Color Combo Challenge #88

Here is my layout for Color Combo #88. I completed lifted this great layout from Keisha Campbell. I've also started adding a printed 8-1/2" x 11" sheet to the back of my layouts with all the notes. That's shown at the bottom--I included the color challenge and pictures of Keisha's layout as the inspiration. Here's what I wrote:

"I did this layout for Color Combo Challenge #88. As soon as I saw the color combination for this week (Aquamarine, Pale Turquoise, Darkest Brown and Goldenrod), I knew I had a kit somewhere in my stash with those exact colors. It’s so exciting to break into some of the pretty kits I’ve had for a while. This one was from 3 Scrappy Boys and the paper line is Heidi Grace Designs (Fiskars) Winnefred St. Line—I had the pp and coordinating cardstock in the kit. The ink is ColorBox Celadon and my new ink chart came in handy. Cream cardstock is PTI and the chipboard parentheses are from my stash. The paper reminded me of a GREAT LAYOUT (below) I’d just printed from Keisha Campbell’s site, so this is a total lift of her design. I really love how it turned out. The photos are sepia—I tried them in an antique finish, but it made the kids look green. The photos are from August (back to school clothes shopping day and Zoo Ala Carte in Milwaukee. Layout completed 9/13/08 on a Happy Scrappy Night at my house."

The layout is really pretty in real life (much better than my feeble attempt at last week's color combo), but I can't take a decent picture to save my life! The stamp is from Enless Creations and the 3 circle punches are SU. I used a couple of new tips last night that I'm really excited about:

1. I finally learned how to size text boxes in Word, so I was able to make the journaling the exact size to fit inside my chipboard parentheses.

2. I saw a tip on Jennifer McGuire's blog on taping the chipboard down to a scrap piece of paper and THEN inking it. Brilliant! No more inky fingers! Love the look of chalk ink on chipboard.

3. I also FINALLY figured out the trick to printing on thick cardstock on my HP printer--no more jammed paper! Now I need to order more of the fabulous PTI cream cardstock--love it.

4. I love the suggestion to make a few quick cards while you have all the matching supplies/cardstock/scraps at hand! My SU demonstrator asked us to bring a few cards to donate to her church committee as her church lets us use their facility for free for our monthly stamp night. So I made a few!

5. I had a few photos that I printed that I wasn't going to use, so I cut them up, popped them in one of the new cards made from scraps and sent them to my grandma. So for the price of a stamp, I sent her something that I may have thrown out otherwise...

In other news, I SCORED at the mailbox yesterday. All 3 Scarlet Lime kits (regular, project, and mini--I have NO SELF-CONTROL with SL kits) and my Cocoa Daisy kit arrived!! WOOHOO. I haven't even looked through them and drooled yet...so much pretty paper, so little time.