The Trouble with Greens . . .

The February Cocoa Daisy Kit "Journal Entry" started off like this:

And when I finished:

Clearly this kit and I were friends. The limes - ugh - I am tired of lime and green in general - there were so many colors of green.  You will see this theme again latter in this post. But aside from that, I did really well on using this kit.

The March Cocoa Daisy kit "Hello Again" started off like this:

I also got the "Guten Tag" paper add on this month:

And when I finished:



Pretty happy with this, especially considering that I got the paper add on and have no full sheets of patterned paper left. I think the colors of this kit just really worked well for me. Thinking the leftovers will get used up on PL.

And the April Cocoa Daisy Kit "5 O'Clock" started like this:

And when I finished:

I struggled quite a bit with this kit.  There were too many triangles, the lime, soft greens and Kelly green clashed to me and the yellows just didn't add up either. I worked really hard on this one to make it work. Don't get me wrong, I am really really happy with the layouts I made with it, but I had to push myself to find things to go with this kit to tone it down for me or make it work with my eye. Though clearly, the pink thickers were NOT a problem! I did use the stamp set several times.  (editorial - the tags on the far right and the lime letter stickers don't actually belong in this kit!)

On to the May Cocoa Daisy Kit "Sage and Mint" which looked like this:

And when I finished:

I used the b-sides of almost all of these papers on my layouts. Watercolor is not my style and please no more green!!!

Below you will see how I worked with these four kits all at the same time. For a while I had them in separate piles and then, as I used more of them up, I just layered them all together. I still have a few layouts ready to start with a few of these papers, but so far the count on layouts from these four kits is a whooping 25 pages!!!  So yes, I still love my kit subscription, but like everything - you love some, you like some and some you struggle to use - but it keeps me scrapping, keeps me and keeps me challenged.

The June kit is sealed up to take with me in September on scrap retreat for the Greece and Turkey album so I have a bit of a hiatus till the July kit arrives next week.  Ah, who am I kidding, there is always stash busting to be done!  Off to finish the five layouts that are in various stages of completion.

This Weekend's Progress - On a Roll!

So happy to be back to the routine.  Finally got adjusted to CST again after the two week trip to Greece and Turkey.  I have downloaded the camera chip - all 3,000 photos.  And have starred about 750 of them.  Now to start figuring out how to make that into an album . . .

But before I tackle that, I got to work on some photos I had printed just before leaving. It was nice to just start with what was on my desk. To start, I spread the four kits I had left out on two tables and just starting mixing and matching.  I find that I use the bits and pieces if I take them all out of the packaging and put every piece where I can see it.  So far I have nine layouts complete. I need to print some more photos - I have plenty of paper left.  

This B&W paper was a struggle for me to use, but I like the result after I cut it down and layered on top of it.  I added some bright color to help and even stamped and used the ribbon (a goal of mine this summer).

I had to hunt through my stash for just the right color of cardstock for this floral, but man does it pop!  I forget that using a solid and just a dash of color is always a good combo - especially when you love a pp so much you want to stretch it as much as humanly possible. 

This one was easy and feels kinda matchy matchy, but I kinda like that today. I got some ribbon and stamping on this one - yeah for setting goals and making it happen.  

This one is really outside my box.  I just starting placing stuff on the page and just keep building till the 12 x 12 was full.  Then I added more little bits on top.  It is good to push yourself sometimes.  I've been in a rut with one photo and layers.  So this got me to thinking about what else I should try.  Hmmmm . . . I may go looking for some sketches.  

Love this Crate Paper Line.  I added die cute dollies (by stamping up and sizzix) to make this page come together a little better - it needed some dark grounding.  Excited to use up some more bits from the kit.  And I am working hard to use those phrase stickers.  I struggle with those. 

Lifted this slanted horizontal edging from MercyTiara (I love her you tube channel!) I keep thinking it needs a little pink splatter . . . 

Me and my big brother.  So rare to get a photo of us these days - we both have kids and spouses and such - but he's still one of my favorite humans.  So cool watching him brew awesome beer.  

I used the leftover piece of yellow pp for this one with the scraps of the hearts also.  And for something different, I added yellow ink.  Brown or black just seemed too harsh.  Love that I found a home for that flamingo.  

I pulled this picture out to post for Father's Day and then I just decided to scrap it too.  I used clear photo corners.  I have a loose personal policy that I use photo corners for photos before 1980.  That way I can scan anything I need or Photoshop them if they start to fade more. This striped paper was baffling me so I added washi between the stripes and also used the space for my title.  Seemed to work out ok. 

Got My Mojo BACK!!!!

Those two trips and then loosing a member of my team to a better position really zapped my scrappy mojo.  For a while, I thought it might be gone for good.  I panicked a little and then I waited and rested and suddenly when the list was shorter and I was less stressed I started getting the pull to go back to my desk.  What really helped was that I literally boxed up everything I had put out to work on and then started over - choosing what I was going to do and not just what was on my scrapbook to do pile.  As soon as I freed myself to choose the project - not a long over due one or a half finished something - the magic came back.  And it is back with a vengeance. Holy crap - the layouts are just coming together.  They may not be awesome, they might be a little simple, but they are easing me back in and making me super happy.

I have four - yes, FOUR Cocoa Daisy kits to work with - three of which haven't been touched.  And you know what?  It's ok - cause they are really giving me a lot of flexibility to work with whatever picture I want to create whatever feel I am in the mood for at the moment. So there!  Guilt trip gone.

Here is the annual first and last day of school layout.  Love it.  Love them.  Love this tradition.

Conference photo - look close, can you see the snow?  Amazing paper - great effect.  AND I actually scrapped a photo of me (no kids!)!

Friends are the best - glad to capture this moment with Amanda.  Gosh it's been nearly 20 years since we've seen each other.  That's too long. Need to find the pics from the last time and scrap them too!

So there - I am back.  Just in time to head off to a two week trip where I will take a TON of photos - I am so ready.  Hope your summer is off to a good scrappy start.  

A Tale of Two Conferences

Both the CASE and AFP  conferences were this month - followed by Easter leaving no time for scrapping in March. But I am so ready to be home and back in the scraproom.  I have start on the massive Project Life catch up plan but haven't actually placed a photo in a sleeve yet.  Soon, soon.  Since I have no pages to share - here are a select few from my travels to Chicago and Baltimore.  

Molly's Cupcakes + A Swing for the win

Flat Stanley made it to the conference and then he headed north to Alaska for some more adventures.  

SNOW!!!!

Kill a Kit - Jan Cocoa Daisy Kit

Pretty excited to share a recap/kill a kit post of the Jan kit.  First off here it is:

I also go the Slumber Party add on:

Here is what I made with it (note some of these are in other posts but doing a full recap here):

This one uses a sheet of peach card stock from my stash and a scrap of navy.  The flair is from an older cocoa daisy kit and since I was one kraft tag short I had to make - it mostly matches. 

This one is the same theme as the one above but with some interactive parts. This is about my last day at the University of Houston. 

Lift the flap and you see this. 

Kinda glad to hide those less than perfect pictures. But I really wanted to include them as they are things I want to remember.

This was made with the left overs from the Bridging to Juniors layout (below).  Love it when your scraps just fall together to make a page.

I added this bluish card stock from my stash and basically tried to use every last bit I could from the add on embellishment package.  I even used up those lovely but hard to use branding strips.

Again, I added cardstock to make this a two pager, the PL cards are from an older Day In The Life add on and the green is an piece from an older kit.

Please note, for the record - I stamped on a layout!  The stitches are so cute!  That exclusive stamp was a home run in my opinion!!  I added the cardstock again to stretch this to a two pager.

Adding more to my Scout album here - this one was fun with the buttons and the circle to fit the bridging image.  My goal was to use the ribbon.

And using up more of the scraps from the circle . . .  This pages was inspired by a spread in a Stampin Up catalog - I added the circle around the basic idea.  It still needs the journaling, but I need to think about that a little (and not have someone talking to me while I do it!).

Yet again, the feathers were just too perfect for a camp layout. This one has three sassafrass flowers on it - smile.

And finally, a favorite drill team picture from high school. It is really hard to find blue paper that works with these uniforms but the gold is certainly "on trend"!

So far the tally is 14 pages from the kit (with me adding some cardstock).

And here it is - killed.  Only one full sheet of cardstock left and then that lovely placemat - need to think more on how to use it.  The patterned buttons aren't my thing - though they are plain wood on the backside so thinking that I may try to use them like that.  The bits and pieces are set aside for a PL spread.  I think there is just enough to do one week if I add a sheet of coordinating cardstock.

I actually then used two of the three stars left over to finish off this layout that I started at scrapbook retreat but didn't have the energy to finish.  It uses up a REALLY old piece of paper which made me super happy.  

Now off to open up February and start the fun all over again!