Use it or Lose it Challenge Recap

Phew...I finally finished.  I completed 20 layouts using a stack of last chance papers and scraps.  I am happy it's over and while it was tedious to flip through the same papers over and over, I am kind of glad I did it.  These were papers that survived a couple of purges because I was sure I would use them. I did use a lot but I am very ready to give them away now.  As the end of the challenge drew near, I started to save the "good pictures" for when I could use new papers.   I can now donate the left over papers with no guilt.

This challenge taught me to be more prudent about buying papers and it's motivating me to use more from my stash before buying new supplies. I had to set aside and amazing assortment of new supplies to complete this challenge and I just can not wait to dig in.  I hope to feel that way with all my future purchases instead of getting used to seeing it pile up.

Here are all the layouts from this challenge which I started March 23rd.

 

A New View

I did it!!  This is the final layout from my Use it or Lose it Challenge.  It's a simple layout but I like it's simplicity.  These are some pictures of rides in Disney from a different angle, from Tom Sawyer's Island to be exact.

Use it or Lose it #20!!! - A New View

I used a cream bazzill cardstockfor a base and added some My Mind's Eye papers.  I sprinked some black Mr. Huey's Color Mist in opposing corners.  I stapled some some paper twine (how's that for a blast from the past??!).  The title is Jillibean Soup chipboard letters and Making Memories tiny letters.

Now the challenge is behind me.  The leftovers will go to my friend who works at a psych hospital.  She collected a ton of supplies back in January but said they can always use more.  I am so glad to get some things out of the house and that it will go to people who will enjoy it.

oops!

I am in the final stretch of my layout challenge and really really struggled with this one.  I don't like it at all.  I don't really care about telling this story.  I am just ready to be out of this challenge.

Use it or Lose it #19 - oops!

The papers are My Mind's Eye and Echo Park papers.  The journal block is from Echo Park as well.  The letters of American Crafts and the buttons are from my stash.

Stand Over There

Here are some more babysitting pictures.  It's the same night the pictures on Smile for the Camera were taken.  Once the picture was snapped, they would come running over to see the picture.  Then someone would say "Stand over there" so we could try taking another/better picture.  That never really happened

Use it or Lose it # 18: Stand Over There

This is My Mind's Eye and Studio Calico papers, Stampin' Up bling, Freckled Fawn wood veneers and some washi tape.  I border punched the lighter blue paper and added some stitching.  The sewing machine really gave me a hard time, I think I need to get better thread.

Fun Times

Last year, I went to Florida with my sister and her kids to visit our mother.  Most of our family lives in the area so we hosted a get together at the hotel so we could see everyone and so they could all meet Ben and Rebecca.  There are a host of pictures from the afternoon.  It was a really fun day and it was so terrific to see everyone at once.

Use it or Lose it # 17: Fun Times

Ok, surprise surprise, I used My Mind's eye papers here.  There is also Making Memories (pink polka dot) and bazzill cardstock. I also used bakers twine from the Twinery, Stampin' Up bling, American Crafts Thickers and a frame from my stash.

This layout is based on a sketch from Scrapbook Generations which I followed almost completely.  I hand cut the larger clouds and used a Fiskars punch for the smaller one.  The butterfly is from a sizzix die.  I cut two, sewed it down the middle and used some foam dots in between the layers for some dimension.

Date Day

No, not date night.  Don's not much of a night owl so we tend to do things in the afternoon and then go for dinner instead of the other way around.  On this date, we saw Moneyball which was pretty good.  It involved sports, rooting for the underdog, math and Brad Pitt all in one.  Eddie's Sweet Shop is right across the street.  They are one of the few original homemade ice cream parlors that are left in the area.  There are little flecks of vanilla in the ice cream.  So good!


Use it or Lose it Challenge #16: Date Day

I used a lot of different papers here.  The base is Die Cuts With a View, then My Mind's Eye they rest are from my scraps box and include more My Mind's Eye, Studio Calico, Jillibean Soup and October Afternoon.  I outlined them all with my trusty sharpie.  I used American Craft Thickers, Mr. Huey's Color Mists, a word wood veneer by Freckled Fawn plus some buttons and bling from my stash.

A Very Punny Ride

These are just some pictures from the Jungle Cruise ride line at Disney World.  It's one of our favorites - it's silly and relaxing.  The journaling is about how the tour guides used to be able to ad lib their spiel.  That must have been funny if you had a guide with a great sense of humor.  I guess this became a problem at some point so now there's a Disney approved script they need to follow but according to one guide, there are several options for each "joke point" so the ride is different each time.  The passengers play a part too - if there's someone a little outgoing on the boat, they might interact with the guide which also makes the ride unique.

Use it or Lose it Challenge #15 - The Jungle Cruise

There is My Mind's Eye and Die Cuts with a View patterned paper and Bazzill cardstock.  The title is anchored on some grey polka dot washi tape, using Jillibean Soup chipboard letters which I outlined with my trusty sharpie pen along with Simple Stories letter stickers.  I punched out some circles and stars and added some Oriental Trading pearls to the corners.

I can't say that I am pleased with this layout.  At first, I liked the wood grain with the blue paper.  It needed something and I thought it the red border would help but I think it looks too heavy.  I choked on embellishing and went with stars but I think they look western although looking at it on my screen it actually feels Christmas-y.  I don't know if I should pop the whole thing off the blue paper and put it on kraft or something else.  Of course that means there's the risk of messing up the whole thing because the blue flowers are glued down to the wood grain.  To get out of this challenge, I'll leave it for now and maybe reconsider it in the future.

What do you do when you really struggle with the final product?