Scrapbooking Injury, LOL

So back in May I awoke to discover I had a swollen thumb and aching right arm .... a few days later I had to visit my doctor who diagnosed tennis elbow. A friend joked that it was "a scrapbooking injury". Turns out it is! I've noticed that at times when I use my paper trimmer and punches a lot the situation flares up again ... not sure if anyone else out there in "scrapbooking world" has suffered from a similar ailment & has advice for me ... but I'd certainly welcome it. I don't wanna have to quit scrapping, LOL ... So now I'm on vacation and you'd think I'd be resting it, but "NO" ... today I went kayaking ... and now I fear I'm in big trouble. Hadn't paddled in 2 years and fear I'm going to have to pay for this!

Anyways in keeping with summer ... here are some pics of our day of kayaking and a summer layout from my neices scrapbook which is one of my own favourites.

Anything Goes

Currently I am working on a Wedding Scrapbook for my Step-Daughter and her new husband. They got married on the beach the day after my birthday (July 31). The weather eventually cleared & it couldn't have been a more beautiful afternoon to be on the shore. For the entire album I intend to stick with their wedding colours (turquoise & yellow) & throw is as many flowers & as much bling as I can get away with ... oh & a smattering of beach themed embellishments of course.

Just Scraps Challenge # 16

I'm not quite sure that my effort actually coincides with what Jean layed out for Challenge # 16 on Just Scraps.  I do however think my little card is quite cute. I found it challenging to build a house with colors and patterns not normally associated with homes ... maybe that's why I think it's so cute! The lawn needs to be mowed and that kinda reminds me of our place, lol. I used the Distressed Stripes and Herringbone embossing folders with my Cuttlebug to get the two different textures. The grass is courtesy of my Sizzix Sizzlit Decorative Strip simply called "Grass".

Love is in the Air

Love is definitely in the air. In just 2 weeks my step-daughter is getting married and in August we have 2 sets of friends getting married. So taking part in the Just Scraps - Challenge # 15 is very timely. My entry is a very simple card. The stripe paper is a very nice quality double-side paper purchased at the dollar store (I love it when I happen upon a good bargin). The Bride and Groom are a sticker, the heart is cut from the Cricut Home Decor cartridge and then the inset is done in a scrap of complimentary print paper. But I like it! Sometimes simple is Best!

Graduation

It's that time of year - the end of another school year. And my lovely neice, Kristie, has graduated from High School. That meant it was time to part with the 3 Volume Scrapbook I'd been working on for the past 4 years. We had a little family barbeque/grad party a couple days ago and presented her with her gift. I'm pretty sure she loved it - even got a few tears. Planning on creating a page to attach to this blog (when I have time) that will showcase some of my favourite layouts (hopefully hers too) from the scrapbook. Stay tuned.

Scrapbook Classes

From April to June I organized 12 classes to provide some ladies who were interested in scrapbooking an opportunity to learn a few of the basics at very little cost. A few experienced scrapbookers came along for the ride and we ended up having 12 enjoyable evenings of scrapping and sharing. I also just took part in a scrapbooking weekend (Friday evening & Saturday) and so this past week was "chocked" full of scrapping for me! I usually don't do too much scrapping during the Summer months but when Fall comes I'm hoping to organize some evenings - perhaps once per month - where some of our new scrapbookers, and some of our original group, can get together to share our ideas and love of the craft. Unfortunately I didn't take as many pictures as I should have but there were some great layouts created let me tell you! There were also some great prizes and surprizes, and there was even a poem written (but that's another story for another time). Here are a few examples of some of the great work that was completed during our classes.

Just Scraps Challenge # 9

I planned on making some Father's Day Cards ... but as usual I don't seem to be able to get in the mood for the holiday at hand, oh well. So it's an Easter Card - using Chocolate Chip & a splash of color.