a couple of confessions...

I have to confess a couple of things.

#1 - I've gotten out of the habit of putting together two page layouts. When I first started scrapbooking, that's pretty much all I did. And honestly, I have NO problem with single page layouts. LOVE them. But, from time to time, I like to challenge myself. I think it's good to keep myself out of a rut creatively. Just like interval training in physical fitness, it's good to flex and train different muscles to keep yourself growing, and getting stronger! So, the combination of these two things set me up for a little personal challenge this past week. Put together a two-pager. Once I got started on this I found out just how rusty I was. I was having artists' anxiety staring at the blank page and panicking! {Come on. Admit it. Everyone has this every once in a while, and you know it! ;-)} So instead of letting this stop my creative mojo in it's tracks, I decided to use it push myself out of my self imposed box. But, I'll admit it. For this first page I needed a little help. And one of my favorite ways to spark my creativity is by using sketches. So, I stopped by a couple of my favorite sites, and found something that piqued my interest to get me started.

This is what I ended up with:

{look for this layout in the December issue of Scrapbook Trends}

I had so much fun finally getting a chance to play with my Dear, Lizzy goodies from American Crafts! HeHe...

{Based on one of the July sketches from Pagemaps}

#2 - I am sooooo enjoying being able to spend more time in creative play. Honestly. {I guess I'm being really honest today. HeeHee!} I'm loving the summer. I'm not responsible for cracking the whip to make sure that schoolwork gets done in a timely manner. {sigh} of bliss, that is. I've had more time to focus on photography, scrapbooking, sewing, and just things that I find interesting and fun. And it's good for the soul...

Happy Wednesday!