New Layouts & Fabulous Templates!

It's been a while since I've done any scrapping... the hip and back pain I've been dealing with make it hard to sit at my computer for long. I'm happy to report the chiropractic treatments are really beginning to help... and I was able to scrap this week! I also had a little extra motivation because my lovely friend Yin was about to be coming out with a plethora of new templates, and since I am on her CT I got to play with them ahead of time and make some fun new layouts!!

The first one I did is from when we made pumpkin pie from scratch this past November.

This uses Yin's template #191 which has just been released!

And here is Yin's layout of this template:

My next layout is for part of my Greece & Turkey album. This page is sort of a collection of people and fun photos that don't really fit into the rest of the book very well. I just collected them all onto one fun page of memories :)

This uses Yin's template #193 which is available here.

Here's Yin's beautiful layout of this template:

And finally, my favorite of this bunch. This template is amazing! This layout is from our visit to Arches National Park in Utah, this past October.

Brought to you by Yin's template #194, on sale and available here.

Now for Yin's gorgeous layout:

Aren't these amazing? Yin put out ELEVEN new templates this week! She has hit #200 and to celebrate she is having a fantastic sale!! I have always stocked up at these sales in the past, they are really so generous. Hope you get to take the opportunity to get some new goodies!

You can check out her new blog entry with all the new layouts HERE ... or go directly to the store to enjoy the sale HERE!

In addition, she is giving away 3 fabulous freebie templates!! So that's another great reason to go check out her blog post :)

Yes I'm on Yin's creative team, but I just want to be clear that I feel like I've been her biggest fan ever since I started scrapping. I only started working with her recently and before that I've purchased almost every single template she's made. I absolutely love them and my reason for promoting her so much here is NOT because she has asked (she never asks!) but because I love her products so much, truly enjoy them, and like to let people know about them so that they can get that same enjoyment! :) I really wanted to post about the sale because it's such a great opportunity :)

Sale goes until April 18th!

Glenwood Springs Layouts

I have been really sick ever since I got back from Chicago! I am finally getting better, but I'm really behind on a lot of things... like posting layouts, and posting ABOUT my trip to Chicago!! Today I finally finished the last layout of my Glenwood Springs series, so I am now ready to share all of them. :)

Big surprise, I have used Yin's Templates on every single one of these layouts... hehe!! I wanted a nice cohesive look to them since they are all from the same trip.

This trip in September 2009 was only 3 days long, and only a few hours from home... but there were SO MANY photographs that I just really wanted to do all these separate layouts! It was the weekend of my hubby's birthday, and we went to do this really tough hike we had been talking about since we met. He had done it before, but I never had. In the shape we are in, this was really really difficult... but also so rewarding! We love nature and photography so this was incredible for us. Someday when our health is improved I want to do this again to see how much easier it will be. :)

Alright... on to the layouts! I usually post the 2-page view as well as both pages separately, but as that would make for SO MANY PHOTOS in this case, I am only posting the 2-page view. You can click the 2-pager to view it larger, and I will provide links underneath to see the left and right sides individually if you want to :)

View Left Side . . .View Right Side

View Left Side . . .View Right Side

View Left Side . . .View Right Side

View Left Side . . .View Right Side

View Left Side . . .View Right Side

View Left Side . . .View Right Side

View Left Side . . .View Right Side

So there we have it!! I did most of these before I got sick but I was waiting to be all done and post them together :) Finally got the last one fnished today. Let me know what you think!!

Next I think I'm going to do some more work on my Greece & Turkey album... the trip was in 2007 and the album is nowhere near done... and I would really like to complete it!

My Exciting News

I'm in Chicago right now so I don't have a very long time to be able to post... I wanted to share new layouts but that won't happen until I get home! :) So for now I just wanted to drop in and share some news.

I am so excited to announce that I am the first ever Creative Team member for Yin Designs!! She announced it in her post today so I am finally able to spill the beans!!!

I have been using Yin's templates for a couple of years now and they have remained a constant favorite. Since I noticed that Yin would post layouts on her blog, I started sending her links to mine. This led to emailing each other and I am so happy to say I can call Yin a friend now, even though she is across the world from me in Singapore. She's been posting my layouts on her blog off and on for I'd say a good year and a half... and every time she does, I feel so special and honored!

Recently I mentioned to her that if she ever had a Creative Team, I would love to be on it. She replied that she had never thought of having one but that it was a great idea and asked me to BE her CT :) Such an honor!!! Since I use her templates for soooo many of my layouts, this is so exciting for me!

So that's my exciting news. I hope you find it as exciting as I do :) Check out her blog and her store if you haven't done so recently... there are so many wonderful things!! Plus a brand new freebie today!!!

Valentine's Weekend 2010

We had a great Valentine's weekend! We did our celebrating on Saturday. We couldn't wait very long to exchange gifts!! Hehe. This year I used my scrapbookin' skillz to make a page for Ian:

I had it printed and I framed it in a black frame for his desk. He used to have this photo hanging by his desk and I wanted him to have that again so he can remember his car is still there waiting for him to work on it, and that I support his dreams! Hopefully he thinks this is even better than taping the photo to the wall :)

Now, I'm proud of what I made for him, but I definitely felt like I slacked since other years I have made him entire albums!! Also I had no idea he would end up giving me my absolute FAVORITE present I have ever gotten:

Yes, he made me this book. It is the sweetest gift ever. I love his hand-drawn doodles, the stickers he used all over it, and all the lovely things he wrote for me.

Please oh please go look at the album! He spent so much time making it and it is so very special to me.

Not too long after this we went down to a little pond in our neighborhood to snap a couple pics in our Valentine's reds before heading out to dinner:

Ian was very proud of his gift to me (and he should be!!!):

We then headed up to Winter Park for dinner at our favorite little sushi place. The weather got worse as we got closer, and eventually, traffic stopped:

We waited a while... at least it looked very pretty around there:

Eventually though, we found out there was a really bad accident and traffic was blocked both directions. A guy who gave up and turned around told us that he had waited over an hour already, and no signs of them opening it up soon. So we turned back. We came all the way back to Golden to have dinner, and we were HUNGRY!! We went to the Yard House in Golden... but I thought it was only "ok". Good thing the first half of our day was so awesome :) :) Made up for it.

Sunday we got to relax and hang out together... and I also did a lot of scrapbooking!! So I will be posting new layouts soon :)

Guest Post at Simple Scrapper

I wrote a more detailed post about the digi scrap retreat, which has been posted at Simple Scrapper today!

Labor Day Layouts

In the past couple of days I've done two new layouts, both from around Labor Day this past year. The first is a LO of the BBQ we had at our house the day prior. It was mainly for family, but a couple friends came too since they arrived in town that day! It was a really nice time!!

Click any photo to view it larger on Flickr.

The template I used is 2 Page Layout #15 by Kristin's Scrap Design
The kit is All Fired Up by Nitwit Collections
For additional credits see my Flickr page.

The next page I have to share is from the next day - Labor Day. I dropped my friend at the airport early in the morning and took advantage of the time to go take photos at this meaningful spot while it was empty. (Usually it's swarming with people.) This is a shopping/dining/entertainment area near where I live, and it's special to me because Ian and I had our first date here! I also just think it's beautiful and there is a lot to see.

The template I used is Template #153 by Yin Designs.
For additional credits see my Flickr page.

I *LOVE* templates.... use them for almost everything!!!! I would be lost without them. Kristin & Yin both make incredible templates. Visiting their shops is never a disappointment! Click the blinkies to visit...

   

Digital Scrapbooking Retreat

This year is the 3rd annual Digital Scrapbook Memories Retreat! I have never attended before - I was aware of it last year but it took place on the weekend of my birthday which was only two weeks before our wedding! Yeah, THAT wasn't going to happen! :) This year I AM attending, and I am so excited! It sounds like it is going to be there best year so far. It's taking place at a lovely resort nestled in the beautiful mountains of Utah, and there are some amazing classes. It just sounds like such a fun time!!

I am going on the 22nd earlier in the day so I can be there in time to attend the bonus classes that night. So excited because one of them is to learn how to use a pen tablet! I got a Bamboo Craft for my birthday last year and I'm ashamed to say it's still in the box. So it is going with me, and I am going to learn how to use it finally!

I'm very excited to attend an event filled with people who share my hobby. I really hope to make some great friends and I KNOW I will have an awesome time :)

If you are interested in the retreat, here is some more information:

Who, What, Where, When Why

Class Lists

Sign Up Here

Please leave me a note if you are going!! I would love to meet some of you!