Echo Park Layouts and Father's Day Goodies

I don't very often share my scrapbook pages one my blog. The main reason, is because at the end of the year I print my blog into a book, and it seems redundant to have all my layouts in the book and in a separate album. Plus it would take up a lot more space, and make my blog book that much more costly.

Having said that, I'm including these layouts, because I'm submitting them to Echo Park's Fresh Face Campaign.

I can't imagine how dreamy it would be, to work on something you adore... [You know, for me, that would include scrapbooking] If I were to win, I would be the recipient of the latest Echo Park Collection Kit and be able to pick another kit of my choice! Be still my beating heart...

I love Echo Parks lines of paper and embellishments. I've been scrapbooking for 13+ years, and I have loved every stage. I have to admit, I cringe a little when I look at my wedding album... That was when fancy scissors were all the rage. Eeks... When I first went digital a couple of years ago, I have to be honest and say I was a bit skeptical... Now, I love, love, LOVE it. I can't imagine not scrapbooking this way.

I do still enjoy working with actual paper. I love to craft and glue and paint and stick things down. I love to take pictures. I love creating layouts. I just enjoy the entire process. So, here are my few things to submit to Echo Park. I'm super excited.

[supplies: from Echo Park's Walk in the Park collection; papers and alphabet/number/flag; Staples used from Michelle Underwood_That was Yesterday; stitching and ric rac from Splendid Fiins_ Feed Sack Stitches; Lucida Bright, font used; software: PSE 7; size 12x12 ]

The main color theme for Madelyn's birthday party was orange/pink and turquoise. I love how I was able to accentuate those colours with this particular line of papers. I wanted to include a mixture of birthday decor as well as the party festivities, so I chose to create a multi picture collage. I also chose to desaturate the colour in a few of the photos, so the colours weren't fighting with one another.

[supplies: from Echo Park's For the Record collection; papers and alphabet and embellishments; Amelie, Century Gothic, fonts used; software: PSE 7; size 8.5x11 ]

My kids love to play on their 'borrowed' Nintendo DS. I am a bit of a stick in the mud, when it comes to how much time is spent on them. This particular rainy day, the house was alarmingly quiet, and I went to find out why. I wanted to focus a layout on this one photo [that they didn't even know I'd taken] I love the simplicity of this layout, with only one picture. I like how the scalloped border perfectly finishes off the layout.

And finally, here is a little craft I did for the men in our life for Father's Day. They were very simple to make. I bought the golf tee's at the dollar store, measured the top cardboard part of the tee's and printed off paper to cover it. All 3 packages had the same base color, then all are slightly different using co-ordinating papers. The wording simply says: Recipient, We think you're TEE-rific! Happy Father's Day! I wrapped some twine around them, and adhered an embellishment with a dob of glue from a glue gun.

The fellas were pleased to get them, and I found out, they hate to waste money buying golf tees! I didn't have the heart to say I got them for one dollar!

[supplies: from Echo Park's For the Record collection; papers and embellishments; Century Gothic, fonts used; software: PSE 7; twine and tee's from the dollar store]