The {Scrap} Beach January Crop Challenge Picture Show!

Challenge #1 using no black, white, or grey! Whew wee...brown was it then...I love the Build-a-Bear series of die cuts. I made this little bear at a card camp and he fit perfectly on this layout. I loved the torn distressted edges of this paper. This was a fun technique that I learned from The {Scrap} Beach  tutorials.

Challenge #2 was to use no ink, except a black journaling pen. I thought this would be a cute gift to my husband for Valentine's Day. He was so sweet to set me up a table and bring in my small supply of scrapbooking items due to the severe cold at this time, my studio wasn't a place to be and personally, beads were to cold to play with, so this was a wonderful respite to the winter days.

Challenge #3 was to do a layout titled Family.  I love my family and this challenged me completely. New to scrapbooking techniques like this one, I wanted a henge on my little journaling pocket. So, I got one from the shop and my husband cut off the tips of the screws so that it looked real. Glue works wonders and the pocket opens and closes. I have a journaling note inside and a tab saying how this family is...like we would forget. =)  The paper I used crystal effects on some of the flying insects to make them pop and shine, a new technique for me for sure!

Challenge #4 using a technique (or 2) that may be too hard or too difficult....OMGosh!! This layout has several scrapbooking techniques that I have never used before and may never do again! LOL. The chipboard letters for the word love, I first covered in paper, distressed and inked the edges. They still seemed plain to me so I added clear embossing powder to each of them. I added my husband's photo (of him at his favorite store, Habitat Store) and then a photo of us inside the letter E to which I added crystal effects to as well making it look like a glass covering. The pocket was from a templete of a library card pocket (remember those??) I had in a recylced book. The tags inside hold some other techniques I figured out for myself that I will share at another time. It was fun, this whole page was awful messy!!!

Challenge #5 was to make a page related to high school, college or grad school.  Enough said. I did high school because that seemed simple enough. I added tabs for 4 different areas of high school for me, my favorite of course was friends.

Challenge #6 was to share what going to the BEACH meant for me. Personally, there isn't enough paper to express what it has meant to me. I found this group through YouTube videos of "Kathryn" who created this group for scrapbookers. It is wonderful. I have learned so much which has created comfort for me with scrapbooking. My calling will be mini-albums...not scrapbooking the 29 yrs worth of photos I have...at last not yet.

Challenge #7 Invest Wisely was the them for this one. I love the vintage look of this one, especially working with elements I had never tried before. The butterfly I used on another page, but I did this butterfly first when I was tyring to figure out where to begin all of this. The tool for me, since I obviously don't have a lot of scrapbooking tools, was my woodburner. I made this little tokens using it and added the crystal effects, which is my favorite product thus far.

This has been my show and tell for my first Online Live Crop!  I worked through 7 am this morning and finished my pages today PLUS starting my first mini-album. I am soooo excited and thakful that these wonderful people have come into my life to mentor me and lead me as I begin making mini-scrapbooking albums.

Love and Blessings,

Rita