December Layout of the Month

Near the each of each month, a new thread will pop up in which you can submit a nomination for the Layout of the Month. This is a great way to bring attention to a fantastic layout as well as earning a free kit for the layout creator if her layout wins! The rules are very simple, any layout can be nominated [with the exception of layouts made by STS designers] & the layout has to have been uploaded during the current month. I'm always eager to see what's been nominated, often I'll see layouts pop up that I never noticed before; it's a great way to get inspiration for your own layouts. Head on over to the December nomination thread to see all the amazing layouts nominated this month.

This month's winner is Christmas 2010 Family Photo by Stephanie [AKA filandstef] & I think it was well chosen! Just look at all that fabulous clustering of elements & papers behind the photo. I'm also a sucker for rounded photos & I think the word art Stephanie used for the title is super cute. Stephanie used A Christmas To Remember by Meagan's Creations & click on the layout to go leave Stephanie some love in the gallery!

Be sure to check out the Layout of the Month section of the forum near the end of January & nominate your favorite layout for a chance to win!

Inspiration Station

I always seem to start out with one idea for Inspiration Station & then do something totally different! This week we're going to take a look at some journaling layouts, I hope these give you some great inspiration for your own journaling layouts.

December 2012 | LilyAnn
Love this layout by Lily, the monochromatic look gives off such a calm feeling that I could just stare at it for hours. OK, not really but Lily's done a great job in splitting up the journaling with the title & elements; the picture gives you a glimpse at her family but doesn't overwhelm the layout. Lily used the kit You Give Me Wings by 3 Li'l Monsters Designs.

Interview with Brayden | sgroenke
Sometimes you can get great journaling ideas from your kids which also serves the dual purpose of remembering all the cute things they said for when they're all grownup! Love how Sheri has asked Brayden a bunch of questions & then interspersed them throughout the layout. That cute picture of Brayden with the little picture of Sheri is a great touch; Sheri used the huge kit ABC by AmyDane Designs.

I am Thankful | Scrappingirl
If doing a lot of journaling is a bit intimidating, then try to break it up into sections like Dana did with this layout. While this is actually a list, Dana's made it look like several paragraphs separated with the ribbons & title. Love the large elements! Dana used the kit Our Home and Native Land by Meagan's Creations & a template from the I'm a Journalist Template Pack by Queen Wild Scraps.

Blessed | Wtunison
Now this is a list! Love Wendy's idea to separate the list onto two papers with just the tiny picture & minimal elements. When doing your journaling keep in mind how the finished product will be printed. While a layout with a lot of journaling might be hard to read in the forum, this will look great when printed out in 12x12 format. Wendy used Sophistichic by Scraps N' Pieces for this layout.

O' Christmas Tree | Kimberly27
Got a lot of pictures but still want to do a good amount of journaling? Try out a two page layout where you have one page focused on the pictures & one on the journaling like Kimberly's Christmas tree layout. The pages perfectly complement each other without being overwhelming; Kimberly used North Pole by HD Creations.

Ireland | Pisgah13
Lastly, here's another great example of a two page layout with lots & lots of journaling & beautiful pictures. Both sides of the layout are great on their own but they need to be together to really get the full effect. Those pictures are just stunning! Pick up Irish Eyes by Seal Scraps if you need a little bit of Irish luck!

'Tis all for this week! Head on over to last week's thread, the Gallery, & the Stuff to Scrap Inspiration Blog to see what else our forum members have been up to & leave some love on your favorites. If you happen to see a layout that you would like to see featured on the blog, post it in this week's thread; I want to know what inspires you!

Inspiration Station

Busy, busy week around here & I'm so glad that all I have to do tonight is order a pizza & watch the New Year ring in! Here's some great layouts to check out if you're planning on doing some scrapping while watching the festivities on TV tonight!

O' Christmas Trees! | The Scrappy Kat
I'm really bummed that we didn't have a white Christmas so I loved seeing this layout by Kat of her cute son. Very cool how Kat used different papers for the trees & I'm digging the glitter splats that look like snow! Kat used the new kit, Most Wonderful Time of the Year, by Gettin' Scrappy with Britt for this great layout along with the template for this month's Template Challenge.

Little Piggies | Purplesparkly
This was posted in the Inspiration Station thread by Becky with a note about how she loved the extraction but it took me a minute to spot the extraction becuase it's done so well. Do you see it? JJ did an amazing extraction on the colored picture so that the hat & part of the piggy's ear is poking out above the frame. I think the shadow she added to the extraction makes it just perfect ... & now I want a piggy! JJ used the kit Khaki Splash by B2N2 Scraps for this fun layout.

Boys and Trucks | Jeneric
Ah, little boys with toys what could be better? Well, I'd say Jennifer's ability to use a background paper is better, I never would have thought of using it like that! The layout looks so busy but your eye is drawn to the picture with the frame & then you realize the layout is really not that busy at all. Fabulous job Jennifer & if you love that paper, pick up Planes, Trains, and Automobiles by Manda Lane Scraps.

Kenyan Train | Filandstef
I just love seeing Stephanie's layouts of her life in Kenya, it's so wonderful that she can share all her family's adventures with us through scrapbooking! Love the journaling & the typewriter font she used, gives it a very retro feel. Stephanie used a template from the Year in Review Templates set by Meagan's Creations & the kit Are We There Yet? by Meagan's Creations and Digital Harmony Design Studio.

Tiffany | Michelle
Another great photo editing trick is selective coloring, can you spot it in this layout? I'll give you a minute ... tick, tock. If you're still stumped take a look at the eyes, just a tiny hint of blue. Gives me the chills! Michelle did an amazing job & that is some cool background paper she used; pick up Michelle's kit Darling Dots & Damask for a similar look.

Chillin' Out | Wtunison
Lastly we have a fun layout by Wendy of one of her kids being silly. As always, Wendy's clustering is fabulous but I really like all the different papers she used behind the top paper which give the layout such a fun look. Wendy used several different products check out Greatest Snow On Earth by Scraps N' Pieces, Winter Words by Scraps N' Pieces & Peek-A-Boo Template Pack by Queen Wild Scraps to create a similar fun layout!

'Tis all for this week! Head on over to last week's thread, the Gallery, & the Stuff to Scrap Inspiration Blog to see what else our forum members have been up to & leave some love on your favorites. If you happen to see a layout that you would like to see featured on the blog, post it in this week's thread; I want to know what inspires you!

Challenge Me

Looks like 2012 is fast approaching but there's still a few more days to finish up the December challenges before we get a whole new set on Sunday. If you're anything like me & been way too busy this month, you'll be doing challenges right up until midnight on Saturday!

The December Layout of the Month nominations are now open, head to the thread to nominate your favorite layout by Friday, December 30th!

Working with digital products all the time can make one long for the scent of fresh glue. If that describes you, then check out the Hybrid Challenge where you are given a project each month that will use both digital & traditional scrapbooking products. Usually all you'll need for the projects are your printer, cardstock, a good pair of scissors, & glue. This month Amy of 3 Li'l Monsters Designs has challenged us to make a gift card holder; to help us out, there's a template you can download & use! Post a photo of your completed project in the December Hybrid Challenge thread for everyone to see. If you complete this challenge, you'll earn 15 points! On the left is BlueCat's submission using The Reason for the Season by Just So Scrappy; on the right is Crystal's submission using Ho Ho Ho by The Scrappy Kat.

If you're ever stumped for ideas, one great way to get inspiration is to take a peek in the gallery; that's where the inspiration for the Scraplift Challenge comes from each month. This month, Carissa of This Little Missy has chosen the layout Love by Shauna (AKA Tomosia) for us to scraplift. Go check out the layout & then post your interpretation in the December Scraplift Challenge thread. Completing this challenge will result in 10 points earned & if you use 90% or more of any current STS products you'll earn an extra 5 points! On the left is Sleigh Ride by ILuvCrush using Winter Nights by Knittinjen; on the right is Mini Wonderland by love2learn using Funky Wintertime by Jensen Motley Crew Designs.

Sometimes it's hard to find just the right words to include in your layout but the Quote Challenge can give you a good jump start. Each month will feature a great, inspirational or just a really silly quote to use. The December Quote Challenge is All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them by Walt Disney; you'll need to use the whole quote in your layout to earn the points. Completing this challenge will earn you 10 points & if you use 90% or more of any current STS products you'll earn an extra 5 points! On the left is Dreams by sparagus using Denim and Daisies by Just so Scrappy; on the right is Dream by megvill using Serenity by Shel Belle Scraps.

Ever had a song that you just couldn't get out of your head? It happens to our designers all the time so the Song Lyric Challenge was created. Each month a new song is posted & then you'll need to use some or even all of the lyrics in your layout. This month's song is Silent Night; head over to the December Song Lyric Challenge thread for all the lyrics & start scrapping. This challenge will net you 10 points & if you use 90% or more of any current STS products you'll earn an extra 5 points! On the left is Peaceful When You Sleep by Andrea using Emma's Room by Scraps by Andrea; on the right is Christmas at the Kindergarten by gyurgyik using Magical Holiday's by Growing Pains Scrapped.

The Word of the Week Challenge is running until Saturday, December 31st & this week's word is White. Post your layouts in this week's WOW thread by Saturday night to earn your points. Remember that to earn the bonus points, you need to complete each week's challenge, you can find the WOW rules & point tracking thread right here.

The Challenge of the Week will run until Saturday, December 31st & this week we are challenged to make a Year-at-a-Glance Calendar; a template is provided in this week's COW thread. Remember that to earn the bonus points, you need to complete each week's challenge, you can find the COW rules & point tracking thread right here. On the left is loaner's calendar using Greatest Snow on Earth by Scraps N Pieces; on the right is Becky Roy's calendar using Remember When by MDK Scraps.

This week's Featured Designer Challenge is brought to you Susan of IvoryKeys Digital Dreams & ends on Sunday, January 1. Susan has put her whole store on sale for 50% off until Sunday so if you don't have any of her fabulous products yet, now you've got a great excuse to pick one up! Plus there's a scavenger hunt going on & if you find everything you'll be entered to win a kit! On the left is Chinese with Small Group by Kendra using Meadowlark; on the right is Tasha Faces 2004 by KatherineWoodin using Strike a Pose.

The Fine Print: You'll earn points on almost all of the challenges & when you reach 500 points, you'll receive a $5.00 gift card to the Stuff to Scrap store to purchase anything that catches your fancy. Points roll over from month to month & do not expire! Please remember that to earn any extra bonus points, you must state in your challenge post that you've used 90% or more current STS products or you will not earn the bonus points. There is no double dipping with challenges, i.e. you cannot use a layout made for a speed scrap for one of the monthly challenges or use one layout for two challenges. The only exception is a double page layout where each side is for a different challenge. The use of quick pages for challenge layouts are not allowed, all layouts must be made from scratch or with a template. You are most welcome to make a post in the December Challenge Round-up thread to keep track of all the challenges & points you've earned. As always, any layouts featured in this post are linked to the gallery for easy love leaving.

Inspiration Station

Since today is Christmas Eve, I've decided that we need to see some fabulous Christmas layouts! There were so many to choose from, I had such a hard time narrowing it down but here are my final picks.

For Eating Gingerbread | Kandiced
Naturally, one of the big events of any holiday is eating, eating, eating & what's better than decorating your very own gingerbread man? Judging by the look on the face of Kandice's son, I'm going to have to say nothing! Kandice used Up on the Rooftop by Scrappin' Serenity to this layout so much fun to look at.

Kats Kids Christmas Picture 2011 | Stacielk
Anyone else have trouble getting their kids to pose for holiday photos? I had such trouble this year but I only had two to pose, I can't imagine trying to get 4 kids looking in the same direction! But Stacie shows us that it doesn't matter what direction the kids are looking in, they will look adorable no matter what; those dresses are to die for! Pick up the free-for-this-month-only kit The Best Time of the Year by Scrapeam2008 if you've got cute kid pictures to scrap.

Lucy | Junfunkie
Sometimes it's just best to give up on the fancy outfits & backgrounds & just go for the au naturel look. After all, a kid enjoying a fuzzy stuffed animal makes for a great picture, just look at how cute this little one is in Laura's layout! Love the clustering behind the photo, snag A Merry Celebration by Digi-Designs by Nicole if you love it as well!

Visit to Santa | Becky22
After getting the kids dressed up, it's time for a little fun by visiting Santa. I'm lucky that my kids love visiting Santa but if your kiddos won't go near Santa, then just get a family picture like Becky & her husband did! For a funky layout like this one pick up Becky's kit A Little Christmas Whimsy.

Christmas Lights | Queen.wild
To wind things down, a drive to see the Christmas lights around town is always in order. One benefit of viewing Christmas lights via car is that it's much warmer & you can get some funny pictures like Lahni's family did! They look nice & warm, & the black & white photos go so well with Lahni's new kit, Deck the Halls.

Winter | Gluvsc
Finally, isn't this what we are all hoping for tomorrow? Simple, lovely & white ... Gluvsc has put together such a beautiful layout using Blue Christmas by Shel Belle Scraps with just a picture & a few papers. Stunning.

'Tis all for this week! Head on over to last week's thread, the Gallery, & the Stuff to Scrap Inspiration Blog to see what else our forum members have been up to & leave some love on your favorites. If you happen to see a layout that you would like to see featured on the blog, post it in this week's thread; I want to know what inspires you!

Challenge Me

Wow, has this month gone fast! Can you believe there are only 9 days left until the new year? That means just 9 days to finish the December challenges so let's take a look at some more challenges today.

Don't forget that you've got 3 more days to participate in the January Road Trip Winter Formal. You'll need to post your preview & blog code in the January Road Trip thread by December 25th at 11:59 PM MST. Your contributions must remain a freebie until the 15th of the month, after that you are welcome to expire your contribution, sell it, or leave it as a freebie on your blog. Please read through the Information Thread for general instructions & the January Road Trip thread for specific information on the upcoming Road Trip. Take a look at some of the cute submissions so far; come & join us!

A really fun challenge is the Scrap What? Challenge where we are often challenged to scrap things we might never have thought of before. This month, Shel of Shel Belle Scraps is challenging us to scrap a favorite memory of 2011, this is going to be hard! Post your take on the challenge in the December Scrap What? Challenge thread. For this challenge you can earn 10 points plus an extra 5 points if you use 90% or more of any current STS products. On the left is Titanic by Kendra using Chill Out by Scraps N' Pieces; on the right is Year in Review 2011 by ljacobsen using Those Were The Days & Year In Review Templates by Meagan's Creations.

When you're pressed for time, it's great to use quick pages to get a layout done quickly & a way to get a lot of free quick pages is to participate in the Quick Page Exchange. The designer hosting the exchange will pick out one of their kits & you are challenged to create a quick page with the kit [you may only use the featured kit to avoid copyright issues]. Don't know how to make a quick page? Go to this thread in the forum to download a free action for PSE & PS; you can find some great tips on making quick pages in this thread.

This month the featured kit is Perfect Winter Day by Susan of IvoryKeys Digital Dreams. Susan has put the kit on sale for 50% off the whole month! Post your completed quick page in the December Quick Page Exchange thread & don't forget to send your quick page to Susan! For participating you'll get 10 points plus at the end of the month, Susan will email you all the quick pages that have been submitted!

Since many of us are on Facebook, naturally there is a Facebook Challenge to complete. But I'm going to make you do a little work for this challenge; you'll have to go to the Stuff to Scrap Facebook Page & look for a post around December 1 for the instructions. Post your layouts in the December Facebook Challenge thread to earn your points. This challenge will net you 5 points & if you use 90% or more of any current STS products you'll earn an extra 5 points. On the left is Walking in a Winter Wonderland by sgroenke using The Greatest Snow on Earth by Scraps N' Pieces; on the right is GGparents zip line by jptaylorfamily using March of the Animals by Scraps By Andrea.

The Word of the Week Challenge runs until Saturday, December 24 & this week's word is Excitement. Post your layouts in this week's WOW thread by Saturday night to earn your points. Remember that to earn the bonus points, you need to complete each week's challenge, you can find the WOW rules & point tracking thread right here. Here's Christmas Visit by BriannasScrapper using A Little Christmas Whimsy by B2N2 Scraps.

The Challenge of the Week is running until Saturday, December 24 & this week we are challenged to scrap a holiday event. Post your layouts in this week's COW thread by Saturday night to earn your points. Remember that to earn the bonus points, you need to complete each week's challenge, you can find the COW rules & point tracking thread right here. On the left is a layout by love2learn using Most Wonderful Time by Scraps Of Ellay & Xmas Templates by MDK Scraps; on the right is All I Want for Christmas by LilyAnn using Pine Cones and Holly Berries a STS Designer Collaboration.

This week's Featured Designer Challenge is brought to you by Becky of B2N2 Scraps & runs until Sunday, December 25. Becky has put her whole store on sale for 45% off until Sunday so if you don't have any of her fabulous products yet, now you've got a great excuse to pick one up! Be sure to check out the scavenger hunt for a chance to win a coupon to Becky's store! On the left is Thumb Sucking Goodness by smodi65 using Sweet Tooth; on the right is November by lwyant using Autumn Bliss.

The Fine Print: You'll earn points on almost all of the challenges & when you reach 500 points, you'll receive a $5.00 gift card to the Stuff to Scrap store to purchase anything that catches your fancy. Points roll over from month to month & do not expire! Please remember that to earn any extra bonus points, you must state in your challenge post that you've used 90% or more current STS products or you will not earn the bonus points. There is no double dipping with challenges, i.e. you cannot use a layout made for a speed scrap for one of the monthly challenges or use one layout for two challenges. The only exception is a double page layout where each side is for a different challenge. The use of quick pages for challenge layouts are not allowed, all layouts must be made from scratch or with a template. You are most welcome to make a post in the December Challenge Round-up thread to keep track of all the challenges & points you've earned. As always, any layouts featured in this post are linked to the gallery for easy love leaving.

Inspiration Station

Yea for the weekend. Just one more week to go until Christmas & two weeks off of school! Wait ... I like the kids in school! Heehee, before I start freaking out about what to do with my boys during their winter break, I'd like to show off the lovely layouts I found in the gallery this week.

Pinewood Derby | SAHM Scrapper
Ah, the Pinewood Derby a rite of passage for all Boy Scouts! I didn't realize the track was that long, not sure I ever attended any of the ones that my brother participated in. Becky did a fab job with the paper & picture blocking but the tilted stacked papers give the layout a funky feel. Should you have derby pictures to scrap, pick up Pinewood Derby by Designing Divas & All Things Blue and Gold by AmyDane Designs for all your racing needs!

2011 in Review | LadySilver
Love this layout by Mary using one of the new templates from Meagan's Creations. Such great pictures & I love how instead of the full month names, she used just the first letter; a full year compressed into just 12 photos. Very, very cool! Mary used a template from the new Year in Review Templates set by Meagan's Creations & the kit is Denim and Daisies by Just So Scrappy.

All Is Bright | ChristieDawn
Some more wonderful holiday templates can be found from MDK Scraps & here's a great example by Christie. I'm digging that funky pink star & all the little ornaments on the paper strip tree, such a fun layout to look at! Christie used a tempalte from the Xmas Templates set by MDK Scraps & the kit is Most Wonderful Time by Scraps of Ellay.

Happy Girl | Meleahg
Meleah has scrapped some cute pictures that show us a Christmas kit can be used for non-Christmas layouts! When you've got a funky kit like A Christmas to Remember by Designs by Christi you can use it to make all sorts of layouts since there are tons of non-themed elements & the color scheme is not traditional. But that's a good thing as you can see below!

About Alli | Allielli
It's layouts like this one that make me want to take a peek inside of some of the brains of our forum members. Alli has done an amazing job with this kit, she's made this layout look busy but simple all at the same time. How did she do that?!?!? Love cluster right in the middle which breaks up the layout beautifully. If you want to scraplift Alli's layout, pick up Thankful Blessings by Queen Bee Scraps.

First Snow | Purplesparkly
JJ is another member I would love to watch in action, her layouts are always do different & fun, I'm really envious of her talent. But if I can't have her talent I'll just settle for ooohing & aaahing over her layouts. Love the blended photos as the background with the offset papers filling up the bottom. This is one layout I am so going to scraplift once we get some snow! JJ used the new kit Merry and Bright by 3 Li'l Monsters Designs.

'Tis all for this week! Head on over to the Gallery & the Stuff to Scrap Inspiration Blog to see what else our forum members have been up to & leave some love on your favorites. If you happen to see a layout that you would like to see featured on the blog, post it in this week's thread; I want to know what inspires you!