LOAD Blog Hop!

Hellllo LOADies and Gentlemen!
(Ouch.  That was sooo bad!)

Welcome to the LOAD blog hop!  I hope you've enjoyed visiting all the blogs before me and that you have enough energy left for this entry and Mama Du's.

By now, everyone who happens by this blog knows that LOAD stands for LayOut A Day. Think scrapbooking meets Iron Chef meets busy life.  Sheer insanity that's good for the creative soul.  As one who tends to back-burner my creative outlets when life gets busy (when is it not??), signing up for LOAD is a way to remind me what I believe in my core to be true: women are creative beasts, and we NEED some kind of outlet for that.  Denying that for long stretches is bad for us...and those within a 25 foot radius.

Since blogging is something that I only do when time allows AND I have something to say, I didn't blog during May.  I had plenty to say and enough layouts to share (this blog is, after all, an excuse to share layouts), but not enough time to write meaningful posts.  Rather than try to show every layout I created during the month, I thought I'd once again pick my favorite five layouts, share them, the prompts that inspired them and explain what it is that makes me drawn to them.

Working in the order in which they were created:

From Day 1.  The prompt was to strip down to the basics and create a layout using just cardstock, patterned papers, journaling and a title.  This one is in the top five because it's true. The pictures are rough, but real and "us".  The sentiment is exactly what you'd get it you sat down and listened to everything I had to say about us and had to boil it down to two words.  The simplicity of the design is true to me, yet fun and a little funky.  Even the little monsters are true: we are both a little rough around the edges and we're lucky that we each see beyond those rough edges and into the beautiful parts on the inside.

(size: 5½x8½)

Day 7.  The prompt was to scraplift.  Simple as that.  Since I think the sun rises and sets on Nichol Magouirk, I decided to copy her.  I'm certain there was one singular layout that I started with, but I also attempted to channel her general approach.  She frequently layers her titles like that, uses the fun borders and she's a master at mixing and matching patterned papers.  While I love the way it looks, it's not something I do with ease.  I love the way this came out and I loved that I was able use an extremely old photo and combine it with my very current emotions about my oldest son.

(size: 8½x11)

Day 16.  The prompt was embellishments...blah blah blah...something about using a plain photo and a plain background and adding embellishments to convey what you want to say.  Hmmm.  As with all things embellishy, I think I failed miserably.  But that doesn't mean I don't like the layout.  I do.  What I like is  that I finally documented the meaning behind my tattoo.  It's something I've meant to do for a long time, but it seems superfluous.  At least within the context of LOAD I can say "I couldn't come up with a better story/photo that day!"

I do love that about LOAD.  Sometimes you tell stories/document things that you wouldn't otherwise address, solely because you need to create daily and your mind gets pushed in new and different directions.

Interesting aside (sort of, anyway): People rarely ask about my tattoo.  Maybe 5 or 6 times in the 6 years I've had it.  But not three days later another mother at Ted's baseball game asked me - loudly and in front of many other parents - what the meaning was behind the tattoo.  I've always struggled with bottom lining what it means, so I was grateful that I had finally organized my complex thoughts that lead up to its design.

Day 21.  The prompt was to start with the design and then move into the story and photos. That's not really how I work.  I start with the photo(s) and/or the story in mind and then the design follows, dependent upon the space needs.  I think I tried to switch it up, but ultimately, my focus on the story and photos is too far ingrained to abandon just for the challenge.  On this one, I love the title, the map paper (especially that it has both our starting and ending destination cities) and the way the text actually really lines up with the notebook paper lines.  :)  It's the little things that please me.  I also love that I was able to put another little dent in these photos from almost three years ago.

(size: 8½x11)

Day 30.  The prompt was to do your own thing, make your heart sing.  Because I was away from home, I had to try to make my heart sing digitally.  This isn't my strong suit, but I kind of fell into a kinda-sorta-albeit-made-up digital style this month.  Why is this in my top five?  Two things: I am passionate about being in my books.  Not for me, but because it will mean something to my kids one day. Also, I like what I wrote.  Some of it stuff that I absolutely embrace and have successfully put into practice on a daily basis  (the karma thing, the thing about exercising the brain, the get what you give philosophy) and others are things that I know to be true, but have to keep reminding myself to actually do.  I'm also pleased that the photo, while crappy, is actually current.  I think we're all guilty of trying to hide behind younger, skinnier, prettier pictures of ourselves.  I know I do - just check out the picture of me at the bottom of the blog.  It's four years old and gaining.  That I used a current picture makes me feel strong that I can put myself out there/in there.

So those are my favorite five layouts from the month.  In the next couple of days I'd like to talk about a couple of more that had special meaning to me.  If you're so inclined, I'd love to have you back early next week.

I hope you enjoyed this.  I hope I didn't wear you out with all the words, words, words.  Please take a couple more minutes and visit my friend Kathleen, aka "Mama Du".  She's a wonderful photographer and talented scrapper.  Definitely worth the visit!

Thanks for stopping by!

By the way, if you're stopping here first, here's the complete blog hop list.  Warning: at the end of viewing these amazing ladies' blogs you'll be chomping at the bit to sign up for the next LOAD!

Ecoscrapbook
At the Blue Barn
Capture Your 365
Happie By Abbie
Trista Hertz
Goes Turbo Creative
She's a Crafty Pumpkin
Pouring Over Pictures  <===  you are here.    :)
Taking Pictures. Enjoying Life.