Creative Thinking With Melly - Creating a Layout With Simplicity

Welcome again to our second week of "Creative Thinking"!! This weeks host is Melly and shes going show you how to achieve "Simplicity" on to your layouts!

When Karen asked me to do this I was totally honored but a bit freaked out at explaining to you all how i make my layouts! But once i set my mind to it, I got there in the end!

When I start I always start with the pic or pics I'm going use and then pick my colours round about it! For simple layouts I (not everyone) think that it means solid colours or mostly white/colour background. So I chose a picture from my Wedding and matched the colours red, green and ivory.

I wanted to add a touch of something to the red background without making it fussy. So I stamped the background using my thistle stamp I used for my Wedding.

When I begin my layouts I always start by scribbling a few ideas down until i find the perfect layout for me! If you struggle with your layouts you can use some of our Sketches or even try a card layout sketch to get you started.

When I'm happy with my sketch, I lay all my pieces down before sticking just to make sure I'm happy. Once satisfied I stick it all together!

And here is the finished layout. I changed it slightly, adding extra ribbon and adding a butterfly as it was part of our Wedding theme!

I hope this wee post can help you all bring "Simplicity" into your layouts!

We can't wait to see what you all come up with and hopefully join in our Challenge! Remember this week for every friend you bring along that enters in our challenge, your name will go into a draw for some surprise candy from Nancy! So all you have to do is leave us a comment and let us know who your friend is.

Hugs Melly xxx

Challenge #4- Simplicity In A Layout

This week's layout challenge is "Simplicity". What does simplicity mean to you? Is it one photo and lots of embellishments, maybe a couple of photo's and minimal embellishments? We'd love to see what your thoughts of simplicity are. Be sure to enter your layout below in order to be considered for Top 3. Contest closes on Friday, August 27th at 9pm EST. We can't wait to see what you create!

We're also offering up a Surprise! With being a new challenge blog, we were thinking of fun ways to get more people to come out and play and one of my DT members came up with a really fun idea! So, this week, we have TWO ways for you to win a surprise goodie bag!

1. For every friend you bring along that enters in our challenge, your name will go into a draw for some surprise candy from Nancy! So all you have to do is leave us a comment and let us know who your friend is. Have lots of friends who want to come and play? Enter away for even MORE chances to win!! They can bring a friend too and have a chance to win! 
2. Never played with us before?? For all FIRST time entries, you'll be entered in the draw as well!!

Winner will be announced at the end of this challenge along with our Top 3. Now, here's some inspiration from the Design Team...be sure to click our names to visit our blogs to see what simplicity means to us.

Karen

Melly

Designed By: Suezie

Priscilla - Check out the details of this layout at ScrapArt by Pris!

Kelli - Drop by my blog to see how I completed this layout!

Nancy

Your Top 3 Winners & Winner of Twyla's Candy!

Thank you all for playing along with us!! This was another hard decision for this week's Top 3!! The Top 3 winners of last week's "Stamp Those Layouts" in no particular order...

• Anesha
• Crystal
• Twyla

I tried to upload their layouts, but they're really blurry, so be sure to visit them and congratulate them! And the winner of Twyla's candy is....

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 9

ROBIN!! 

Congrats Robin! Email Twyla with your mailing address so she can get your goodies out to you!! 

Congrats to all our winners! Top 3, go ahead and grab our Top 3 badge and display it on your blog! See you all tmw with a brand new challenge!

<center><a href="http://kcclayoutchallenges.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i392.photobucket.com/albums/pp5/mandyhornbuckle/Other%20people%20stuff/LMTop3Button.png" border="0" alt="Lasting Memories" /></a></center>

Happy Birthday Karen

Hello everyone. I just wanted to let you all know that today is Karen's Birthday. Lets take a few minutes to wish her a Happy Birthday.

Love Your cousin Nancy!!

Tuesday Inspiration

Hello there! Hope everyone is enjoying their Tuesday afternoon. Just a reminder that you have till Friday, August 13 at 9pm EST to join our CURRENT challenge! Here's a little inspiration from Anesha to help get you started. Come on out and join us and check out what you have a chance to win!!

Sunday Inspiration!!

Hello! Here's a little inspiration to get you started on 'Stamping Those Layouts' which is our current challenge!! You have till Friday, August 13 at 9pm to get your entry in and be considered for TOP 3 and have a chance to win some candy!! Check it out!!

Today's inspiration comes to you from Crystal

Stamp, Stamp, Stamp By Nancy

Since Karen is on holiday's this week I thought I would add another layout that I did for this weeks challenge. Challenge #3 Stamped Image. I love this layout. I used the new CTMH Topstich paper pack and also the stamps set to go along with it. I also used the CTMH stamp set Say It In Style for the big flower and the Happy Birthday along the top. I made my own layout design because I couldn't find one that I wanted for these pictures. The pictures I fancied up from the Picnik website http://www.picnik.com/ it is so fun to do. You must try it.

Wednesday's Inspirational Sketch #3

Good morning! Today's sketch comes to us from Digital Scrapbook Place I thought this one looked like a lot of fun! Let's see what you can do with it! Be sure to enter your incorporation of this layout into our CURRENT challenge "Stamp Those Layouts!"

Creative Thinking With Pris - Stamping Your Layouts

Welcome to another new addition to Lasting Memories!! Each week we will be posting a "Creative Thinking" post which will highlight something fun and exciting that you can incorporate right into your layouts!! Our first "Creative Thinking" is hosted by Priscilla, and she is going to tell you how to incorporate stamping techniques right into your layouts!!

This was a tough assignment for me. Mentally. As a rule, I don't stamp in my scrapbooks. I am paranoid about ink rubbing off on the plastic page protectors (happened to me once!) so I usually shy away from stamping near my precious pics!

I was very surprised to find that I love Love LOVE this layout! Here is how it went:

Despite me stamping-in-my-scrapbook apprehensions, I DO own quite a number of stamps and some very lovely Close To My Heart ink-pads (which I use when I {very rarely} make cards). At first I was only going to use my giant snowflake and 'Barn-Red' ink, but I was soon enjoying stamping and needed to add 'New England Ivy' snowflakes as well. It then evolved, and I ended up stamping "a very merry Christmas to you" on a side-bar piece of paper as well.

I randomly stamped snowflakes, in varying shades (this is the famous "keep stamping till you run out of ink" technique). IMPORTANT: The biggest problem with this sort of thing, is knowing when to stop. Your page can very easily become over crowded. LESS IS MORE!

I used my Creative Memories "Tag Maker" punch on a bunch of pictures, and attached small pieces of white ribbon to each one to make them look like Christmas gift tags. I randomly stamped "a very merry Christmas to you" in black ink on this red side-bar piece of paper, and then attached some of my picture tags on top of it.

I used my handy-dandy cricut and "storybook" cartridge to spell out Christmas Eve in the same red paper, lovely!

This "Special Day" sticker is from Creative Memories, mounted on white paper, cut out, and then mounted on green paper. I also used several Creative Memories holly stickers to add a little 'something.'

And there you have it... a lovely stamped page!! I just may use stamps in my scrapbook again, who knows!!

Let me know if this "Creative Thinking" post was helpful for you and we'd love to see what you come up with!! Don't forget to link your layout with our current "Stamp Those Layouts" challenge and also have a chance to win a great giveaway, courtesy of Twyla!

Challenge #3 - Time To "Stamp" Those Layouts & Some Candy!!

Good morning!! What a great turn out last week, thanks so much! We are loving all these layouts and seeing everyone's unique styles and creations. Keep them coming! This week's challenge is to "Stamp Those Layouts"! Whether you choose to use 1 stamp or a FEW stamps, or make your own background... it's all up to you!!! The important thing is HAVE FUN! For me, I find I either make cards or I scrapbook. I can't seem to do both and I wanted to find a way to incorporate my stamping into my layouts, so I thought this week it would be fun to stamp away and see what we come up with!

We also have some more fun for this week's challenge! Twyla offered to sponsor us this week! Here's what you have a chance to win! Thank you, Twyla!

1 CTMH Flower Pot Stamp Set
1 CTMH Summer Carnival Sassy Strands
1 Carolee's Creations Rub On Sheet
1 CTMH Textured Stickers
12 Felt Snowflakes with Rhinestones
1 Bling It Designer Rhinestone Charms
5 Karen Foster Off Road Mini Charms
1 Pkg Daisy D's Metal Embellishments and Brads
2 Heidi Swap Light Pink Flowers

How awesome is that?? All you have to do is enter your layout by Friday, August 13th, 9:00pm EST, for a chance to win! Winner will be announced on Saturday, August 14th with our Top 3! Now here's a little inspiration to get you started! Check out what the DT came up with!! They amaze me every week. Don't forget to visit their blogs by clicking their name to see how they did their pages!

Melly

Designed By: Suezie Howard

Priscilla

Kelli

(be sure to visit my blog to learn about "Over Stamping"!)

Kristie

Nancy

Karen

To be eligible for Top 3 and Candy, link your NEW creation below by 9pm EST on Friday, August 13. Top 3 will be announced on Saturday, August 14 and a new challenge posted on Sunday, August 15.