I had fun creating this layout using the Glitz Design collection that Christy and GinaMarie recently used. (Click their names to see their very inspiring creations. Or, you can just scroll down. They posted earlier this week.)

While browsing through the collection's many enticing elements, I was immediately drawn to the playful, doodled frames. I choose one to showcase the photo of my tulips and went from there.

I knew I wanted to use a neutral cream background, so the colorful flower photo would stand out, but it took me a while to settle on the pink, green and black color combo.

I added the adorable tree accent to punch up the title treatment.

Wishing you a wonderful and inspiring weekend,

Katie

I was snowed in on Saturday, so I took advantage of being cooped up inside and cleaned my apartment from top to bottom. With spring approaching, it felt good to get everything "reorganized and cleared out" (as Master '08 Staci Etheridge says in her March/April Master's challenge).

Have you checked out the March/April Master's Challenge yet? (See details below.)

March/April Master's Challenge with Staci Etheridge

It’s time for warmer weather, freshly planted flowers and spring cleaning. I love the feeling of getting everything reorganized and cleared out.

CHALLENGE:

1. Pull out scrapping supplies that you absolutely love and that are more than one year old. You know—those goodies you just had to have at the time but have left unloved in a drawer ever since.

2. Grab the stuff you bought on your last scrapbooking shopping trip.

3. Use both old and new products on one layout.

(Check out Staci's layout in the March/April issue.)

Post your responses to this challenge, here. (You must be a registered member of the forum, and you must be logged in under your user name. To post, please hit "reply" to this thread.) Throughout the month of March, Staci will check in to share her thoughts.

I have ideas for a page of my own: A "Waiting for Spring" layout that showcases photos of the fresh purple tulips I bought a few weeks ago.

(And now that my craft supplies are organized, it should be a snap to put together!)

Wishing you a happy and inspired Monday,

Katie

I have been feeling a bit nostalgic lately as I organized my scrapbooking supplies (finally) and stumbled on some of my very first layouts. I wanted to share a few of them with you, because I think it’s so helpful to look back at some of your early pages to see how your style has changed, or ways that it hasn’t.

I began scrapbooking for the first time when I returned from a two-year missions trip from Italy in 2004. As you can see in the two 12x12 layouts to the right, the only thing I had was some colored paper, a glue stick, one rub-on and a pen. I think it’s fun to see that even before I knew that brads existed, I was drawing little circles in the corners of my titles for an added touch.

After I began working at a scrapbooking/country gift store, I discovered my passion for scrapbooking. I bought my first 6x12 album and started creating pages about my life and some of my adventures. In the two layouts below, I can see how my love for rub-ons and eyelets were growing and as well as my love for distressing pages. My style has continued to evolve since then, but it’s fun to look back to where it all began.

How has your style evolved over the years? Are there supplies and design elements that you can see through a lot of your pages? Has your style changed dramatically or not? I hope you join me in looking back on some of your first pages to see what still works for you now, and what doesn’t. Even though I look at my first pages and chuckle, I know they still tell the stories as well as the ones I create today.

Create Something. Inspire everyone.
GinaMarie