I haven’t forgotten our celebration!  I’ve been receiving sketches from several of you, and am keeping up with the names of those who are subscribing to the update list.

BUT… I’m having computer issues.  My computer is trying to die on me, I think.  I can’t leave it alone for very long without it restarting and saying it has recovered from a "serious error."  When I’m using it, my keyboard or mouse will suddenly quit working.  Saving my work doesn’t always truly save it.

So yes… technical difficulties.  Which means everything is taking longer to get done, as I work around the issues.  But it *is* getting done.  The next big thing, besides getting all the pages up of submitted work, is the printable sketches!

Thanks for hanging in there!  I promise, it will be worth it!

A Super Sketch occurs when the girls and I all do a similar layout, but with different results.  No, wait, that’s pretty normal for us.  So a Super Sketch must be when I then take those layouts and create at least 2 sketch variations from them, to share with all of you!  This is the very first time I’ve done it, so why not share now, during the Anniversary Celebration!

This sketch has a strong focal point on the left side, with several overlapping circles and circle outlines.  Due to the placement of the title, it is best to use a solid paper for the outermost circle.  The larger circle on the right helps bring visual balance to the layout.

This layout, created by Robin S, was the original inspiration for all of the layouts and sketches.  The circle outline on top of the focal photo on the left is painted chipboard, but you could also use paper and popdots for the same effect.  There are 3 patterns and 4 solids (or almost solids) on this layout.

Take Two!

The second sketch orients the focal picture horizontally, and uses a different size photo altogether. There are also more photos on this sketch, plus room for a subtitle and journaling. While the layout of the paper initially looks similar, you’ll see some changes if you look closely… for instance, the 3rd circle in the top left corner of the right side.

This layout, created by me, happens to be one of my all-time favorites that I have done. (The rest of the title quote says, "…is our favorite place to be.") There are 4 patterns and 2 solids used here.

Take Three! 

The third sketch gets the most pictures on the layout, at 7, and still leaves room for journaling. Christine liked my idea of using a second circle on the right side, but she brought it out of the corner and down to the middle of the sketch. Also, while her focal photo on the left is vertical (like the original), it is smaller and she used a smaller and more offset topping circle.

The layout, created by Christine P, at first appears to be simpler, but still manages to sneak in a few doo-dahs!  A major embellishment constant on these layouts is the ribbon(s) on the top outline circle on the left side. Not only are they fun, they take up some of the "dead" space near the top of the layout. And while it may look like the circles on all these layouts are different sizes, I promise you they are all exactly the same size! This layout uses 4 patterns and 2 (almost) solids.

As we did before, you can get extra entries in the grand-prize drawing if you submit your layouts based on the Super Sketch.  Entries must be received by 11:59pmET on April 26 to qualify!

Yes, the celebration is still underway!  We have our very first reader layout posted, with more to come.  My plan had been to have all that ready for you today, but as I was putting it all together, I got a phone call that my Daddy had been taken to the hospital.  All is well, for now, but it did but a crimp in my blog updating plans!  I work all day today, but expect to get home and have everything ready to go for you by Monday morning!

Meanwhile, I’ll leave you with a new sketch, the first every Super Sketch!  (I’ll post it right after this.)

This 17 (that’s right, 17!) photo sketch is one of my personal favorites. On the left side, along with an uncropped & matted 4×6, there are 12 two-inch squares.  If you have basic knowledge of a photo-editing program, you can print those 12 squares all together on just two 4×6 canvases.  (Of course, you can also crop 4×6 photos down to size, as most of us are used to doing.) This sketch also shows where you could place embellishments such as brads or rick-rack.  The smaller circles (brads or paper punches) are an important design elements that help balance the layout.

This layout focuses on faces, but could be used for anything.  It would be great for a "through-the-years" type of layout… in fact, I may just have to do that myself!  There are 4 patterns and 4 solids used here.

As part of our Anniversary celebration, anyone who creates a layout using this sketch, and emails it to me by 11:59pm ET on Saturday, April 12th, will be receive an EXTRA entry into the grand-prize drawing, in addition to everything mentioned on Day One!  BONUS: The very first person to submit for this sketch will get yet another entry into the drawing.

Want to see reader submitted layouts for this sketch?  Click here!

Amber H. created this darling layout of her daughter.  I love how she used flowers in the corners on the left side, instead of more pictures, and yet kept the same shape.  Since she was the only one to submit on time, she gets an extra entry into the grand-prize drawing!

I don’t want to overload the mailbox of those who are subscribed to the blog, so I’m not going to update every day.  Instead, I’ll try to hit the really good stuff every couple of days, okay?

BLINKIES:

• Today, I have blinkies for you, and a way for you to earn more entries into the grand prize drawing!  First, the blinkies.  To use them, right click and save to your hard drive.  Then upload them somewhere online (Photobucket is free and works well for me).  Please please PLEASE do not link to the image on this blog, as it eats up my bandwidth (and is technically stealing bandwidth, but I know most do it unawares, so I try not to get too upset).

(Thanks to my friend Amber Parrow of Parrow Pages for designing the fun blinkies for us!

• Now here’s how to earn more entries into the drawing:  If you use this blinkie (and make it click-able so it is linked to this blog), on your blog or in a message board signature (an MB where you are actively posting), email me a link so I can see it.  For every blog or qualifying MB you use it on, you’ll get an entry into the grand-prize drawing!

REFERRALS:

• If you haven’t subscribed to this blog yet via Feedblitz, do it now and get another entry into the grand-prize drawing.
• Refer a friend who also subscribes (and then emails me from the same address to tell me you referred her… she must include the email address you used to subscribe) and you both get an entry into the grand-prize drawing!

Welcome!  Today is the first day of our 1 year anniversary celebration!  I’m so excited about what is coming up this month.

Today, I would like for you to help me celebrate by sharing with everyone the layouts you have created from the sketches.  Even if your layout didn’t turn out looking exactly like the sketch (they rarely do… even when  *I* use one of my own sketches!), share it anyways!  Here’s what you need to do to participate:

• Scan or photograph your layout.  (I photograph mine by first sticking them up on a wall either with Hermatabs or resting on thumbtacks.)
• If you don’t know how to stitch the two sides of your layout together, that’s okay. I’ll do that for you.
• Email me your layout, making sure to include your name (exactly as you want it to appear in the credits) and your location (if you prefer).  In the subject line, put what sketch # it is.  (If you don’t, and it isn’t easily recognizable as being a particular sketch, it won’t make it into the gallery.)

I will be adding a gallery link to the main page, where you will be able to search the gallery by Sketch number.  Also, each sketch post will have a link to the page where you can see submitted layouts for that sketch.

Here’s the really fun part, though.  For each qualifying layout you submit, you will be entered into a drawing for a gift certificate to an online scrapbook store!  (There will be other ways to earn entries into this drawing, too, as the month goes on.)  In addition, the person with the most submitted qualifying layouts each week will automatically win a gift certificate.  The weeks end at 11:59pm ET each Saturday (April 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th) and also on Wednesday, April 30th.  That is FIVE gift certificates to be given away for submitting layouts, PLUS the entries into the grand prize drawing!

Stay tuned for more celebration news to come.  So you can easily see it all in one place (because there will also be sketches posted in-between), I’ve added an "Anniversary Celebration" category.

This 7 photo sketch uses mostly full-size photos, for those of you who make good use of your camera’s zoom lens. The 2 photos on the left could easily be replaced by a larger single photo or several smaller photos matted together. That element is balanced on the right by the vertically aligned photos near the center of the layout.

In this layout, there are two different focuses. On the left are the posed shots, and on the right are the action shots.  The layout uses 3 solids and 4 patterns from BoBunny.

This sketch gets alot of pictures onto your layout, without sacrificing on size very much.  Most of the photos on this sketch are 4×3, which is exactly half of a 4×6.  In a photo program, you can put two 4×6 pictures onto one canvas, save and print it as a regular 4×6 print either at home or at your favorite developer.  Or, you can intentionally not zoom in on your shot, to make cropping the photos easier.

All of the photos in this layout were originally 4×6 size, cropped down to fit. The focal photo is the only full-size photo on the layout, which gives it even more impact. 

This 8 photo sketch is simple in it’s design, both in the arrangement of the photos and in the layering of the papers. If you are new to using sketches, this is a good one to start with.

This layout is almost exactly like the sketch. It uses 4 patterns and 2 solids.  The papers are from the "Storytime" line by Cosmo Cricket.