Dreams and Sweet Treats!!

I woke up early this morning after only a few hours sleep. I was anxious to get some chores done and relax my Friday away in my scrap room. I haven't gotten very far an either front. I think I would be better off to take a nap and try again this afternoon!! The first layout I have to share uses a sketch from 2009 by Helen Croft at Scrap-A-Little. I guess being a little tired and cranky, I was feeling a little melancholy as well and decided to do a layout about the dreams I have right now. They include seeing my children graduate from college, having grandchildren, vacationing in Venice, owning a home again, owning a scrapbook store and always having a loving heart. These dreams haven't changed much from 10, even 20 years ago (except that I did once own a home but we had to sell after Michael passed away as I could not afford to keep it on my own) and I hope that 10 years from NOW, several of these dreams will have become a reality. I have no challenges to submit this layout to if you can believe that! Totally just done from my heart! Uses Lily Bee Vintage Poppy papers. I made the flowers by layering die cuts from my new Tim Holtz Tattered Floral Sizzix die. The swirls are die cuts from another Sizzix die.

And that brings me to the above layout, which was actually the first layout I did this morning. I'm so disappointed in how it turned out. I've had this sketch on my desk for a while. It is Sketch #71 by Liz Chidester at The Scrappiest. I really liked the sketch and totally loved her version of it so decided to go with it. I also grabbed some Cosmo Cricket papers that I just got and went from there. Perhaps that was my mistake. I usually do ok starting with specific papers, then finding a photo to match. The photos I chose are two of my favorites from when Susie was little. Unfortunately they are not digital photos so there was nothing I could do about how washed out they are. And combine that with my paper choice and the whole layout just seems BLAH to me. If you've been around my blog enough you know how I am.....once its done, its done. I may not LOVE the page, but if I re-did every page that I didn't LOVE, I would not have enough days in my lifetime to scrap all my photos! Susie came in to look at it and she loves it, so I guess that's all that really matters in the end, right? These are our memories, our family.....and if every page is not worthy of accolades, so be it. Funny thing is it does qualify for a challenge although again, I wasn't thinking about it at the time. Practical Scrappers challenge this week is border punches and I used one on the green strip. At least its another entry into the challenge!! :) Well, time to switch the laundry and relax a bit and hope I get a second wind of creativity!