Teenagers…possibly one of the most difficult categories in the digiscrappers (and parents) world! Not only do we have the initial challenge of even getting a photo (you try getting a good one while attempting to catch a teenager off guard…trust me it isn’t pretty), but then we have to find a “look” that works for a teenager.

I’m not saying that there’s a magical way to suddenly make our teenagers love photos and their scrapbook…I generally think that for many teens it’s simply a period of time where they can’t appreciate it as much as they will when they are older.  I guess I see my job right now as simply trying to quietly document these years.

Finding good kits to portray a teen in a complimentary and “hip” way can definitely be a challenge. So here’s a few tips when you are looking…

• Look for bright/dark colors that have depth and texture.
• Look for elements that are a little different…no more cutesy bows and buttons, they want metal brads, splatters, etc.
• Keep it simple: combine the papers and elements in a very simple way using a fun/funky font to complement and enhance the layout.
• Look for templates: there are a lot of great templates out there and this can be a great place to start for teen pages if you are stuck!

This week I created a page of my 14 year old using SAS Designs’ Bits In Between kit:

I have more fun ideas in my scrap gallery: here, here, here and here.

Great fonts to use in teen scrapbook pages:

I actually almost forgot to expand on one of the most important parts of a teen page…great fonts! Quick suggestions: it’s hard to go wrong with a simple typewriter font; anything that is a little grungy usually will work.  Fave sites to get fonts….

• www.1001FreeFonts.com
• www.DaFont.com

{Scraphappy Wednesday}

This week I have been having a TON of fun playing with SAS design’s new kits (see below for where you can buy her kits).  Apparently I needed to make up for lost time creatively…I hadn’t scrapbooked for several weeks due to computer issues and was finally able to start doing so again…sooo exciting.

Because I’m going to list all the stores where you can purchase SAS Design’s below, I will simply give you the name of each kit and you can go from there.  Don’t forget to check out my Scrap Gallery (the pictures below will take you there if you click on them) where you can see all of my very favorite layouts!

Using the kit Tweet Times (and Layered Masks kit)…

Using her Argh kit (very very fun for boys)…

If you noticed that I went with a grungier look this time…you’d be right!  I was having a lot of fun with her masks! There are a couple very nice ones in the Argh kit and she has a very fun Layered Masks kit that will go with any scrapbook layout that you want to create a simple grungy look

Where to buy SAS Designs…

• Bits 2 Kits
• ACherryOnTop.com
• My Life & Scrap

Loads of fun things are coming up, including a very fun boy qp and girl qp freebie using the tweet times kit……stay tuned.

Ok I had time to create a couple more layouts this week. Again of my littlest niece who just turned one.

I loved having a chance to play with SAS Designs’ Natural Symphony kit this last weekend.  I stuck with the basic idea threw in stitches and some ribbon in the background, used one of SAS Designs’ Grungy Photo Edges and basically just cut the photo out with it making a mask instead. Clustering and a curvy text area complete the layout.

Reminder: I am on SAS Designs’ creative team, something that I feel very honored to be part of! That said, I do receive her kits for free in exchange for creating layouts with her work and posting them online. I am not in any way required to post these on my blog but choose to do so simply because I love her products so much.

That’s right, Scraphappy is back!!! WooHoo! I cannot tell you how much I have missed my digiscrapping but not that I have the new program installed on my computer I can resume that creative part of my life once again and that makes me very happy.

Here’s one of the two pages I added to my Digi-Scrap Gallery today…

This fun layout features one of SAS Designs’ newer kits…Song of Spring. Fonts are Rockwell Extra Bold and Segoe Script {I haven’t had a chance to get out all my fancy fonts but fell in love with the simplicity these two created}.

Ok, so just a word on what I did…this is pretty much an homage to paper scrapbooking. Yeah “old school”. But I love it!  I just couldn’t resist with the pics and colors just really playing with it all in a way I would have back when I scrapbooked with paper. I hope you enjoy it.

I know that I’ve been a little MIA this past week and I’m sorry.  The end of football season and sick children have really been…well…kicking my tail for lack of a better description.

This weekend though, while I was caring for some of the sickies, I was able to do a little scrapbooking.  Simple stuff, but because of these beautiful papers, they turned out so pretty.  Here’s the one I want to show you…

(Papers Ana Flor’s Bothanicals)

Featuring none other than my beautiful 6 month old niece with that incredible smile I love so much!

As I sit at the airport preparing to board a flight headed to New York, there’s not a whole lot to share.  Like the little pop-up box told you, you can definitely follow me on twitter to get all the latest up to date details on my travels.  I do plan to post this evening about everything I see and do today!

In the meantime, instead of boring you with my airport experience (how exciting can they really be?), I thought I’d bless your day with just a little sugar and sweetness in the form of my absolutely, incredibly adorable niece who is now a waaaay too old 6 month old.

Both of these layouts were created using SAS Designs’ brand new Nature’s Garden kit!

Of course, I have to do a tip for the week if I feature a scrapbook layout…..today, it’s about creating a 2 Page layout.

Rarely, if ever, will you want to create only one page of something.  Every single scrapper I know wants to have a beautiful and coordinating layout for each page that is turned.  That does not mean that every single page in the book needs to be the same colors, theme or kit (though some have done that nicely as well)…but it does mean that for every single layout you make, you will want to create a coordinating 2nd page to go with it.

That idea is displayed perfectly with the 2 page layout that I featured above.  Honestly, I usually make one more elaborate page, with a matching simple page for the opposite side of the layout.  This time I went elaborate with both since I was using this gorgeous kit for SAS Designs’ CT.

Have a question or thought?  Feel free to leave a comment, I love talking to my readers!

Remember the less is more tip from a week or so ago?  Well, believe it or not, because of the variety of artists and styles out there, you can make a “Scene” layout almost as easily as a very simple “less is more” layout.  Here’s an example:

(Kit: Nature’s Garden by Designs by Angel…Font: Liorah BT)

There are definitely a few more elements (or repeated elements) used in this layout and I had to use a technique called “extracting” to get the photo of my son (he had been sitting on a lounge chair eating an apple).  The technique is a little more advanced, but totally doable depending on the program you have.  If you have Adobe Elements (I have version 7) use the selection tool adding and subtracting until you have precisely the part of the image you want to use.

I wouldn’t do this for all my scrapbook pages, although if you were making a “Fairytale Story Album” as I call them, this would be the way to do it and the type of kit to do it with.

After I was done with the layout I found that perfect quote.  I personally like the quotes to look like they are part of the overall layout.  In this case, it never did quite blend completely, but the overall effect was nice and I enjoy looking at my sweet little guy eating his apple and watching the butterflies play in the light.

Happy Scrapping!

Well, it’s week two for the Scrap Star challenge at Gotta Pixel and to be honest, this week was even more difficult for me.  The strangest part is that I adore doing white space layouts.  Yes, it’s kind of a newer thing for me to do, but I’ve been having a lot of fun with it lately so it was a bit odd to me that I found this one so challenging.  Anyhoo, here it is….

Featuring Little Miss and CJ (adoring her as usual).
Kit: Spring by Heather T.
Font: Liorah BT

I have been busy this week…maybe it’s the nervous energy from CJ being at Jr. High Church camp this week (aaah), so here’s another page…or two .

Featuring CJ (guess who he’s looking at LOL).
Kit:  Suburban Grunge by Digital Compilations by Cinda

Last but not least…

Featuring Bugs when he was 5 Months.  To this day he is definitely a thinker and tends to be on the serious side.  I’m fairly convinced that even back then he was thinking about all he needed to do as soon as he was able!

Kit: I’ll Fly Away Mini Kit by Dragonfly Beach Designs
Font: Countryside

I kind of had a hard time choosing again this week…there was another one of Little Miss, but I’ve been sharing a lot of those lately, so I thought I’d best choose something a little different and this one definitely fits the bill…

Ok, so first off let me tell you who is in the photos…the first photo is of my mom holding me (I’m her oldest), the second photo is of my sister (the one that visits here often) and I both pregnant (it was my 4th and her 2nd)…and the third photo is of my mom pregnant with the same sis that’s in the photo with me (the little girl is me).  Kind of fun huh?  Oh and in the photo of my sis and I, I’m the one on the left (notice Princess’ little head in the photo too, so cute).

Credits: The layout was made for a template challenge, so the template is by TMA Designs (www.faithsisters.com).  The kit used is Hidden Treasures by 4 Shades of Blue.

About: I extracted Monkey and Bugs from a photo taken during our annual family fishing trip to create this very fun little scene!
Kit: Kristin Aagard’s Pond Play (@ Gotta Pixel)