Hey guys…SP here today :o) As you probably already know (from THIS blog post) – we are slowing the blog down a bit here at the Shabby Shoppe :o)  So, this isn’t really a ‘good-bye’ post…just one to say that we’ll still be here (busy designing, hopefully!) – just not as often!  Our hope is to continue to inspire…with occasional fun and interesting posts and content! We won’t post unless we have something worth-while to say (well, at least in our minds, lol)! Of course, we’ll always share news of NEW PRODUCTS and FREEBIES here…and anything else that might be of interest! As much as I love to cook and bake – no doubt that I’ll be back with foodie posts in the future – as well as crafting and hybrid when I can!

Also – as I mentioned in the last project SCRAP 2012 post…we are bringing a brand new (and really awesome) project SCRAP bundle to the Shoppe soon…so stay tuned to the blog (and our newsletter) for more information on that! I plan to check-in every now and then with everyone…for my own motivation as much as anyone else’s, lolol! Seriously – I have enjoyed the project so much for the past two years and am excited to keep going with it…and hope you are as well!  And again, while there will not be monthly posts for it anymore…that doesn’t mean we can’t all keep on track :o)  So, good luck with it and I’ll be excited to share my pages with you in the coming months (and certainly hope to continue to see yours in the gallery as well) :o)

I promised myself I wouldn’t ramble on too long…so, I’ll wrap it up :o)  More than anything else…I wanted to say THANK YOU with all my heart to all of our wonderfully sweet, caring, creative and beautiful blog friends! Also – a huge thank you and lots of love to the crazy talented Shabby Artist team…the blog wouldn’t have been much fun without them, lol! You all have brought us so much joy – and inspired us to create and craft!  We have ALL grown so much during the past couple of years – and you will all be missed!  YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!  XOXO…and sincere wishes for a blessed, happy, healthy and creative 2013 :o)  See ya soon-ish!  Shabby Princess :o)

~*~

Hi everyone!! Kylie here as well!  I wanted to drop by and add to SP’s message with my own short, sweet and very heartfelt “bye-for-now!”…how could I not?! ;o)  It’s been my absolute privilege to work with Shabby Princess and the entire Shabby Artist team.  It really has been a true joy managing the blog over the last little while…I’ve loved every single second of it!  The whole Shabby Shoppe community, well it’s just like one big family…the encouragement, the inspiration, the SMILES…so many smiles!!!  And that special (and often rare) feeling of community, well it’s all thanks to SP and her beautiful and generous spirit…all the amazingly-talented past & present team members that have shared so much with us all – Beckie, Nicole, Kathy, Lu, Anna, Trish, Karen, Denise, Rachel, Jenelle, Kim, Casharina, Rosy, Amber, Elisabeth, Emily, Aubrey and Lindsay…and all our loyal blog followers and forever-fabulous gallery members.  It’s been a FUN and memorable journey – all learning and growing together in digi-scrap-happiness!!  So I guess it’s time for me to sign off (before I get too carried away, and to be honest, a little teary!).  I’m looking forward to seeing you all in the gallery from time to time and commenting on your gorgeous creations…and ya never know, I may just pop by with a blog post or two throughout the year…and I can’t wait to help SP with lots of awesome NEW goodies for the Shoppe!! Yay!!  …and on that note - HAPPY SCRAPPING, my dear Shabby Shoppe friends and bye for now!! K :o)

Hello everyone :o)  Shabby Princess here with you today for the final project SCRAP 2012 post!  YAY – we did it – ANOTHER YEAR scrapped :o) If you have been following along – you are FINISHED with all of your monthly 2012 layouts/spreads (isn’t that wonderful?)!  Now, it’s just time to get the album covers completed…and the albums/books printed!  SO FUN :o)

So, before we get started…if you are new to project SCRAP…THIS POST is a great place to learn more!  Also, if you click on the PROJECT SCRAP 2012 category (on the right side of the blog)…you can ALWAYS easily find ALL posts related to the subject!  It’s your go-to place if you want to keep up with everything in 2012!  And, as this is our final post for project SCRAP 2012 – I wanted to remind you to be sure and download all of our free templates soon as they will be removed in the coming weeks (they will be available for purchase in the Shoppe after that). Anyhoo, as a quick little reminder… here is the project in a nutshell:::

So – back to the COVERS – you have THREE options!  I sooooo love all of these!  Kylie and I put these together and I truly cannot choose a favorite!  I love the first option because of the envelope style – it adds a lot of interest…and the opportunity to have fun with papers!  Then, I love option two because you get a glimpse into the year with all of the photos on the front!  And, with option three…I just love the simplicity of it!  So, I give up – good luck choosing, lol!  Here’s the good news though – you can download ALL THREE and then see what works for YOU :o)

::::If you wish to download ALL THREE COVER OPTIONS – CLICK HERE (or you can download them individually below)::::

Now…let’s get a little more up-close with the three cover options :o)  AND, share some inspiration! Here is COVER OPTION ONE:

::::CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD (or simply click on the preview image below)::::

And a couple of examples that Kylie and I put together! Again, I love the envelope style here…the side ‘flaps’ really draw your eyes to the title block…and then all of the embellishments add dimension and interest…and soften the whole look!  Of course, Kylie and I both chose to embellish with flowers…but you could easily use any elements here!

Now, for COVER OPTION TWO…

::::CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD (or simply click on the preview image below)::::

Again, on this one – I love the addition of the photos – as they offer a little sneak peek into the year :o) But, you also have the opportunity to have fun with embellishments – love that :o)  It’s a great mix!  I chose to add a photo from each month on my cover…and Kylie opted to add interest with papers!  Really like both looks here :o) As I say (all too often, lol) – that’s the beauty of templates…you are in control of the final look – it’s all about a starting point – then you get to be creative and have fun :o)

And, last (but far from least) – we have COVER OPTION THREE…

::::CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD (or simply click the preview image below)::::

Now, if I choose to go with another one of the cover options for MY 2012 album – I can assure you that THIS ONE will still be worked with at some point…as I absolutely ADORE it! It’s super simple – but has LOTS of room for creativity and extras!  As you can see…Kylie and I added a few extra elements…but the covers still have that open and simple look – thanks to all of the ‘white space’!

So, there you have it…all of our NEW and FUN cover options :o)  And, while time got away from me and I didn’t get to finalize and print my album before this post – I want to direct you to last year’s ALBUM COVER POST as it offers TONS of information (and photos/inspiration/tips) about printing and more :o)  So, BE SURE TO CHECK IT OUT HERE as I’m sure you will find it helpful as you wrap up your project SCRAP 2012 albums/books!

Of course – we would LOOOOOVE for you guys to share your final covers AND printed albums with us in the project SCRAP 2012 INSPIRATION GALLERY!  I know I personally benefit sooooo much from seeing all of the inspiration!  So, join us and let us see YOURS :o)

Kylie and I…and the rest of the team would like to say a heartfelt THANK YOU for joining us for another year of project SCRAP :o)  We all love and enjoy it just as much as you guys…and we depend on it to get our year scrapped, too (believe me, lol)! Even though we will not be featuring regular blog posts on any upcoming project SCRAP years…Kylie and I still wanted to continue it on our own – and offer you the tools to do so as well :o) Sooooo, we have been working on a new project SCRAP bundle (it will be bundle 3) for the Shoppe (hope to have it in the Shoppe within the next week or two…so stay tuned)! It is definitely my fave so far…we really worked hard to make it unique and fun and practical…and we hope you love it as much as we do!  Be sure you are signed up for our Shoppe newsletter…as I plan to offer the new bundle at a HUGE discount for a very limited time when I release it!  You’ll want to be sure you get that newsletter so you don’t miss out :o)  We are doing that as a THANK YOU to all of you ladies who have scrapped along with us over the past two years!  I’ll tell you that I HOPE to check-in every now and then throughout the year to share some of my pages and to help motivate you guys (here at the blog)…just no promises on how often or when, etc. :o)

With that…I guess we are officially ‘wrapped-up’ for project SCRAP 2012 :o)  It’s definitely bittersweet to end another project – but mostly…just a wonderful feeling of completion – I hope you all agree!  HAVE FUN SCRAPPING…and many thanks for joining us :o)  Have a WONDERFUL weekend…XOXO — SP :o)

So…with all of that said…let’s get to the December pages :o)  If you missed them – be sure to download them HERE!  They are gorgeous and so perfect for all of your holiday photos!  I’m sure that many of you are like me…and ended up with LOTS of EXTRA photos to scrap in December…it’s just that kind of month, eh?!  So, I still have to work on some ‘extra pages’ – and just tried to get an assortment of photos on the template layouts!  With these pages…I really like the idea of using the ‘multi-photo’ page to duplicate for more December/holiday photos.  Did that make sense?  So…if you have lots of extra photos like me…just take that multi-photo page and use it again twice to make another two page spread.  It gives you LOTS of spots for photos…and you could even rotate to give them a ‘new’ look!  Just an idea if you would like to fit  in more photos (that rings true for just about any of our templates/months) :o)

Alrighty…so let’s move on to some inspiration :o)  I’ve included quite a bit here as there was no way to choose favorites!  I did leave some in the gallery for you to find on your own, lol – and you’ll definitely want to as they are GORGEOUS!  It’s always so fun for me to see the different ways in which we all interpret the templates :o)

As I said…my pages are just a mish-mash of the month…we had Christmas and a big family vacation to the mountains and LOTS of other stuff going on…

 Amber’s layouts are just beyond gorgeous…I love the snowy trees and all the kid-happy-fun pics :o) And the silhouetted nativity…wow!  STUNNING :o)  Thanks, Amber!

Kylie’s month looks pretty wonderful, too :o)  Lots of food and family and entertainment (and spectacular layouts, too)!  LOVE IT – thanks, Kylie!

Are Kim’s kids just the cutest or what?!  Look at all those precious smiles!  Love all the silly faces and fun pics…and especially the color combo on her layouts :o)  THANKS, Kim!

Finally, pqtn’s layouts just jumped out at me…loved the color palette and paper blocking…all of her gorgeous layering…and the wonderful photos, too!  Fabulous job – THANK YOU :o)

So there you have it…our almost-last project SCRAP 2012 check-in, lol :o)  I’ll be back here with you next week for the FINAL check-in where I share the album cover templates with you guys!  They are like the ‘icing on the cake’ :o)  The perfect way to ‘top-off’ another year of scrapping together!

That’s it for me today…thanks for following along!  Be sure to check back next week for more wonderful and inspirational posts (and LOTW on Monday)!  Have a beautiful and blessed weekend everyone :o)  XOXO — SP!

It really is with a great sadness…AND, oddly…at the same time – a wonderful feeling of knowing I am making the right decision…that I tell you that the blog will be undergoing a huge change beginning February 1st.  I have decided (after much thought and consideration and sleepless nights and even a few tears) that it’s time for the BLOG to slow down and go back to a place just for Shoppe/SP announcements and the occasional wordy, rambling SP post :o)  I want to first make it clear that the Shoppe itself (as well as the ShabbyPrincess.com site) is not changing or going away in any way  :o)  This only affects the Blog and daily-ish posts. There are LOTS and LOTS of reasons for this…but foremost is simply scheduling and time…and the ‘wish’ for freedom from the constant need to plan for the next post, challenge, templates, etc.  With the new year, there is always a lot of thought put into how to IMPROVE over the previous year…and one thing that has really JUMPED OUT at me…is the need and want to SIMPLIFY and slow down a bit!  I am sure this is something that we can all understand and embrace :o)  When I think back to my HAPPIEST and most PRODUCTIVE times as Shabby Princess – it’s always when I was just spending all of my available work time DESIGNING and CREATING…and I miss that – a lot :o)  Knowing that I do not have a LOT of design time these days…the best decision was to cut back on all of the ‘extra’ stuff that takes away from design time…and the BLOG was the only real choice for me.

As I said…I KNOW that for me and my family and my schedule and my work…that this is the right decision and I feel a great peace with that (and to be quite honest – am excited at the prospect of getting back to the joy of just designing and being creative)!  However…in making this decision – there were two very difficult components…ONE – the team…and TWO – all of our amazingly wonderful followers, readers and scrappers :o)  Without a blog…there really is no need to have a ‘blog team’ in place…so saying ‘goodbye’ to the girls was not easy or fun (that’s an understatement)!  However, they are an AMAZING group of women (in SO many ways)…talented beyond belief…and most just as busy (and busier) than I am…so thankfully – they understood (though, of course…there was a sadness for ALL of us). While I’ll miss seeing and reading the daily/weekly team emails and seeing all of their amazing inspiration…I have a feeling you’ll still be seeing some of their gorgeous layouts from time to time in upcoming newsletters and my own ‘shabby’ (lol) blog posts :o)  I have to just say it again here…the SHABBY TEAM is truly the best in this industry and I feel blessed beyond belief to have had the opportunity to work with each and every one!  I have really gotten to know some of these girls very well…and they are true friends in my life! On that note…I can’t move on without letting you guys know that our amazing and fearless blog/team leader KYLIE…will still be around (thank GOODNESS) :o)  She has been the most amazing addition to the Shoppe…well…ever, lol – and I am so pleased to say that she will continue working with me, but in the capacity of product development (can you say CALENDARS and TEMPLATES and HYBRID and so on – YAY!!!) :o)  Couldn’t be happier about that!  YES…we are planning to bring calendars back this year…but that means getting started NOW :o)  Anyway, no doubt you will still be inspired by Kylie throughout the year…and thankfully (and selfishly, lol) for ME – I get to be inspired by her almost daily!  She is a true friend and a bright light for me (and everyone that has the opportunity to get to know her)!

Now…the second part of that decision – YOU GUYS…that’s even a bit more difficult – as I know without doubt that you will be sad about this decision…not only for the loss of inspiration – but for the loss of our challenges and desktops and so on (and I like to spread HAPPY…not SAD, lol – seriously)! :o(  Trust me when I say that we went over and over and over it all, trying to decide the best way to ‘slow down’ the blog…and in the end – the unanimous decision was that if we are going to DO THIS…we need to just DO IT (or what is the point of it all?  lol)!  So, as a result – there will no longer be any scheduled template challenges, project SCRAP (YES, we are absolutely finishing out 2012…Kylie and I have been working on the covers – you will love them…I’ll share them towards the end of January), free desktops and so on :o(  So, I know that that will feel like a ‘loss’ – and I am genuinely and truly sorry for that…and completely understand the feeling!  However, at the same time, I sooooo hope that you guys will understand what we are trying to accomplish.  And THAT, is to have more time to add fun stuff to the Shoppe and the SP sites…and get back into that creative, designing groove :o)  With time spread so thin – it’s just impossible for me to do both all the time, know what I mean?!  But, I feel a renewed spirit and creativity with this decision…and I think that will show in the Shoppe over the coming months and year!

With that said – we do still PLAN to share fun stuff with you guys both at the BLOG and the SP sites…but what we will not be doing anymore…is the SCHEDULED ‘stuff’ :o) It will be much more casual…without the prospect of ‘deadlines’ always in the back of the mind!  I hope that made sense…but in essence – I would love to continue things like the occasional Fast & Fabulous speed scrap…an inspiration post here and there…some fun food stuff (always my favorite subject, lol)…and even free templates and so on.  It will just be more sporadic and when we have time to enjoy the process and have fun with it :o)

I know this is a lot to read and take in…and probably even feels a bit sudden :o(  Please know that this has been a much-considered and planned decision, that was never ever taken lightly.  I really hope you will stick around for the next couple of weeks and show the girls some LOVE!  We plan to share and inspire through the end of the month…and there are some GREAT posts coming your way!  Of course, Kylie and I will be helping you guys wrap up project SCRAP 2012 and so on…so please enjoy these last wonderful weeks!  I know you will miss these amazing girls (as will I)…and we’ll all miss YOU, TOO!  For me and Kylie though…we’ll still be right here, working away and checking in from time-to-time!  More than anything – we hope to continue seeing YOUR gorgeous pages in the gallery…because as always – we are inspired by YOU, just as much as you are by us :o)

THANK YOU ALL FOR UNDERSTANDING…and for all of the time you have spent with us!  We’re not ‘going’ anywhere, lol – so this really isn’t GOODBYE…more of a casual…see ya soon, he he!  In the meantime – HAPPY SCRAPPING :o)

XOXO — SP

Sooooo, how are we all doing?!  I know that I am up-to-date with my monthly pages…but still need to add some two-page spreads here and there to cover other events and memories :o)  I told myself i would do those monthly…and for some, i have – but not all! There, I admitted it…I feel better now :o)  I mean, they WILL get done in time – it will just be a race-to-the-finish, as per usual, lol!  Hopefully you guys have kept up with the ‘extras’ better than me :o) And, if you have no extra pages to add…then hopefully you are current with your layouts!

Let’s check out our October layouts :o)  If you missed them – NO WORRIES…you can download them HERE!  They are wonderful, and so easy to scrap with!  Our October was all over the place, lol!  We enjoyed a lot of family time together…lots of sports and outdoor fun…games, school and plenty more! I also had to say goodbye to my wonderful old PC, which completely died on me…and have been trying to get used to my new mac since then (which I’m loving…but hey – the transition hasn’t been pleasant, lol)! So, my pages just loosely reflect all of these things, along with the journaling :o)

Now, Amber’s adorable pages really illustrate October for me :o) These layouts have it all – and I LOOOOVE them!  Perfect photos and papers and elements – and just the right mix of everything! Really, totally adore these (no doubt you will, too)!

Awwww, Kim’s pages are just scrapping perfection, too!  So many moments and memories captured – both in photos and journaling! And the big photo of mommy with her little sweeties – LOVE it :o)  Of course, the ‘blank’ boxes at the bottom are PERFECT here…to balance out the design…such a great touch :o)

Like the rest of our layouts here (well, except mine, lol) – Rosy’s gorgeous pages totally embrace Fall and October as well! Such rich colors and photos…all perfectly embellished!  And, I always enjoy seeing how Rosy customizes and personalizes the templates to work with her photos and style!  Awesome :o)

Please remember that there are always MORE beautiful layouts to enjoy in the project SCRAP 2012 gallery - take a peek and get inspired!

Before I go, here is a quick little glance at November’s templates!  Kylie will be sharing them with you guys next Thursday :o)

That does it for me today :o) As always, I LOVE our project SCRAP group and hope to hear how you guys are all doing!  Do not miss the blog tomorrow…as new Shabby Artist Lindsay is scheduled to inspire us with a hybrid project…can’t wait :o)

Until next time…have a LOVELY day/night :o)  XOXO — SP

So, first and foremost…super excited to say that we just started our second site-wide SALE of the year :o)  We only offer these twice a year (once around the Shoppe’s birthday which is May-ish, lol…and once toward the end of the year/holiday season)…and here we are!

Next…I just had to tell you that we just added a bunch of BRAND NEW PRODUCTS to the shoppe!  We have been so super busy here and hope you like all of the goodies :o) The Shabby Artists have really rocked the inspiration – which you can see in the NEWSLETTER and in the product pages (and of course, the gallery)!

And, finally (and perhaps, best of all, lol) – we have a FREE GIFT with all $10 purchases :o)  Our Fa La La brag book is beyond adorable…and right now – only available as a free with purchase item (you will be able to purchase it individually after November 21st, for $4.95).

I think that will do it for me today :o) I do so sincerely hope you guys enjoy all of our new products, the sale, the gift with $10 purchase…and the newsletter!  We are now looking forward to some time off during the holiday season…to spend with family and friends!  So, while this will be our FINAL new product release of 2012…we are so excited to get right back to it in January, 2013…already so many kit and product ideas rolling around in my tired head, LOL! Thanks EVERYONE…XOXO — SP :o)

Back to the topic at hand, lol!  Let’s check in on the SEPTEMBER templates and some of the amazing layouts from the project SCRAP 2012 inspiration gallery! If you missed the September templates – no worries, you can still download them HERE!  We’ll begin with my pages…I’ll be honest…I took like NO pictures in September…I mean NONE, lol!  The only reason I have the pics below is because we ‘babysat’ my parents’ puppy dog…and I had to send them pictures daily so they knew he was having a great time, lolol! That’s why my pages are a wee bit ‘dog heavy’ ROFL!  Well, I also included kit previews as in all honesty…the new product release last month really dominated my time (well, for the past few months actually, lol) along with school!  I’ll use myself as an example…so you can see that you do not always have to have all the pics…and you can substitute other things into your layouts – be creative and make project SCRAP work for YOU and your photos!  There truly is no right or wrong here (thank Goodness – ’cause I know I don’t need the added pressure, lolol)!

Let’s just say that when I first saw Amber’s main page in the gallery – I nearly melted, lol!  Little Mallie is toooooo precious for words…and there is just something about that photo?!  The angle…the smiling eyes…the hair – just pure sweetness! And…the other pics – the family portrait…the ‘ghost’ pics…awesome!  of course, the scrapping rocks, too – lol!  Thanks so much for sharing, Amber :o)

Same thing with Kim’s pages!  That main photo with the dolls…the PERFECT little girl birthday photo, lol!  And all the rest of the silly and sweet pics make me smile!  Also – really impressed with how she combined Penelope and Memory Lane…clever, and the result is gorgeous :o)

Now, if there was ever any doubt (there wasn’t) that I hope to visit Kylie one day…well, that main photo fixed that, lolol!  BEAUTIFUL!  And all of the birthday treat/party pics…total Kylie perfection!  Had to smile when I saw she had some puppy dog pics, too lolol!  GREAT PHOTOS and there is just a glow to the pages :o)

Finally…sweet Rosy’s pages :o)  You guys know how much I always love Rosy’s photography skills…and that main photo illustrates it perfectly for me!  No faces…just a ‘feel’ from the photo…LOOOOVE!  Really enjoy the way she tells the story with the photos!  BRILLIANT…thanks, Rosy :o)

I wish I could fit ALL of the GORGEOUS September pages in here…but it would have made for one LONG blog post, lolol!  So, please don’t forget that there are always MORE layouts to enjoy in the project SCRAP 2012 gallery – take a peek as no doubt they will help you to get started on your own pages!

Also, here is a quick little peek at October’s templates!  Kylie will be sharing them with you next Thursday :o)

I believe that’s it for today :o)  We’ll see you guys back here on Monday for LOTW!  Until then – have a wonderfully blessed weekend :o)  XOXO — SP

P.S.  Just a reminder that TODAY is the DEADLINE for our Shabby Artist TEAM CALL :o) We are super excited to welcome our new team members soon…and would love for you to apply (thought time is running SHORT now, lol)!

So, for our check-in today, we’ll be peeking at the AUGUST templates and some of the amazing layouts from the project SCRAP 2012 inspiration gallery! If you missed the August templates – no worries, you can still download them HERE!   We’ll start with my pages…which are kinda ‘all-over-the-place’ lol!  Such a mish-mash of photos and colors…but I think I am finally happy with the end result (though it seemed a long road getting to that point, he he)!  It’s funny…I am DEATHLY afraid of frogs…I mean like you wouldn’t believe…so taking the pic of the frog was so hard for me (thank Goodness for zoom lenses)…but nowhere near as difficult as having it in front of me in photoshop as I worked on these layouts for so long, LOLOL!  Seriously…

Now, how about Kylie’s HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY pages?  I swear, the girls look soooooo grown-up here…and so gorgeous!  Looks like some fun auntie/niece time…and adorable layouts to boot :o)

Loving Kim’s layouts (nothing new there, lol)!  I enjoyed reading her description about the color palette as I felt the same way with mine this month…and as per usual – we seemed to be on the same ‘page’ with some of our paper/embellishment choices, lol!  So fun :o)

Sweet Amber rocked the August templates, too!  Everything is perfect here…but especially the choice of the golden damask paper – it just highlights all of the photos beautifully!  Always look forward to Amber’s gallery!

Finally, we have Rosy’s layouts…totally enjoying the dark blue/yellow color palette, and the subtle changes and additions she made (they really work so well!)

So, I think that will do it for inspiration today!  Of course, there are MORE layouts to enjoy in the project SCRAP 2012 gallery – so be sure to take a peek…I have no doubt that you will find yourself INSPIRED :o)

Before I go…here is a quick little peek at September’s templates – so pretty!  Kylie will be sharing them with you next Thursday :o)

I hope you all have a wonderful day/night…and that you are having a great time scrapping 2012 with us!  DON‘T FORGET that this SATURDAY we are having another FAST & FABULOUS speed scrap here at the BLOG :o)  We TRULY hope you’ll join us (everyone is invited!) – it’s going to be SO MUCH FUN!  See ya there…until then - XOXO — SP :o)

Hello :o)  SP here with you guys today…for the JULY edition of the project SCRAP 2012 check-ins!  Guess what?!  If you have scrapped your July pages – you are OVER HALFWAY through with scrapping 2012!!!!  WOW, doesn’t that feel GREAT?!  All that we have left is August through December…and then the cover pages!  So…KEEP UP THE AWESOME WORK and before you know it…you’ll have another year up-to-date, without that icky feeling of always being behind!  And, as I always say – it is NEVER too late to start now!  As long as you have been taking photos – you can easily go and download all of our 2012 templates…and be up-to-speed in NO TIME :o)  I promise – you’ll be SOOOOOO happy that you did :o)

So, for today – we’ll be highlighting the JULY templates and some of the gorgeous layouts from the project SCRAP 2012 inspiration gallery (which you must check out)!  If you missed the July templates – no worries, you can still download them HERE!  For us…July was off-the-charts busy…but filled with all kinds of fun and travel, too :)  Of course…there was the 4th of July holiday…hot days…Vacation Bible School and SO much more!  I opted to modify my pages just a teensy bit…not much really!  I just added photos in a couple of the paper blocks, as well as the multi-photo page journaling.  I was able to fit lots of text on my ‘main’ page, so it worked out great!  As I’ve probably said too many times (lol)…that’s my fave part of layered templates…you can totally customize them and make them your own (as you will see with many of the examples below)!  So, we’ll start with my pages…Goodness…this will be another month where I need to add extra pages as we did so much, and took lots of photos, too (YAY)!  Here goes…

Now, let’s move on to the amazingly sweet and talented Amber!  Her pages are gorgeous…and most of all, so personal and heartfelt and special!  Truly love EVERY single thing about them!  Thanks so much for the inspiration, Amber!

I think it’s so funny – somehow Kim and I scrap with like minds or something, lol!  We often have common papers or items on our pages…and this month is no exception!  We both worked with the same dot paper from the Barefoot collection…love it!  I also had that green polka dot paper as my background for some time, too – then ultimately, switched it out!  Anyhoo, lol…LOVE these as per usual!  Especially that big and HAPPY pic of little Samuel (who is growing up sooooo fast)!

I really like what Rosy did with the templates…she re-worked them a bit and the result is perfect!  The color combo here is fantastic (love orange and blue/turquoise together)…as well as the mix of patterns to highlight all of the adorable pics!

Now, JoyontheJourney’s pages totally jumped out of the gallery to me!  Her mix of bright, happy colors…and the added embellishments – AWESOME!  Of course, all of the cute pics certainly hold their own against the beautiful design :o)  LOVELY job…thank you for sharing!

I always gravitate to Lu’s pages in the gallery…even before I know they are hers, lol!  Her layouts are always so full of life and family and love…not to mention, fantabulous design details!  I love the contrast of the simple main page…and the ‘busy’ and ‘full’ multi page!  They balance each other very well and leave you wanting to turn the page to see more :o)  Thanks for inspiring us…again!

Next, we have these super duper GORGEOUS pages from pqtn!  I love the entire ‘feel’ of the layouts…and all of the little details…from the adorable banner, to the circle photo (great idea), large title and more!  I find myself looking at these over and over again, to see what I might have missed the first time, lol!  Just perfect – THANK YOU for sharing!

And, oh how Kylie’s pages make me SMILE and long for winter, lol!  I love seeing her family pages…especially the rare treat of mum and dad…and the girls are precious as always!  These layouts are full of winter fun and special time spent together – these really are treasures :o)

So, I think that will do it for inspiration today!  Of course, there are MORE layouts to enjoy in the project SCRAP 2012 gallery – so be sure to take a peek…I promise that you will find yourself INSPIRED :o)

Before I go…here is a quick little peek at August’s templates – love ‘em!  Kylie will be sharing them with you next Thursday :o)

I hope you all have a BEAUTIFUL day/night…and that you enjoy scrapping 2012 along with us!  Be sure to stop back by tomorrow as we share info about our next FAST & FABULOUS speed scrap (yay!)!  Until next time…XOXO — SP :o)

In the event you missed the JUNE project SCRAP 2012 pages - you can download them HERE :o)

So…June was yet another busy month for us…full of family time, celebrations and travel!  Of course…Father’s Day was a big part of the month – so fun :o)  I also got to spend some quality time with my precious little niece (a total highlight)…and lots more!  Here are my pages (I did a little bit of tweaking to the temlate to suit my photos, etc.)…

 Now, for more inspiration - let’s start with lil_goldie’s CUTE pages!  Love the color palette here…and the focus on dad :o) And the title is super fun, too!

 Next we have Kim’s layouts!  Totally love all of the fun little embellishments and details…AND, can I just say that it looks like a full and fun month (as her perfect title indicates – ‘the great summer adventure’)!  FANTASTIC!

 Rosys’ pictures always capture my attention, and this month is no exception!  The strawberry pic immediately grabbed me, and just screamed SUMMER!  Love how she added extra pics…and all of the titles on the photos!  AWESOME!

 Now, I had to smile when I came across jessg26′s pages…as she and I had some similarities in our layouts!  I just thought it funny how we both used the same gingham bows…the star on a string…yellow backgrounds…and even recolored the same little birdie element, lol!  LOVE IT!  And, I have to say that the main photo is breathtaking and total perfection :o)  What a perfect daddy’s day pic – one I’m sure they will always treasure!

 And we wrap up our inspiration with Amber’s gorgeous and happy pages!  That beach picture is just calling my name, lol!  Fabulous summer layouts and colors, with lots of CUTE pics – LOVE IT ALL :o)

And, as I have done the past couple of months, I wanted to share a little ‘sneak peek’ of the JULY project SCRAP pages to come :o)  Aren’t they adorable?  Kylie will be sharing them with you next Thurdsay…

 That completes our mid-year/June check-in…again – don’t forget to leave a comment so we know how your year of scrapping is coming along!  And, as always – we would LOVE to see YOUR pages in our project SCRAP 2012 gallery :o)

Thanks so much for stopping by today…and for scrapping 2012 along with us :o)  You won’t want to miss the BLOG tomorrow as Kim shares some FANTABULOUS hybrid inspiration (I peeked and it’s awesome, he he)!  ENJOY your day/night and have lots of fun scrapping!  XOXO — SP