One Trip - Two Layouts . . . so far

Last week I created a page about our 2008 trip to the Shiloh Morning Inn bed-and-breakfast in Oklahoma. This page was inspired by the Week Two assignment in the Dimensional Details class offered by BigPictureScrapbooking.com. I pretty much followed Nic's directions, but used three photos instead of one and one or two less layers of patterned paper. I'm really enjoying the class as it inspires me to try new things and add more to my layouts. Here I used cardstock and patterned papers from my stash, plus some BoBunny chipboard letters & swirls along with various colored paper flowers, brads, and a piece of orange ribbon. I inked the edges of all the papers and photos and drew stitching around the solid light colored cardstock.

As I was looking through my photos of layouts I've created this year, I relized I had previously created a layout about this trip featuring only one photo. I created this layout based on an online class called Scrapbook Alchemy, Episode 5: A Map to Mark the Memories offered at JessicaSprague.com. It is a hybrid class meaning I used the computer for some elements but still created a traditional paper layout. Again I pretty much followed the directions except in this layout I left out one of the elements (a map) that was included in the sample layout. I love the blue star border at the top, which was a template provided for the class along with the template to print the curved words "Time For." I used a texture and mask in Photoshop Elements to create the grungy muted look of the photo. These digital elements were provided with the class along with a great video tutorial. I am still learning how to use Photoshop Elements, so it took me a while as I had to continually pause the video, go do the next step, then play a short piece of video, go do that step, etc. I also downloaded the You Are Loved font from dafont.com which offers a ton of free fonts.

Obviously this was a very relaxing trip for us because both of my layouts focus on that aspect! Before I took the Library of Memories workshop, I probably would have created one two page spread for this trip and put them together in a chronological album. However, these two layouts really have different themes. The first one will go in our "Places We've Been" album because I included part of the brochure from the bed-and-breakfast with the location. The second page will go in our "Robbie & Melissa" album because the journaling focuses on something that I love about us and our life. It is so freeing to know that I can create pages when I'm inspired and not worry about whether or not they will fit in the next slot in a chronological album.

I still have a few photos from this trip in my Storage Binders - we rode the Harley up to Oklahoma with a group of friends and ate at a great catfish restaurant before we left the group for our stay at the bed-and-breakfast. So, I may end up creating yet another layout later on that will go in our "Activities We Enjoy" album - all about riding the Harley and/or eating at unique out-of-the-way places! :>)