Love, One Day At A Time - #9 of my 365 layout challenge for 2019

Hey there Newbies!  Here is layout number 9 of my 365 pages of layouts for this year (that's my challenge I gave myself and I am a couple of pics behind but I'm going to make it!).

This picture was taken this past summer when we spent a few days in PCB (Panama City Beach, Florida).  We lucked out in a couple of ways.  We found the 10th floor condo on Air BNB.  Kevin and his wife were amazing, when they found out it was my mom's birthday that week they let us check in early and check out late.  We also lucked out because we missed that hurricane that went through there less than a month later!  Their place was untouched, but the City South of them wasn't so lucky - we kept everyone in our thoughts/prayers.

I kept this layout pretty simple because the picture is so amazing...that sunset is just breathtaking!

I started out with 12 x 12 card stock and then cut a corner from another light yellow card stock and glued it to the upper left corner, leaving just a little bit of the bottom card stock showing.
I have a heart shaped stencil (purchased from Amazon) that I've never used before and thought I would try it on this layout.  I used chalk and a finger dauber to stencil it on to both backgrounds.  It's very faint, almost like a water mark.  I liked how it turned out using the chalk!  This is a technique I never tried before - and here is lesson #1; don't be afraid to try new techniques that you have either seen or thought up yourself.  I've done a lot of them and a lot of them haven't worked out (think mists as splatters...nope, a mist is HIGHLY water based so don't even try it).  But this particular technique with the chalk and stencil I saw and wanted to try it and it worked!

I mounted the photo on some old card stock scrap I had - and here comes lesson #2; never throw out scraps!  Even the tiniest ones you want to try and keep.  This is an expensive hobby and supplies are not cheap so if you think you can use it down the line....keep it!  I also used the scrap from the light yellow paper I just used for the corner piece as a second backing to my photo as well as some foam squares to give it a little dimension. 

The darker background had a flower watermarked into it and it went with the theme and it really made the second yellow back ground of the photo and the photo itself POP with color!  I had a really old stash of beach puffy stickers and finally got to use them!  They all went beautifully with this layout.  I wish I had the original packaging but I don't so I can't tell you the name of them.  Trust me, if I knew I would buy more of it.  I'm sure it was from Michael's but it was a while ago so doubt they would even have it now.  

Before I adhered the puffy stickers I did some splatters using Radiant Pearls in MINT JULEP.  After I let it dry (COMPLETELY) I started laying out the stickers.


The "YOLO" and "XOXO" gold acrylic mirror stickers are from PinkFresh Studio. The "Quality Time" was from Jillibean Soup, (COLD AVOCADO SOUP collection).  The clear "IMAGINE", Heart with swirls (on pic) stickers were from The Paper Studio - CHILDREN PHRASES Sticker pack. The "LOVING THIS LIFE, "VACATION MODE", "LET'S GO" were all from Crate Paper - OASIS collection (I did add color to them to match the layout). Finally the "DREAM" sticker was from One Canoe Two (I just like saying that...One Canoe Two), HAZELWOOD collection.

I linked up all of the items I used above in the article, so if something gets you excited, you will be able to find it!

If anyone is looking for a condo right on the beach with AMAZING VIEWS and 2 pools, call Kevin, 229-516-2277 and see if it is available.  I highly recommend that area! 

Thanks for following along on my journey of 365 scrapbook page challenge that I am doing, and reading about the lessons I'm learning along the way!

Please join our FB page for more challenges and to share your layouts with the group or come follow me on IG!  

Happy Scrapping🤗

Kimberly

  

Post Christmas Sales!

Hey guys! Do you ever have one of those moments when you just want to kick yourself for not waiting?  Well this is one of my moments.  Who knew there would be SO MANY post Christmas Sales going on in all of the scrapbooking, mixed media stores that I love?  Not me that's who!  

I figured that Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the couple of days before Christmas was the prime time to hit the stores that I love and get the best deals, but low and behold it was not.  It is the after Christmas sales that one should wait for when restocking all of your shimmerz, tools, papers, specialty papers, stencils, dies and cool machines!  Although on the machines (think Cricut Air 2 because that's what I've had my eye on for a couple of months now), they pretty much have stayed the same sale price since Black Friday.  Still an awesome deal but I haven't taken the blunge and if I don't do it within the next couple of days I will have to wait until next year.

I guess I will chalk this up to experience...but hey, don't think I didn't buy anything on these awesome after Christmas sales...because I did!  Now I just have to find a place to hide all of those boxes from the husband!

So what are some of your favorite one line or big box stores to restock your scrapbooking and card making craft room?  Leave me a comment below.  I will post some after Christmas Sales on my FB page as well so make sure to join it so you can find the best deals fast before they are gone!

Happy Scraping!

Kimberly 

Why choose a name like Scrapbooking for Newbies?

Hey Newbies, I hope your day has been filled with lots of scrapbooking layouts and card making for the special people in your life!

I wanted to touch base on why I named this Blog and my FB and IG pages Scrapbooking For Newbies.  Well, I don't share this on my pages but I have MS (Multiple Sclerosis) which basically is a disease that makes your body attack itself. In the case of MS it's the Mylan sheath (which is what surrounds your central nervous system (CNS)) that is being attacked.  When your body attacks itself, it puts holes in the Mylan which is what protects your CNS.  When this happens your spinal cord and brain start suffering, become damaged and don't communicate.  There is no cure and the meds only slow down the progression.  There are lots of symptoms to MS (let me say that again...LOTS of symptoms), one being cognitive.

Some times my cognitive issues go from non existent to mild to I'm not sure what my name is.  So naming my Blog Scrapbooking for Newbies sounded fitting because even though I'm learning new stuff, I'll pretty much be a Newbie the entire time.  I may learn new stuff but may not retain it all which means I have to go back and read notes, watch videos or just jump in and hope I get the technique right (or maybe make a new one, which would be awesome)!

The second reason is, I know that there are a lot of new scrapbookers who get a little intimidated by the other sites because most are experts creating these awesome layouts and cards and have fancy cameras and picture boxes so that their finished product looks amazing.  I'm not knocking them for this, I actually want to become one of those experts one day!

Also, some (most) sites won't let you do challenges or post your layout (because come on, don't we want to share our awesomeness, our one of a kind creations with the world)?  I know I did and since I couldn't find anywhere to do that at I started my Facebook group - Scrapbooking for Newbies.  I also put the word out that anyone can join not just newbies!  We love to get feedback from other scrapers and learn new things, like mixed media!  Who knew!?!?!  

So those are the reasons for naming my Blog and other social media platforms Scrapbooking For Newbies.  I'm hoping you come join us on this journey of learning new stuff, meeting new scrapers and getting some answers to questions on new techniques.  I can tell you, my IG page is full of experts who love to give great advice and helpful hints when ever you ask, so feel free to join me there as well!

Thanks for visiting my Blog and hope to see you on my IG and Fb pages!

Happy Scraping!
Kimberly

Blog Hops and what are they?

  

Hey there Newbies, so today lets talk about Blog hops.
This month I learned about blog hops from Amy Tsuruta  at Coffee Loving Cardmakers! This site is all about card making and Coffee loving and who doesn't love that combo?  (Click here for the link to the actual hop).  They put hops on a couple of times a year, so if you sign up for their news letter or follow their facebook page you will be able to join them next go around!

I stumbled upon Amy's blog via Facebook and was intrigued!  I've never heard of a blog hop nor have I ever made a card so I said to myself, self, why not.  So I did and how fun was it... so much!

You make a card, submit it by uploading it to their site and then winners are randomly picked.  You hop from card to card and make comments (which was one way of winning a prize) visit the sponsor sites, join in on conversations via facebook and keep in touch via her blog and facebook.  The best thing of the entire hop...seeing these beautiful handmade cards that really inspire you.  

I didn't think I had a chance being a newbie and all but I had so much fun figuring out how to make one and learning about digital downloads (that's for another blog another time) and getting to know all of these awesome, coffee loving people on this hop!  Amy was so helpful and took time out of her super busy schedule to help me!

There were thousands of cards (I believe the final count was a little over 1,300!).  There were over 70 sponsors and are you ready for this...I actually won a prize!  I couldn't believe it!  The sponsor I won from was Whimsy Stamps and I was so excited!  This is my entry...

Not too bad for a Newbie (if I do say so myself).  

Well, that's a little info on blog hops and I hope you take some time to visit Coffee Loving Cardmakers! Blog site and learn some awesome ways to make cards.  Oh, one more thing, their Facebook page is always posting S-A-L-E-S from a lot of different crafting sites and who doesn't love saving money!

I hope you enjoyed this blog about blog hops.  Be sure to follow me for more info on scrapbooking and card making stuff for Newbies.  Come join us Newbies on Facebook (it is a closed group only because most of us are working on scrapbook pages that we intend to give as gifts and don't want to spoil the surprise).

Happy Scraping!

Kimberly