Thirty-Minute Thursdays!
I'm happy to announce a brand-new feature just for my time-starved, sleep-deprived readers (which I am assuming is pretty much all of you). Each Thursday I will present a project (layout, home decor item, gifty-type thing, card set, etc.) that I created in... you guessed it, THIRTY MINUTES! I will provide a lil' commentary on how I created the project, and then challenge you to do the same. We will have a weekly drawing from all participants who leave links to their projects in the comments section.
So, without further ado, our first Thirty-Minute Thursday layout!
I had these three photos from my son's cub scout troup participation in our town's Christmas parade last year. There was no real defining picture -- none was particularly great -- but I still wanted to get them in our album. The Christmas parade is a big deal in our town, and I marched in it more than once as a child, so I wanted to capture the tradition.
I started by flipping through a few magazines for ideas. I found a layout that included a patterned paper background with a cardstock overlay that I thought looked cute. I knew I wanted the page to include elements of the holiday, but not TOO heavy on the red-and-green because of the strong blue and yellow colors in the photos. I decided on a blue background with some other coordinating PPs. I decided to adust it for three photos, and for the use of a few different strips of patterned paper.
I pulled out a couple of sheets of Christmas paper (Stemma), a sheet of white cardstock, and got to work. I cut the white cardstock to size, then began randomly trimming sheets of the patterned paper. I adhered all that, added the photos down the side, and then started thinking about embellisments.
With all the colors, I didn't want to go too overboard with added embellies. I began with the journaling block (from Dude) mounted on red cardstock. I then added the white labels (Avery) and the picture captions and epoxy stickers (Stemma). I decided a red letter title would pull in more of the red, so I created the title in American Crafts Thickers (the longest time I spent on the entire layout was trying to come up with a title I could create out of the stickers I had! I ended up piecing together a "t" from an "f" I trimmed down).
When I looked at the LO at this point, I thought it needed some kind of visual triangle to pull it all together. There was red in the title, the journaling block, and the patterned papers, but none elsewhere on the page. That's when I reached for my trusty brads (American Crafts) and added two strips of three. I feel like that gave a visual barrier on the page that helps bring the eye to the center. And that's it! 30 minutes, with time out for visits from my three-year-old who likes to "help" set the brads.
Your challenge, should you choose to accept it: Create a 30-minute layout using three or more photos. Go! Post a link to your entry in the comments section by next Wednesday to be entered in the drawing!
Lain~ I love this idea and hope to get to it this weekend. Thanks for including your process!
Posted by: Kelly Jo | October 25, 2007 at 09:02 PM
30 Minutes!!! Lain, I cannot speed scrap!! I have one right now on my craft table, 5 photos and over 2 hours. I guess me and my Chipboard covering is what is taking me so long. But I will upload it and let you see it tomorrow when I finish it. But I gotta give ya credit yours looks great!!!
Posted by: Christel | October 25, 2007 at 10:33 PM
30 minutes?! I can't make a CARD in 30 minutes...
So, I guess since there is a PRIZE involved, I might have to try.
*sigh*
Posted by: Mary c | October 25, 2007 at 10:53 PM
Lain -- This is a great page! I love that you explained the process of picking out embellishments & papers. I hope that I can get to it soon. I would have to agree with other posters in that I cannot do anything in 30 minutes. I just sit & stare & wonder. ;)
Posted by: Jenna | October 25, 2007 at 11:00 PM
Great idea! 30 minutes, I'm totally up for the fun challenge! :)
And, just finished listening to the podcast (finally) --oh my...I knew it would be great, but it was SUPER great. Loved the questions you had for Ali. It was so cool to listen to you two talk. You asked the perfect questions. Stuff I really wanted to know. So cool. Thanks so much Lainie! :)
I can't believe it's taken me two nights to finally get to it (specially considering how much I couldn't wait to listen to it!) Fabulous podcast!
Posted by: maria | October 26, 2007 at 01:15 AM
Love this challenge idea!
Here's mine: http://www.simplescrapbooksmag.com/studio/details.ihtml?idx=80049
I did mine in 15!
Posted by: Tina | October 26, 2007 at 02:19 AM
Lain, Thanks for the challenge. I haven't scrapped in a while. My scrapbook closet is a pit and I'm still reading the Organized and Inspired Scrapbooker to figure out how to clean it out. Anyway, I cleared of a bit of space on my desk, grabbed a few pictures, and did a 30-minute layout. It was almost 30 minutes exactly and that included the time I spent looking through my mess for supplies! Totally fun.
View it at:
http://www.scrapbook.com/galleries/81613/view/1103857/-1/0/1.html
Posted by: Jennifer McGuire | October 26, 2007 at 10:25 PM
Thanks for the great challenge Lain! It was actually thrilling to "force" a layout in 30 minutes. I am usually a 3-hour-a-layout girl! lol!
Here's mine:
http://www.simplescrapbooksmag.com/studio/details.ihtml?idx=80189
Gonna be coming back weekly to check out the next challenge! :)
Posted by: athena mejia | October 27, 2007 at 04:37 AM
Thanks Lain! This was SO much fun! I whipped this one out in about 20 minutes . . . with a little help from my 4 year old. ;)
Posted by: Kyla | October 27, 2007 at 09:44 AM
Oops . . . here's the link: http://www.simplescrapbooksmag.com/gallery/details.ihtml?idx=80214
Posted by: Kyla | October 27, 2007 at 09:46 AM