My first ever scrapbook layout contest entry... and a couple other things. :)

Hello, my name is Daisy (or Charity to my family) and I am a minor scrap-a-holic. It's been about two hours since I last finished a layout... AND I'M SO DARN PROUD OF ME!!!! 

OK, so one of the numerous reasons I started blogging was to showcase my paper crafting projects. Sadly I don't actually do that all that often. Oh, you can imagine what I scrapbook... I post new pictures of the kiddos almost every week. But I don't take those pictures for you, my faithful blog readers. Nope, I'm selfish. Those pictures are for me and my main creative outlet. 

Scrapbooks! I love them. I love having them so I can show my children their funny little kid moments like what they looked like with spaghetti all over their heads. Of course I'm going to have them when my kids are in high school and I can post their senior year before and after shots... Eli wearing a tutu when he was 2 and a half, and Sissy when I taught her how to do the backward bra hook flip and her bra was on the outside over her t-shirt. (See guys... Mommy said she would pay you back! And you thought wearing my PJ's and fuzzy slippers to the bus stop was my revenge! Mwahahahaha!)

A couple days ago, I was over at Becky Fleck's website (www. pagemaps.com) and she had a new contest on her blog. Now, I have never entered a layout contest before, but I absolutely LOVE Becky's Page|Maps. Check out her site. There are so many of them for so many different layout sizes, as well as cards and tags. Awesome! And they are easy to individualize. 

So anyhow, here is my layout for her I *heart* the most layout contest. I *heart* my babies:

The journalling reads (just a little FYI... I *got fired* for the journalling... made Matt get in touch with his gentle side for a sec):

Elizabeth, you are growing into such a beautiful young lady. I pray that you never forget that. No Matter what anyone else says to you, I want you to remember that both Mommy and Daddy think that YOU ARE PERFECT! Anyone who says differently doesn't really know you.

EliMichael, you are such a gentleman. (I would say that you are such a doll, but Daddy said that wasn't a manly enough compliment!) You are such a gentle soul, and I pray that no matter what happens in life, you always keep that part of yourself. The world is full of tough men who don't know gentleness. How about being tough guy that does? Real men do cry, real men do feel, real men do love. Just look at your Dad.

Always remember to stick together. You are each other's best friend, even if you can't see it. One day, you'll be glad he's your brother and she's your sister.

I wish I could teach you the lessons you will face in the future, but to grow, you must learn them on your own. Just remember that God won't give you more than you can handle, so keep your head held high, your eyes on Him and His path for you. It's the best way to go.

OOOO and I was playing blog catch up with Erin Lincoln's Weekly digest over at the creating Keepsakes website, and she had this layout from the gallery linked, and I loved it, so I scraplifted it! (The original is by GLOANN and is in the Creating Keepsakes Member Gallery on the Beta site. Got to www.creatingkeepsakes.com and check out the beta site... pretty cool, really.)  But anyhow, here's my next creative endeavor of the day:

Ok, so I told ya I love Becky Fleck's Page|Maps, right? She has this book out and one of the sketches in there inspired this layout about my son. (I just changed it from a 8.5 x 11 to 12 x 12 and turned it 180 degrees to accommodate the direction Eli is facing in the picture.) You might recall the infamous dress-up earring that Matt wore for Lizzie a while back? Well, Eli decided they made great communicators one day, and part of his hunter's armor the next! You know what? I say: Go for it, Dude! Create and imagine! If Daddy can get away with it, so can you!

I don't have a supply list for any of my layouts since I never know what I'm using... Paper goes here, letters up here, chipboard over here, ribbon in there, yada yada yada. Sorry! :p

Anyway, I hope you have enjoyed my very rare scrapbook layout postings. Who knows? Maybe I'll enter more layout contests, so you'll see more things posted. Until then, until my next insight strikes....

SMOOCHIE!