February Challenge: Scrapbooking

This month it's all about scrapbooking. I am determined to plow through 2011 and my wedding albums with grace and dignity and cross that finish line. Each day this month will feature a new challenge for scrapbooking...maybe it's something you've never tried and maybe it's something you do all the time. There's enough of a mix on here to expand on colors, embellishments, techniques, content, journaling, etc to keep your creative juices flowing. Mine too.

Let me tell you, a 30 day scrapbook challenge is tough. My friend and I succeeded once and failed twice. Life gets in the way. You get busy, you get tired, you look at your space and have no motivation and don't feel inspired. I hope presenting daily challenges will help instead of leaving a free for all "anything goes" each day. Keep up with me and at the end of the month {only 29 days, mind you!} you can look back at how much you got done!

Here's a complete list of the Scrapbook Challenges by day:

1. Simple Start: 1 patterned paper, 2 photos, 3 embellishments total...use space on this page and really focus on the photos. Also, for fun, let's use different letters/fonts for the title {can't be too simple, right?}.
2. BFF: We all have a BFF...even when we're little. Scrapbook a page that really showcases a friendship of some sort, whether it be you and your soul sister, your child and their favorite toy, or even your secret {or not-so-secret} love of M&Ms.
3. Hot & Cold: With the weather so back and forth here in Minnesota {can't decide whether to be warm or freezing cold} pick a color out of each catagory and use them on a page together. Feel free to add neutrals, but let the focus be on the battle between warm colors (red, orange, yellow) and cool colors (blue, purple green).
4. Self-Portrayed: How often do you scrapbook just you? Take time to create a page surrounding you and what you love to do, your favorite things, or even quirky facts.
5. Exacto-Mundo: Use an exacto knife on patterned paper to remove designs and feature them popped up on your page.
6. What's Black & White & ??? All Over?: Use only black and white papers and embellishments with one color of choice to pop on the page. Pull it from the photo(s) to really make a statement!
7. Circular Argument: Anything from embellishments to paper to photos...feature circles!
8. Monogram-oholic: I love the look of monograms but I never use them. It's an easy, simple title but sometimes that can explain it all. Feature a monogram of sorts on your page and see how it stands out!
9. Got Ribbon?: I do. Too much of it that is never used. Make an effort to pull out all the stops on your page with ribbon today.
10. Shady Feature: Pick a color, any color, and use only that color on your page. From paper to letters to embellishments...combine different shades for dimension and highlight the photo.
11. Eyelets & Brads Party: Use brads and eyelets to adhere components to your page - journaling, photos, embellishments, ribbon, etc.
12. Dear Diary: Create a scrapbook page that features extensive journaling about how you felt at the very moment the picture was taken. It doesn't have to be a picture of you, or anybody for that matter. Maybe you snapped a picture of the sunset one night because you thought it was so beautiful. Remind yourself of that moment.
13. Stacked: Layer and stack every and anything from borders to pictures to paper to embellishments.
14. Scrap Your Love: Well, this is a given for today! Scrap a page of your significant other, child, whoever…take your time and note what you find special about this person that you love.
15. Scrapbook Scrapbooking: You do it, but why? Remind yourself why you scrapbook to help find motivation…we're halfway through the challenge so it's a good way to regain focus!
16. Scrap-lift Yourself: Find a layout you've done in the past that you enjoyed. Copy it, rotate it, or change it up, but use it as inspiration for today's challenge.
17. Sincerely Yours: Scrapbook a letter to someone - often times journaling is forgotten if hurrying to finish a page or if a layout doesn't plan for it. Take your time and write something meaningful - or even scrapbook a letter that was given to you. Heck, even write a letter to yourself for this challenge!
18. Double Up: Sometimes it's hard to decide which photos to scrapbook…for this challenge, keep them all. Use two pages to showcase these photos and let them all shine…even if they look similar!
19. Stamp-tastic: I am not a stamper, but I'm challenging myself and you to use stamp(s) to embellish your page. You never know, might be hooked after this!
20. Stitching Crazy: No, I don't sew either. But I think stitches on scrapbook pages looks awesome. Since I don't have a sewing machine, I will be hand-stitching a design on my page. Find a way to incorporate stitching on to yours as well!
21. Recipe: 1 image, 2 patterned papers, 3 buttons (can use more embellishments).
22. Texturize: Use your embossing machine if you have one or create your own texture on your page - even use something OTHER than paper on your page! Get creative!
23. Technology: Use a computer to print out journaling, a title, a letter, whatever.
24. Interior Inspiration: Find an item in your home to use as inspiration…color, design, even the feelings you get when you see it - set it in front of you when scrapbooking today and use that inspiration for your page.
25. Lyrics: Use lyrics from any song to describe the page you're working on…whether in the title of the layout, journaling, etc.
26. Sparkles: Any way you can add glitter or sparkles to a page today, do it!
27. Revitalize: Everyone has a page that they aren't completely happy with…take that page and re-do it.
28. Leftovers: Last lap! Go back to previous pages this month and use only scraps except for base page…paper, stickers, etc.
29. Anything Goes: You've worked hard all month long keeping up with me, so reward yourself by using YOUR favorite technique, new or old!

Since I will be highlighting page layouts on a daily basis, Scrapbook Sundays will temporarily feature tools and organization this month.

Are you as excited as I am? Get fired up because the 29-Day Scrapbook Challenge begins NOW!