Scrapping Ambitions

I've been scrapbooking since 1996 and in the past couple of years really slacked off. I have found blogging helps me complete projects in other crafts, so thought a scrapbooking blog might get me going. I didn't want to further confuse my other blogs, so this one is in a home of its own. I'm a traditional paper and tape scrapbooker - no metal parts, nothing to damage photos. I have no desire to do digital scrapbooking. I'm beginning to do some card making to have additional stuff to do with my punches and other supplies and need to soon get cracking on those Yuletide cards.

I would say that I have a clean style. Although I will have a lot of photos on the page, the page elements are fairly restricted. To get an idea of my style, here are some of the last pages I worked on (more than 2 years ago!). As you can see, they range from the elegant to the cutesy. My layout ideas come from a variety of sources, including online contests (where you get a sketch and make a page based on that sketch). I need to do more journaling than I do, but I do most of it by hand unless there is a lot to write. When I look at photos of long ago relatives, I am glad to see my grandmother's handwriting, not some computer generated font. I leave those to the titling. I will try to always include the tools information, but I never pay attention to the paper stuff other than whether it is paper, cardstock or vellum, sticker or paperpunch. So, I'm not going to be too helpful to you there.

The photos featured below are from a 2005 trip to Texas (just after the two hurricanes). I went to Sea World in San Antonio, a quilt show in Houston and a cowboy festival in Fort Worth. I finished the trip visiting caves along Interstate 10 as far west as Ozana. I love paperpiecing! See the last photo with the gator.

This was a basic layout featured in a Creative Memories Fast Layouts book.


Online contest using a sketch. The star and hexagons are made from Creative Memories punches.


I believe this was a sketch at an online site, but no longer remember. My photos wouldn't actually fit and it became part of the design element to offset the very dark information sign. Needs some journaling. It's just not enough to have an informational marker. Folks reading your book want to know why did you stop here or why did you like THIS place? Circle is from Creative Memories circle template.

My own layout. Used Creative Memories specialty ruler to make the paper-pieced river.

Bottom layout is closely copied from paperpiecing book. I didn't have the best placement for all the insects, but I'm still happy with it. Note: will update with name of book when I find it.