First layout with the Either Way Scraptastic Kit (July 2014) - 12 X 12 travel related

Happy Thursday to all !  I hope you are having a fun and amazing day !  It is one of those cloudy, heavy, blah days here - feels like rain but so far, it has held off.  I am off on Thursdays and usually get a lot of the chores out of the way so that that my weekends are not all cleaning, cooking, washing etc....  but more garden fun, scrappy fun, tennis fun, photo fun and any other fun I can drum up!  How about you ?  How is your week shaping up?

I have broken into my July kit.  I must say that I was a little intimidated with this one at first... for just a bit.  The papers are so beautiful; the colour scheme is really right up my alley.  And with the touch of gold throughout, the kit felt a little regal. As I was sorting through my photos, I kept thinking they were not up to the standard of the kit LOL.  I felt I needed THE photo, just the perfect shot, the important photo .... you know the one that records that all important moment.  But truth be told, I don't actually have many of those photos (or those moments!!).  So, I just took the plunge and started.  And, I am sooooo loving this kit; truly!

My first layout is a scraplift of a layout by Tracy Banks (mercytiara on You Tube and a member of the Scraptastic Design Team).  She made her layout for the Bingo challenge during the 4th anniversary celebrations.  She mentioned that the L shape was one of her go-to designs and I just loved her layout.  So, to lessen the "awe" factor of this kit, I went with a scraplift of her lovely layout.  And I am so pleased with the outcome, This design will definitely become one of my go-to's as well.  I also find that I am enjoying scrapping 4X4 photos a lot recently.

My layout :

Since this is my first layout with this kit, there is very little from my own add-on, or from my stash.  Everything is from the kit except for :

• The October afternoon Mini Market alphas in mint and cream for part of the title
• The woodgrain photo mat and scalloped circle in the top RH cluster are from the 6X6 Simple Stories Good Day Sunshine paper pad
• The cork stars are from a previous kit (the May kit maybe?)

The scraplift is pretty much integral except that I journaled to the right of the photo as opposed to the top part of the L,  where Tracy had added speech bubbles for her journaling. 

The story:  This is one of those really great travel stories - well actually a story of how kind people can be.  In Feb. 2006, I was into the eighth month of my backpacking trip and was travelling with a friend in Porgugal.  We had spent a fantastic week in Porto and were on the train going back Lisbon.  We arrived at the Fatima station, and since my friend's uncle is a priest, he asked if we could get off there and visit for a bit, take photos for his uncle and go onto to Lisbon the next day.  So on the spur of the moment, we got off the train!!  Well, little did we know, the Fatima train station is 30+ km from the town of Fatima.  So there we were, in a station, in the middle of nowhere - there was a restaurant, a bar, a tourist office and a very long line of taxis just waiting to charge 50 euros or more to take unsuspecting tourists to the town LOL.  Well my friend, who is a little "hot blooded" was ranting, raving and using quite colourful language (in Canadian French).  I was laughing, which wasn't helping matters.  All of a sudden, we heard a French (from France) accent say "Eh les canadiens!!  Etes-vous perdus" (Hey are you Canadians lost?); hence the title of my layout.  This gentleman (Luis) had just returned from a work trip and was on the same train as us.  His wife (Marie-France)  was picking him up and they lived in a nearby town called Tomar.  To make a long story short, they took us to lunch, took us sightseeing in Tomar and absolutely insisted that we stay with them until we could go on our way the next day.  We went to the market, I cooked dinner, my friend bought some wine and we had a more than lovely evening.  They told us about a lovely fishing village called Nazare, so the next morning instead of getting back on the train for Lisbon, Luis and Marie-France took us to the bus station and we boarded the bus for Nazare where we spent another absolutely lovely week !!!

There is just a little bit of journaling on the front of the layout - I journaled the whole story on the back :)

Hmmm you know what?  The photo itself may be just one of my newfound friends, not the "life-changing, worthy" one I was searching for when I first looked at this kit; but boy the story sure is!

Thanks for joining me today and I'll be back on the weekend with the second layout!  Hugs xoxo

Did I kill the June Scraptastic Kit? and some thoughts going forward :)

Happy happy Sunday my friends !  I love nice quiet Sundays at home - cooking, scrapping, reading, cuddling with my kitty, watching tennis and going for a long walk early in the morning.  I don't get enough Sundays like that, but I sure take advantage of it when I get one.  Today is one of them!  Ahhhhh :).  I hope you are having a fabulous Sunday doing things you enjoy.

Well the "Best Day in my Life" kit is done and dusted I would say. I got 11 layouts total and I actually have one more in the works.  I started a layout of my kitty about two weeks ago and it is just not working for me - I scrapped a piece of cardstock trying to make my own background paper and then hating it. I did get the photo mounted on a bunch of layers but stalled again.  So I put that one to the side for the time being.  When it decides to cooperate with me, I will finish it :).  I really do not have much left - actually very few scraps of paper:

I could probably get a card or two and I may still do that.  I will cut the 3 X 4 cards apart and add them to my stash.

Although I feel I used the stickers quite a bit, I do still have a lot left over.  As for the die cut packages, I used a ton, and still have a ton :

I did not use that red alpha at all??  I was favouring smaller fonts this month, I guess.  But I will keep that sticker sheet close for the July kit because I think that alpha will work well with the Either Way Kit.

I struggled a bit with the vellum and acetate die cuts - but that is part of the fun of a kit - it pushes us to think out of our box; it pushes us out of our comfort zone.  And, although it looks like there is a lot left (and there is), I really did use them quite a bit but those packages were so darned packed - such value !!!

I ran out of the kit flair and  wood veneer early on, but I did have quite a bit in my own add-on so it was all good LOL.

In summary, after two months of working with the kit, having the third all ready to go (my own add-on is pulled) and the fourth on deck, I have a few thoughts to share :

• Scraptastic is definitely the way to go for me.  I love getting a kit and this one is so well put together.  I enjoy getting new goodies without breaking the bank.  Also, I used to spend a lot of time pulling product for each page and having the kit with my own little add-on has made that process so much easier.  I have never scrapped as much as I did in the last two months.  And I have never loved my pages more.  I spent a year, or so,  researching kits before making my final decision.  I may buy the odd Hip Kit here and there because they were a close second in my final analysis LOL.  But I cannot foresee ever stopping Scraptastic heehee :

• The best value for me is getting the main kit plus the add-on.  The first month, I got only the main kit and made my own add-on.  I got about 6 layouts but did not find that my add-on was enough (I don't have a large stash of die cuts, stickers and chipboard).  So in the second month, I did get the add-on but still made another add-on from my stash.  This time my add-on was mainly wood veneer, flair, enamel dots (I have a serious addiction) and washi, a couple of sticker sheets and some twine.  It worked a lot better.

• I pulled some of my own patterned paper and cardstock.  I did not wind up using the patterned paper (in the end, it just didn't go LOL) but did use all the extra cardstock I pulled.

• I felt I needed more of the kit wood veneer and flair

In July, I got the Either Way kit, add-on, and extra flair.  In August, I did the same thing, but added the extra wood veneer package.  I have a feeling I will be settling down to that.

In conclusion :  I have not shopped at all, other than glue and consumables.  I get new goodies and am using my own stash way more.  I scrap more and spend less time pulling product and overthinking.  Win, win, win !!!

Thanks so much for reading my ramblings all the way to the end.  I hope my thoughts may help if you are still in the evaluating process for a kit.  I will be back on Thursday with my July kit set-up and the first layout done with it.

Hugs xoxo

10th (hmmm and 11th lol) layouts with the June Scraptastic kit - 12 X 12 layouts - travel themed

Happy Thursday to all !!!  I hope you are having a lovely day.  After all that rain yesterday, we woke up to a fall-weather type day today .... brrr!  jeans and sweaters as opposed to capris and sandals :).

I mentioned in my post yesterday that I would be back today with the 10th and final layout using the Best Day in my Life kit.  Well, lo and behold, I realised that I had another layout that I had not posted.  I put it up on my Instagram (mooreilly should you wish to follow), but forgot to blog about or put it up on my various facebook groups.  So I will tag it on to the bottom of this post.

But first, the layout I intended for today's post :

This was the very first time that I used a piece of black cardstock as a background.  And I love the results, so it will not be the last.  My original idea was to use the black and white chevron from the kit as a background but I found that nothing popped on the page so I changed my mind.  At this point, I was down to scraps of patterned paper.

The supplies:  I used a lot of the little scrap pieces of patterned paper as layering pieces as well as quite a few of the stickers from the sticker sheet,  but did use a little more from my own add-on than on any other layout this month :

• The black cardstock is from Stampin' Up
• The doily is from the rak I received from Nancy (kittyscrapper) earlier this year
• The wood veneer are from Studio Calico (potty people) and from the Citrus Twist July PL kit
• The alphas are October Afternoon Daily Flash in Nightfall; I also used MME word stickers
• And as usual, I am not sure which of the enamel dots are from the kit and which are from my stash (I suffer from a minor ... ahem.... addiction to enamel dots, and to wood veneer for that matter :)

The story:  The picture is not very clear because it was taken on a train, in a small overnight compartment.  There are shadows and also mirrors.  Before leaving on my backpacking trip, I bought a train pass valid for 6 months.  It was a steal compared to buying individual tickets once in Europe, and compared to any other mode of transport. The pass was valid for first-class train travel so on overnight journeys, I was entitled to a private compartment.  They are tiny, usually with a bunk type bed and a sink.  But on the train from Berlin to Amsterdam, I actually had a shower in my little compartment.  It was such a luxury. It was quite ingeniously made, like a sliding cylinder.  I could hardly move inside it but I loved it nonetheless!.

Here is the "found" 11th layout ... now I am really and truly done with this kit.  I will do a "kill" post on Saturday.  I really enjoyed working with this kit and have come to the conclusion that kits (well Scraptastic anyway) are definitely the way to go for me.  I will talk more about this in my "kill", or month in review post !

This layout is part of the Mont St-Michel, France mini series of layouts I did this month.  They are all about stairs lol .... I am kinda proud of the title on this one :

 You will notice that this layout uses my new found go-to design, with two 4 X 4 photos placed slightly askew on the page.  I used my last full sheet of patterned paper as the background.

Again, thanks so much for being here and I will "talk" to y'all on Saturday.  Hugs xoxo

9th layout with the June 2014 Scraptastic Kit - 12 X 12 - Funtime

Happy Wednesday all !!!  I hope you are having a wonderful day wherever you are and whatever you are doing.  It is pouring here today but the temperature is so very pleasantly cool, after a few really hot and muggy ones LOL.

I had a bit of a brutal return to work - 5 days, 50 hours. I love my job though and everything went really well, so I am a little tired but happy to have two days off. Then, back at work for a day before a weekend off.  Next week, my schedule should get back to normal - I work three 10 hour days Mon-Wed; then a short 5-6 hour day on Fridays !!  Not bad huh?

Today, I am having a nice, quiet day with some scrapping, some reading, some cooking and watching a bit of tennis.  No chores - I will think about those tomorrow LOL.

I want to share the 9th layout I made with my June Scraptastic kit - the Best Day of my Life kit :

Lately, I enjoy working with two 4 X 4 photos and putting them slightly askew on the page.  They are generally 4 X 6 photos that I crop although I am getting the hang of printing IG photos in that format on my photo printer at home - slowly but surely LOL.

You may also notice that this page design is similar to a couple of other layouts I made this month.  In fact, it is quickly becoming a favourite of mine and a go-to design.  My style has been greatly influenced lately by Nancy Sinclair (kittyscrapper on You Tube) and nicolejones911 (Nicole uses the same name on pretty much all social media), Tracy Banks (mercytiara on You Tube and Scraptastic); and, of course Shimelle remains a favourite of mine.  But there are so many great new You Tubers out there, it is a scrapper's paradise. By the way, if you have not joined Nicole Jones facebook group, head on over there right now - the inspiration and motivation are utterly amazing! 

The supplies :  I am already down to patterned paper scraps, but pretty much everything on the page does come from the kit and its add-on.  I used the cut apart sheet in several different areas for the layering.  The only things that come from my own add-on are :

• The chipboard hearts, camera and stars are from the Studio Calico Essentials line
• The alphas I used for the title are from Jillibean Soup's Alphabeans in Grapefruit pink
• There were some enamel dots in the add-on kit but I also added some from my own stash

The story:  My  l'il sister has two cats and I have one (of course, we also have our puppy Oliver, the subject of a couple of layouts this month as well).  One of her cats is very grumpy and does not like anyone except for my BIL; she barely tolerates my sister LOL.  So when I go spend time there with my cat, we never see her.  She stays upstairs and grumbles.  If anyone of us, or worse, my cat goes near her, she hisses!!  But Deb's other cat, Sophie and my Chopin just get along famously.  They love to play together; they play chase and wrestle.  But it always seems to start with Sophie washing Chopin's ears and head, hence the photos on this layout.  When we leave to come home, Chopin is exhausted and just sleeps for a couple of days, although he searches for Sophie.  And Sophie also seems at a loss for a couple of days after Chopin leaves :).  True kitty love LOL.

As always, thanks for stopping by and reading all the way through :).  I will be back tomorrow with the tenth and final layout made with the June kit. Hugs xoxo

8th layout with the June Scraptastic kit - 12 X 12 - My favourite martian

Good morning all !  I really hope you had a fabulous weekend.  Here in Canada, it was a long weekend - yay !  I got back home yesterday, after 3 weeks in the country playing in the garden, playing with the animals, reading under a shade tree, harvesting garden bounty, scrapping up a storm, cooking up a storm,  and sometimes just staring off into the distance LOL.  Such relaxation!!!

I am still on vacation until Friday, but this week is a bit of a transition week, getting ready for the return to work.  It is also the Masters 1000 ATP Tennis tournament in Toronto and the WTA women's International tournament in Montreal, so a big tennis watching and cheering week.  But I will definitely get some scrappy time in as well :).  And, I have a ton of photos to get printed from the vacation!

This morning, I wanted to pop in and show you my 8th layout with the Best Day of my Life kit - a fun layout about our dog Oliver :

The story : Gord and June (members of my extended family) bought a house recently.  The house had stood empty for a couple of months, so the grass in the backyard was almost knee high when my BIL Ron and Oliver got there to help Gord out the day he took possession.The yard is totally fenced in so we could leave Oliver off leash even though it was new surroundings for him.  Well, he went crazy running and playing in the tall grass - it was so high, we could hardly see him LOL.  When it was time for Ron to actually cut the grass (oh my what a job !!!!), Oliver went up on the deck to sit with Gord.  If you look closely, you can seen that his paws are all green !!

The supplies:  Everything on this layout came from the kit except a few very small items:

• I cut the yellow camera die cut at the top out of a piece from the Lemon Lush 6 X 6 paper pad
• The puffy stickers (the house on the bottom left and the balloons on the top right) came from the Amy Tangerine collection
• The little strip with the bones on the right hand side came from a 4 X 6 card in the SN@P dog set
• I am not sure if the flair is from this kit or a previous one, or maybe my Citrus Twist PL kit?
• the enamel dots could be from the kit or from my own add-on

I really love scrapping these fun little everyday moments and have been doing more of it lately.  Something I plan to continue.

As always, thanks for stopping by (I love getting up in the morning and checking out the view stats LOL - yup maybe I need a life LOL).  I appreciate all the time you take to visit me and if you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to leave them below.

Have a wonderful day, wherever you are and whatever you have on your plate today.  I hope you get at least a chuckle if not a full blown belly laugh.  Hugs xoxo