table. I pick out my pictures and then, start looking through my papers to see what would work or what would coordinate with the colors in the pictures. I liked the waves on this paper, and knew that with girlies, I would never otherwise use these pages. NOt pink enough!

I think it turned out pretty cute. I have also learned that I need to get these memories on paper. Such as, "what I love about bathing babies"! the smells, the hoody towels, the Johnson's lotion! Ummm...

And then, there is this layout from the day we brought Gabbi Girl home. These brown letters are all rub ons. That is pretty easy. I also have a box of chipboard letters with rhinestones on them, so "HOME" became a pretty significant part of this title.... appropriately!

I don't really recommend cutting up your pictures. That is very passe' in scrappin. I mean, like, mid 90's!
But sometimes, I just want to use more than one picture from the event and there isn't much room in my layout. This was such a case. I also just decided to write all around our heads to describe Ellie's confusion over why this "thing" was coming home with us!
I used scrap papers to cut out the house shape and of course, inked the edges!!
This is one of my all time favorite pictures. I just love the love! and this was a SUPER simple layout! ONe square picture on a simple cardstock background. and you know I used my good ol' white pen. Gelly Roll for those of you who wanted to know the brand. Then, I used my heart punch and punched hearts all across the bottom of the page. THen, I used little rub-ons (the ones in the spring kit) to simply say what needed to be said, and that was the day we took the picture.
Just as I like a simple page, I LOVE a complicated page! As Breanna says about me, to Melanie, "More is more!" So, so true!

And yes, I know the "d" fell off the "loved" in the picture below.

I wanted something simple for this cute picture of Ellie and Gabbi with Todd's parents.
I had seen this design in a magazine and "scraplifted" it. Masson helped me get this started by just pilfering through my stock for mismatched floers, buttons, brads, eyelets, chipboard, etc.
I then came along and added a few more outer layers to make it bigger so it would be more proportionate with the fat tree trunk.
Oooooooh, and I LOVE this one ! I seriously think it took about 15 minutes! I had this pink chipboard paper that I had to trim on the bottom to make it fit on the lime green cardstock. I love pink and lime green together. Of course, I inked the edges in brown. And then added my commentary! However, it was still a little "plain" to me. So I grabbed a thin black pen and drew big polka dots on it. I colored it in with a white marker, added a few coordinating ribbons, and stuck a heart pin in the top of it.
I got to tell you... I LOVE this layout ! It is so simple and easy, but love it. Probably just because it highlights my baby's picture, and the polka dots make it baby girl friendly!
and because I decided to use only the one pic of Gaggi Gull above, I had this one left over. I found some patterned paper that I wanted to use, and was pleased that it would work with the photo I had.
I intend to find a coordinating photo and print it in a wallet size to add to the left of the words on the patterned paper. If I dont' come across that photo, that is ok too! I like it like it is. And then, there are times that I just want a funny title and the photo to take center stage. There is absolutely NOTHING creative or artsy about this layout! The only thing you really need to know is that orange and blue are complimentary colors! that's right. I KNOW my color wheel!

Have I ever mentioned that my first two years of college, I was working toward a major in art?! That is what I thought I would be! But as has been the theme of my life... I was blessed! God intervened and totally thrust me toward physical therapy. I will have to tell THAT story someday too! It was NOT what I had in mind, but thank the LORD... I now KNOW It was my calling. HEy... a bird!

The point is is that knowing the color wheel can be pretty helpful! I wanted orange background, therefore, the obvious accent color is blue! DUH!

And these letters were from the Dollar Tree! I think they were intended to be used on mailboxes! I trimmed them so they would be different sizes and not just ho hum across the page same size.
Back to complimentary colors... yep. Red and green! It doesn't hurt though that this was our first Christmas card, so naturally, red and green were an easy choice.
This is SUCH an easy page! I go through little phases when I prefer 8x 11 pages vs. 12 x 12.
I have scrapbooks in both sizes so I can always be ready to make either size page and know that the layout has a "home".
ANd for tonight's finale... this is a layout with all three of our cute girls! I used a stamp I had shaped like a circle and printed it on scrap cardstock. Each circle was punched with a circle punch. I love punches. They make life easy! And then,....
I used each circle to highlight the girls' unique characteristics at that point in time.


These sticker letters are also from the local dollar store. Cost a whole dollar!
Well, there you have it... Some ideas for those of you who think you need them. I hope to make some 12 x 12 layouts and some 8 x 11 layouts with the papers in the new spring kit. There is enough paper in this kit to do the mini book and several full size layouts. In case I don't get around to completing the mini book in a timely manner, I am providing a few more layouts later this week to copy or inspire or whatever . Hope you enjoy.

And the winners of the "what can I do for my babies' birthday parties" contest.... MISSY and DENISE BELL! Congratulations, girls. Do you want a scrap kit or do you want some Mo Beads? Let me know! Melanie