My sister/Best Friend is having her first baby sometime in mid-May. She and her husband didn't want to find out the sex of the baby, so it makes it very hard to plan a baby shower and shop. Therefore, I had to get my creative juices flowin' and think of something COOL to do for her shower. So, I decided to go with a non-traditional theme for this traditional baby shower. MOVIES! Everyone (young and old) can relate to this subject. Plus, my sister and my brother-in-law are huge movie fans.

I browsed online and found a JPG of the Look Who's Talking DVD case design. I went in...and made it my own....LOOK WHO'S COMING. I scanned in a couple of my sister's ultrasound pictures and found some movie popcorn and pacifier images online. The shower details are on the back panel...and yes, these were the invites. I mailed out 12 of them and it cost me about $17.00 to send these "dvd's" out.

Luckily, I didn't have to purchase the empty DVD cases....Corrie (another MM designer) helped me out by supplying me with plenty of DVD cases he had laying around at home... (I came into work one morning with my desk/cube COVERED in empty DVD cases—see photos). Pretty funny. I found them in my plants, in drawers, behind my computer, my in-box, etc...Corrie has quite the sense of humor :)

And of course, if you're wondering...we're going to play a few games at the shower...What are movie stars naming their babies?, Quotes from baby movies, crossword puzzles, etc...and we'll have the typical theater food...popcorn, candy, pop, etc...The theme will come together nicely. I'm really looking forward to it. Lots of fun ahead!

With all this talk of Scrapbook PageMaps, you’re probably excited about all the guidance and inspiration Becky Fleck provides. As if that’s not enough, have we mentioned the bonus cards that come with the book? This little deck of 60 laminated cards is perfect for scrappers on the go! 

Each 3.5x5.5" card includes a sketch from the book on one side and the corresponding layout and a short list of recommended supplies on the other side. Cards indicate the size of the sketch (for example, 12 x 12" single) as well as the number of photos intended for the sketch, along with page information cross-referencing the sketch back to the book.

The cards are helpful in so many ways! The whole box is small enough to tuck inside your purse so that it’s always hand when you need a sketch. Or you can pull out your favorites to take with you on a shopping trip. Stick a few cards in with your supplies to take on a crop or to a class. Or pin up cards on an inspiration board. No need to carry the whole book in your bag!

So, what are you waiting for? It can’t be any easier to get layout inspiration and take it with you wherever you go. Pick up PageMaps today!


Kristin

For a long time I’ve been meaning to create a scrapbook page to capture a weekend camping trip my husband and I took to a charming small Ohio town called Yellow Springs. It was late October and, because of a long end-of-summer draught, the leaves had not yet turned, and the weather was unseasonably warm. Our last morning of what we knew would probably be the last camping trip of the year (cold weather adventurers we are not), we went on a long hike to savor the fading signs of summer, and were fortunate enough to walk for more than an hour without seeing another soul—a Sunday morning moment of Zen far better than those we watch every week on CBS!

I went a little overboard with my camera and had so many photos that the prospect of starting a page was a bit overwhelming. My thoughtful coworker Eileen came to the rescue with a Scrapbook Page Map perfectly suited to grouping a selection of some of my favorite images. From there, the end result came easily with some dimensional embellishments, a combination of rub-on letters and stickers for my title, and simple handwritten journaling that reads “Yellow Springs—a perfect weekend.” I used a black ink pad to further distress the left side of the page and the sticker letters for a more unified look.

What peaceful moments can a page map guide you to capture on your next layout?

Smiles,
Jessica

I made this layout last night in response to Kristin's neutral challenge on the mycraftivity site. And then I started to second-guess myself. I didn't actually read the challenge recently. Is brown neutral enough? Well, when I got into the office this morning, Kristin and Eileen assured me that brown is indeed neutral enough. So here is my layout!

Since gray is pretty much my favorite color, I was excited to take a jab at our neutral challenge. I immediately found the gray and white foam circles in our craft closet (yeah for American Crafts)! I needed more though. So I found some blue and yellow chipboard circles in a different container and figured I would just paint them. Well, that started to be a scary thought around 10 oclock last night when I got started on the layout, so I flipped a few over and found that I actually really liked the gray/brown raw chipboard color. Bingo!

I decided to painted a thin white border with acrylic paint, however after a few strokes, quickly decided I didn't like where that was going. Luckily when I went to wipe off the excess, it created a nice smokey outline. (Don't you just love a happy accident!)

Have you challenged yourself with neutrals recently? See how creative you can get...then share your results with us over at MyCraftivity!

Eileen

Journaling reads: the first time his laughter unfurled its wings in the wind, we knew the world would never be the same - brian andreas