Sheldon

This past weekend was (Inter) National Scrapbook Day and there was a blog hop over at Scrapbook Challenges where the design team members created a layout from a sketch and then there was a puzzle created.  Each design team member revealed their layout in one small puzzle piece and the participants had to put all the puzzle piece together to come up with the sketch.

NSD Blog Hop Sketch

  

I created a layout of my new cat Sheldon.  I named him after Sheldon on the sitcom "The Big Bang Theory" I adopted from our local animal shelter.  He was in poor shape when he was brought to the shelter as a stray with an access on his head.  He had tubes draining the fluid on his head and many antibiotics but after two weeks his health was improving and he was available for adoption.  Isn't he handsome? He is really affectionate and has a very laid back personality.  My older cat Asia is not impressed.  She is 13 years old and loved the peace and quiet.  Sheldon definitely livens up the household. 

Sheldon

Pets deserve their fifteen minutes of fame and they truly deserve their own scrapbook album.  There are so many cute patterned papers and embellishments designed for our furry friends.  Here are a few layouts of my furry friends.

Elly 

Asia

I challenge you to scrapbook your furry friends.  Have a great day!

Scrapbook Challenges Blog Hop

I hope you are enjoying the blog hop so far.  You will need to visit each name in the hop to collect a piece of the sketch, put the puzzle together and then create a layout using what you get.  The full sketch will be revealed at the end of the weekend.


If all went well, you should have arrived here from the lovely and talented Chanell.  If you have got lost somewhere along the way, you can head on back to the Scrapbook Challenges blog.  We are an international team so there are time zone differences so if some of the blogs are not posted, please be patient and try again later.


To help you out, below are all the links to the hop in the proper order.

SC: http://scrapbookchallenges.com/sbc-blog
Emmy: http://few-favourite-things.blogspot.com/
Cathy: http://whatsupwithcathy.blogspot.com/
Tabitha: http://zippity-do-dah-tabitha.blogspot.com/
Chanell: http://www.theinstinctivescrapper.blogspot.com/
Lee-Anne: http://www.lee-annelovethejourney.blogspot.com/ 
Lauri:http://www.lacreations99.blogspot.com/
Jowilna: http://www.jowilnanolte.blogspot.com/
Carmen: http://kalahenscrapjoy.blogspot.com/
Amanda: http://amandapace7.blogspot.com/
Brynn: http://bzb-designs.com/blog/
Hop On Section http://scrapbookchallenges.com/forum/showthread.php?706-NSD-Hop-On&p=7910#post7910

Here is my puzzle piece based on the sketch:

Here is a little peek at a piece of my layout

We have some prizes to give away if you participate in the blog hop.


One random member will win a prize if you join Scrapbook Challenges between May 5 and May 6 

Secondly, if you comment on each of the design team blogs one random winner will win this:

and finally, there will be a Hop On Prize (for completing a layout based on the Blog Hop Sketch and posting to the Hop On Thread):

Don't forget to leave a comment on each of the blogs to be eligible for a prize and I would also love it if you would consider following my blog.


The next lady on the blog hop is the sweet and talented Lauri.


Thanks for stopping by.  Good luck but most of all have fun!


Lee-Anne

May Shape/Cut/Die Challenge

Triangles are very popular at the moment in the scrapbooking world.  Today I created a layout using a square punch to make triangles.

First I took my square paper punch and punched a square

I then took my trusty scissors

and cut the punched paper square in half diagonally

I then arranged all my paper triangles in a design like this

and I finished the design with another border punch on the top of the layout and added three more triangles to direct the eye to the photo and this is what I ended up with.

I hope I have inspired you to play along and make your own layout with triangles and while you are at it, you can upload them to the May Shape/Punch/Die challenge forum over at Scrapbook Challenges.

Thanks for visiting my blog and have a wonderful and hopefully creative day!

Therapeutic Scrapbooking

I am a strong believer that everyone can benefit from therapy.  I also believe that being creative and taking time for a hobby is great therapy.  With that being said, I also believe that people that are very ill, both mentally and physically and also the terminally ill can also benefit from scrapbooking.

Recently, I was contacted by Melanie Bowen, a staff writer for The Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance, asking  if I would be interested in sharing her article on my blog and I was more than happy to help.

In the past, I  have supported and been involved in fundraising for my local children's hospital with the hospital's therapeutic scrapbooking program.  Also, having a daughter that had a serious accident that caused both physical and mental trauma,  made me realize how scrapbooking is good for the sick children as well as their parents.

I am passionate about scrapbooking and my number one goal is to share scrapbooking with others and to inspire and encourage everyone to try scrapbooking as therapy .  It is my way of giving back to the community and the scrapbooking community.

Thank you Melanie Bowen for letting me share this wonderful article on my blog and I would be happy to help in any way I can to share my passion for this cause and want to make a difference. Here is Melanie's article:

Finding Your Voice: Using Creativity to Inspire Your Inner Voice


When do the sick lose their inner voice? Illness is a constant battle within our bodies. We take care of ourselves as best we can by eating right, sleeping right, and exercising when and how we can, but we forget to afford our mind the same crucial care.


A person is more than muscle, blood and bone. A person has a mind, dreams and emotions. When we get sick, we often put these pieces of our humanity aside, and in doing so, we lose our inner voice. There is no better way to find your voice again than creativity. Creative ambition can give us the chance to not only find our voice again but also reignite our passion for life. 


The Fire of Ambition


Illness can sap your drive to do much of anything, but creativity can light a fire within you. It allows you to set personal goals for yourself and give you the thrill of accomplishment. Creation is a self-motivation powerhouse. After all, the whole point is to love what you are doing. Art therapy has even been found to lessen symptoms of diseases like Alzheimer's and reduce pain. You may surprise yourself with what you are able to accomplish and how good it makes you feel.
    
A Place That Is Yours


While we may choose to share our expression with others, we can never be wrong in what we create. Creativity offers us an outlet to express anything we are feeling, positive or negative, with honesty and without judgment. This honesty allows us to release anxiety, cope with stress and find ourselves within our pain.


There are no doctors in creativity. There are no family members to fear disappointing, and there are no chores that must be done. It is a place that is yours to do with as you please and discover facets of who you are.


Finding Your Path


It does not matter if you are facing a mesothelioma prognosis or the eternal exhaustion of chronic fatigue; there is always a creative path open to you. Photography allows you to bring the outdoors inside with you and helps you appreciate the smallest aspects of life. The bed-bound can reconnect with their family through scrapbooking.


Do what feels right and makes you happiest. You are not limited to paper and yarn. Try singing or playing an instrument. Gardeners may find peace in creating a healing garden. Most of all, do not be afraid to reach out. There is an abundance of blogs out there that offer not only ideas but also a forum to connect with those like you who are seeking healing through creativity. Hobbies are also support systems in and of themselves. There is a club for practically every hobby imaginable. You only have to look.


Always remember to stay true to yourself. Ignore the critics and be proud in what you have created. While the road may uncover difficult emotions, you will be able to express them elegantly with creativity. Never be afraid to try.


Check out their blog for a lot more information on wellness at the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance at http://www.mesothelioma.com/blog/ or "like" their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MesotheliomaCancer

Scrapbook Challenges Sketch #293

I have a new sketch to share from Scrapbook Challenges with all you scrappers out there who would like  to kickstart the creative juices and get out of the scrapping rut.  Take your pick and use the single page layout, the double page layout or both.  After you create, feel free to share in the gallery and the Sketch #293 thread on  Scrapbook Challenges.

Sketch #293-1

Sketch 293-2

With this particular sketch, I chose to do a little boy layout.  Bazzill isn't only card stock, it now has patterned paper and I fell in love with this little boy collection called "Dino-mite".

My daughter and son-in-law bought a little quad for their nephew Quinn last Christmas so I thought it was a nice change to create a little boy layout.

Secondly, this week I bought a photo scanner.  I am so excited to play with it and now I can scrapbook a lot of old photos of my two older children as I just have originals for these and no negatives.  I have heard great things about the Epson V600.  It scans photos, slides and documents and it even came with Photoshop Elements!  It has ICE technology.  It will take the cracks out of old photos and spruce them up better than new.

Epson V600

Well that's an update of my week.

Oh, I just about forgot to mention about another great thing to share this week.  Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine has some great contests.  It must be my lucky year as I have won a lot of prizes from this fantastic magazine on their photography challenge, and Why Not Win Wednesdays.  To date, I have won a prize pack from 3L Adhesives (the photography challenge), A Sony Digital Photo Frame and Printer and yesterday an awesome prize pack of Helmar adhesives.  Their Liquid Scrap Dots are amazing!

Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine rocks!!!

Have a great day!  Don't forget to join me and the entire design team over at Scrapbook Challenges this coming weekend for National Scrapbook Day.  We will be having some games, challenges and prizes.

Have a great day!