My Guys - November Basic Grey Class

I was really torn about this month's class - go with the more popular "girl" layouts using the Urban Prairie line, create a two-page spread using the Offbeat line that highlights kids school pictures and their class photo, or go completely the other way and design a masculine layout using the natural hues of the newest Granola line...Well, looks like the boys win!

I chose the blues, grays, and charcoal palette of the line to compliment manly photos as well as black and white photography. And the really cool thing about this layout is the use of beer tops - yes, the pop top tabs from my husband's Budweiser cans - as the hooks to hang the photo tag mats from the top border. I painted them black allowing a little of the silver to shine through for a distressed look.

You can see how great the page looks with a photo - I've included last summer's portrait of my boys to demonstrate how great the focal page can highlight a terrific photo. The class is Tuesday November 18 for 6:00pm - 8:30pm at Scrapbooks Plus in Chantilly (703) 263-9503, Virginia. Cost is $20. If you can't make the class, call for a kit that you can either pick up, or we'll mail it to you provided you cover the costs of shipping.

Feeling Froggy

Misty had asked about using some old Basic Grey "frog" paper from the discontinued Color Me Silly line. I did a layout about a year ago using it for my nephew's third birthday - hard to believe he just turned five and I still haven't scrapped his fourth birthday yet. Anyway Misty (and anyone else who is interested in new uses for old paper), here's the layout - it is nearly all Basic Grey product with Bazzill cardstock. I have a few "frog" eyelets in my stash I can "loan" if you can't find them!

Enjoy!

Show off photography using Anna Griffin Sierra

As promised from the Scrapbooks-Plus blog, I have posted here some of the many pages that fill my 8x8 album using the Anna Griffin Sierra line of papers.

October Basic Grey - Bewitched

Ready for Halloween? Although I'm not much on "themed" pages, I figured it was time for one. I wanted so much to use the Eva line of Basic Grey's newest patterned papers, but the floral and pinks of some of that line just wouldn't work for Halloween. So I went with the purples and greens of the Eva line (with a touch of black cardstock and Doodlebug "beetleblack" glitter), a couple of Martha Stewart punches, a few cobwebs and a Black wooden cat, we have ourselves a Halloween spread fit for all of the bewitching little goblins that come to your door on October 31. I have even posted what the left page looks like with a non-Halloween photo (believe it or not, this is my niece on the beach in July!). I personally think it looks (she looks) great!

The class is Tuesday, October 21 from 6:00 - 8:30 pm at Scrapbooks Plus in Chantilly. Call the store at 703 263-9503 to reserve your spot or order your kit. If you can't make the class or get to the store, we'll ship to you as long as you pay for the shipping costs. Cost of the class/kit is $20 (let them know at the desk when you call if you want a kit). Hope to hear from you soon.

A Weekend of Cropping!

I attended my first crop at Scrapbooks Plus on Friday night and had a great time. I usually crop at home, but with my husband and kids out of town for the weekend, I thought"getting out" would do me some good. And it sure did! I got a ton of "work" done. I worked on my Design Team projects a bit (more on that to come later), but also got a number of pages done for my own books - my style, my paper choices, my way. I did manage a few layouts for Basic Grey that I posted up to their web site (we'll see if they like any of them), but mostly what I completed was just for me and my family.

I've posted a couple of layouts I actually managed to finish. Hopefully my progress this weekend will motivate you to get cropping!