Featured Designer - Inspired Designs

Since my life now revolves so much around scrapbooking, I thought it would be fun to do a monthly Featured Designer.  Every month, I will spot light a designer for you to check out.
This month, I am showing off Crystal of Inspired Designs.  The first time I came across her designs was when her kit Forever Yours came out.  With a monkey-lover in my house, I knew that I needed to buy it right away.  We had even just done a Sock Monkey Birthday Party.  I loved the kit so much that later, it was a $2 Tuesday special and I bought it again *blush!
I did a page of all the sock monkeys from the birthday and then couldn't decide and did another.  Which do you prefer?

For the most part, everything the same, but I have such a hard time with white space, I felt like I needed to fill it, so I added the big close-up.

The layouts used her kit and Little Rad Trio's template

Then, more recently, I scrapbooked an new layout with her kit - One of Kind.  Perfect for those of us with little boys to scrap about

Such a cute kit with lots of stars, signs and cute papers.

Another one that I did awhile back included her fun Right Here Right Now Today Pocket cards, that helped me put together a layout of my then recent tooth issue

So, go check out her shop!  

http://store.gingerscraps.net/Inspired-Designs/

#31DaysofJoy final

I just loved doing the 31 Days of Joy last month.  I really think that it helped to keep my focus on the Joy of the season!  I will definitely want to do it again next year.
For this year, I put together a double page spread of all 31 of my photos using the very awesome Dear Friends Designs. Not only are their templates so great, but Colleen & Katrina are the sweetest and coolest people! When I started my ‪#‎31DaysofJoy‬ last month and asked if they could maybe do templates for it, I was *sort of* kidding. Haha. They totally made these templates that capture a whole month of photos. They are perfect for a showing off a whole month, November's 30 Thankful Days, or P365. I used the December buffet items for my papers and elements. Dear Friends Designs - 31 Days of Joy http://store.gingerscraps.net/31-Days-of-Joy-Template.html
Aprilisa - Gingerbread Kit http://store.gingerscraps.net/Gingerbread-Kit-by-Aprilisa-D…
Ponytails Designs - Gingerbread Joyhttp://store.gingerscraps.net/Gingerbread-Joy.htmlAprilisa Designs - Gingerbread Cardshttp://store.gingerscraps.net/Gingerbread-Cards-by-Aprilisa…Aprilisa - Gingerbread Alpha http://store.gingerscraps.net/Gingerbread-Alpha-by-Aprilisa…Pixelily - Countdown to Holiday http://store.gingerscraps.net/Countdown-To-Holiday.html

Spread Joy out there - no matter the month ;)

Meagan

Setting Goals for the new Year

Welcome to 2016!
New years are for new beginnings, right? At the start of a new year, everyone talks about making resolutions.  Some make a new one every year and I think the biggest downfall is how long before you loose track of your resolution.  Some make plans for their health, diet or exercise.  Some give up something.  For me - it is about scrapbooking, lol!  I don't go so far as to call it a resolution, but just a goal.
Last year, I joined a Mousescrappers group dedicated to help us achieve our goals.  We all set scrapbooking goals, held monthly speed scraps and chats to over support.  I sucked at keeping track all year.  We were supposed to updated our tracking thread each month.  I think I only made it to March.  What I did do great at was getting pages done towards my goals.  I didn't quite get any albums completed, but I did concentrate on those albums that needed doing.  I got really close to finishing my Disneyland 2008 album and did a ton of work on my 2012 album.  (Yes, I really am this behind!!)
So, my new goals -
Finish Disney 2008 This month
Finish Disney 2012- April, June, October, November
Finish Family 2012
Work on 2013-2016
Print Disney 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012 albums

Here are my favorite pages that I completed this year:

Little Green Frog template, Chelle & Dream Big Designs Heros Fire kit

Connie Prince's Double Page Vol 3 & Seaside Kit & extra papers

Clever Monkey Graphics and Meagan's Creations On the Trail Bundle
Scrapping with Liz Photo Journal Template
Trixie Scraps Croaky Kisses

Dagi's Temp-tations Day by Day 5 template
also uses - North Meets South Studios Nature Boy (older kit) 
and coordinating embossed cardstock by Trixie Scraps 
left side includes Connie Prince's Razzle Dazzle (for sparkly elements) 
and Amanda Yi and Cornelia Designs Cloudy with a Chance of Happiness (alpha) 

LJS Designs - Wild at Heart 
CathyK Designs - Rustic Christmas
Dear Friends Designs - Chock Full Templates

Seatrout Scraps - See Right Through Me Set 2 - older set, retired?

Blue Heart Scraps - Get Kraken 

Gingerscraps Gingerbread Ladies collab - Lost At Sea 

JB Studio - Incredible Life Vol 4 Temp 3 
LJS Designs - Empty Nest 

Clever Monkey Graphics - Cluster Frames Vol 13 from 2015 DSD Cluster Frame Grab Bag http://store.gingerscraps.net/Cluster-Frames-iDSDgb-by-Clever-Monkey-Graphics.html *Also uses Clever Monkey Graphics - Swim Like A Fish (older) http://store.gingerscraps.net/Swim-Like-a-Fish-by-Clever-Monkey-Graphics.html

Dagi's Temp-tations - Day By Day 12 http://store.gingerscraps.net/Day-By-Day-12.html

Little Rad Trio's Christmas Rejoice http://store.gingerscraps.net/Christmas-Rejoice-full-kit.html

Clever Monkey Graphics - Christmas Ho Ho http://store.gingerscraps.net/christmas-hoho-by-Clever-Monkey-Graphics.html

Dear Friends Designs - Blessed Days http://store.gingerscraps.net/Blessed-Days.html

These are just my favorite ones, but I loved *most* of the layouts that I did this year.  Check out my Gingerscraps Gallery or my Mousescrappers Gallery to see more.  I am amazed to see my Galleries fill up and I can't wait to fill them up even more.
So, what are your goals for this year??

Cornelia Designs

One of my favorite things about being a Digital Scrapbooking Creative Team member for Gingerscraps is that I get the opportunity to work with all different kinds of Designers.  This month, I was able to check out Cornelia Designs.  One of my favorite older kits of hers is her Book-A-Holic .

I should say - "Of Course"!  I have used it for quiet a few book related layouts, but I also like to use the basics and alphas out of it for lots of non-book layouts.
For this layout, I used her Stormy Blues template and her Ice Cream Kit, but used the solids from Book-A-Holic.  I love how cute this turned out with all the splatters and bright colors.

For this next one, I used the same template set, but went with her Christmas kit called Home for the Holidays.  The pinks and yellows are so different and really make it stand out.

For Banned Books Week this year, I did a page dedicated to To Kill A Mockingbird and used her Book-A-Holic Bundle,

Go check out her shop.  I am sure you will find something you like.
Meagan

Kellybell's End of Year Blog Train & New Wanna Trade kit

If you love Disney, then you probably are a collector of some kind of Disney memorabilia.  That might include trading pins, Vinylmations, mouse ears, t-shirts, ornaments, princess costumes or lots of other fun stuff to fill up your house!  Kelly's newest collection today is perfect for collectors.  It's a pocket collection filled with bright happy colors and lots of adorable trading tidbits.

These new releases can be found inside the  Kellybell Designs Store inside priced at 25% off this weekend only.  You can view all the CT layouts at  Kelly's Blog or Kelly's Facebook Page.
You can see mine here:

I am more a Pin Hoarder than a Pin Trader ;)  hehe

It's the end of the year and this is the final blog post for 2015 for Kellybell Designs.  I was excited to be asked to be part of the fun this year and create a freebie along with all of the other Kellybell Creative Team.   The theme is rope drop word art.  I know you're going to love it!
Here is your blog train path:

Kelly and Ana - http://kellybelldesigns.com/blog/

Linda and Lynnette - http://www.mjajdesigns.blogspot.com/

Lisa - http://lisacampbelldesigns.blogspot.com/

Charlene - http://www.thefreckledshamrock.blogspot.com/

Jenn - http://scrappingwithjenn.blogspot.com/

Julie - http://www.designsbyjul.blogspot.com/

JessicaK - http://www.13point1memories4jess.blogspot.com/

Jennifer - http://ibrakeforthemouse.blogspot.com/

Amy - http://scrappinmemories78.blogspot.com/

JulieP - http://theriverroadgirl.blogspot.com/
LindaP -  https://surrenderthesandwich.wordpress.com/
Meagan -  http://meaganshowto.blogspot.com/

Roxana - http://scrapscardsandmore.blogspot.com/

Warmest holiday wishes to your and your family!  See you next year!

I used Mousetastic, the alpha from Temple of Doom and Mouse Memories Extras to create a word art for those days when the parks are "Very Crowded"!!  I hope you like it.  Click on the image or here to grab it.

#31DaysofJoy

What is #31DaysofJoy, you ask?  Why should I want to join in?

Back in March of 2014, I stumbled upon a inspirational idea - The 100 Happy Days.  I had already been thinking about ways to concentrate on the good things in life, and so when I read about the idea to take a picture each day of something that makes you happy, I was quick to join in.  Even though I did not take a picture every single one of the 100 days, I still feel like it was a HUGE success.  I found myself looking forward to finding something Happy.  I found it everywhere!

With the approach of the Holidays, I have been thinking about what a positive influence it had been on my life and have considered what else I could do to focus on the important part of this month.  Worry less about all that other stuff that gets in the way of enjoying the Christmas holidays.  The hustle, lines, illness, trying to fit everything in.  It is easy to loose track of the joy of this month.   That was when I put the two together and thought how great it would be to celebrate December with a joyful photo EACH day!  The #31DaysofJoy was born.

Please join along and find something that brings you Joy each day this month.  Take a photo of it and use the hashtag #31DaysofJoy and share them to bring Joy to others, too!   The photos can be anything that brings you Joy.  Simple things like an ornament that reminds you of something Joyful, driving to see Christmas lights, a smile on your child's face, a holiday gathering with family & friends, getting cozy in your blankets - whatever is Joyful to you!!  The photo does not need to be some perfect Photographers one, just that it is of something Joyful.  Let's spread as much Joy as we can.  I will be sharing mine on my Intagram and Facebook and then I will update here as well.

Here is my first picture.  I love waking up to my beautiful Christmas tree each morning.  It always reminds me of years of Christmas traditions and happy holidays gathered around the tree.

What makes you Joyful??

Sailing Through September!

The time has flown so quickly.  The last time I posted was August 9th and here it is 9/23!  How does that happen?  I guess Life Happens!!
Since that time, my kids have all started back to school - and boy was that a huge deal.  All 4 kids in school for the first time in 16 years!  I have no little ones at home in the morning, but that time goes fast though.  It also means that I have 4 different school schedules to keep track of and I am the family taxi.
With all my kids so big, I love to scrapbook older photos and reminisce over those little faces.  This month, I spent more time on older photos than normal.  I have been scouring my older photos and trying to clean up my digital files.  That is a HUGE job in itself.  My old "vault" with pictures from 2000-2010 has 15,000 photos on it!

Here is the oldest one - My Grandpa and his friend Oakie in about 1949 using Gingerscraps Buffet pieces from
Dagi's Temp-taions - Autumn Glory Templates 
Little Rad Trio - Fishing Fun 
Pixelily Outdoor Explore Artsy Papers 

 
When my youngest started school, I did a little looking back to when my now 10th grader started Kindergarten from 10 years ago.

Dear Friends Designs - Through the Years - Kindergarten

Clever Monkey Graphics - School Rules

I did this double page spread from 4 years ago and my son's friend's 1st birthday party in the park.
Also with Buffet items, it includes
Dear Friends Designs - Celebrate 
Aprilisa Designs - Picnic in the Park 
B2N2 Scraps - The Great Outdoors Patterned Papers 
Pixelily Designs - Outdoor Explore 
Connie Prince - Nature Walk Kit 
Boomers Girls Designs - Beach Boys Extra Alphas 

I just love looking at these pics of my little man as a baby!  I had snapped these pictures of him at the library and used a dinosaur kit that matches his outfit that I loved and a play on words.
Magical Scraps Galore - Prehistoric World 
Dear Friends Designs - Shape Me Template 

Then, I re-scrapped a page that I did awhile ago that I just never loved.  Do you ever have that, where you just don't love how a page turns out.  LJS came out with a kit for empty-nesters - meaning parents whose kids have left the nest, but I couldn't help but re-do this page of an actual nest with it's baby birds.
JB Studio - Incredible Life Vol 4 Temp 3 
LJS Designs - Empty Nest 

Boys are so much fun.  You have to let them play in the mud and dirt and worms - it is just a boy thing!!
Leaving A Legacy Designs - Mud Pies and Gray Skies 
Little Rad Trio - Think About It template 

Here is another old one.  I just love fall!  All the apples, pumpkins, cool weather.  So, I just love all the kits that come out this time of the year.
House Party Template by Little Rad Trio 
Apple-icious by LJS Designs 

And here are a few more Fall Ones
LJS Designs - Fall Frolics 
Dear Friends Designs - Grab Bag #1 (Random Memories) 

And for Gingerscraps 7th birthday, there were a bunch of $5 grab bags with tons of goodies

Clever Monkey Graphics Grab Bag for $5 during GS birthday - Happy Fall Y'All (recolored teal flowers, leaves, purple big flower and orange alpha to periwinkle)

Dear Friends Designs - Grab Bag #1 Assemble

LJS Designs On the Boardwalk (Ice Cream Cone)

Look for another post from me soon with some more scrapping goodies!
Until then, Happy Fall to you