Quick Mini Album and some 12x12 pages

 I will start off by saying I never make mini albums for myself, they always end up as gifts.  Last night, however, I decided to create a super quick one for all of my DEPLOYMENT DROP photos.  These were pictures taken on the day the girls and I dropped my husband and another troop off at their squadron to deploy back in July. I just couldn't  seem to decide which ones to scrapbook so they all ended up in this mini instead.

 The base of this mini is actually a cereal box cut down to size. 

 A peak at the inside.  You can see the pocket I created to put all of the photos I chose not to mount on the main pages.  Great way to get them all in there with out the pressure of actually mounting them.

 A quick look inside.

 My journaling. 

 The pocket.

 Top view of the pocket with those pictures in it.

 The album all layed out.  Each page has a picture on both the front and the back and two pages slip into one of the accordian folds that I eyeleted together to create a small pocket.  They fit snug, so there is no worry that they will just fall out.  I have seen this accordian pleat pocket used on many different albums and in many variations.  Accordian pleats are not new nor is it a new idea to use them like pockets. So, I will not give any one person credit as that would be silly considering how often I have seen forms of this one idea. 

Originally I had planned to create some stationary (non removable pages) in with the accordian pleat pockets but I just got lazy and wanted to get this album done.  It all worked out though. 

Okay here are a few 12x12 pages. 

 I like pockets.

 This one is nice and simple. 

That is all for now folks.

Life is Hectic

Life is hectic.  September was a month from hell where everything that could go wrong did and unfortunately there is still a lot of fall out that needs to be dealt with and I just don't seem to have the motivation it takes, nor the energy needed to get it done. 

I have been suffering from fatigue for months now and the problem seems to have grown worse.  Hopefully after my up coming doctor's appointment I can begin to get back on track (because hopefully we will have figured out the issue and addressed it.) and be able deal with the remnants of last month that are still in need of being dealt with. 

I have to admit that this deployment has been by far the worst ever.  I will be so glad when the new year rolls around and my husband can come home.  I don't enjoy being the one solely in charge of EVERYTHING.  Didn't mind it before kids but with kids and being perpetually exhausted lately it is extremely overwhelming. 

Life is just starting to settle back down to the familiar we knew before September and I would just as soon it stays settled, but we all know that isn't how life works.  Hopefully, I will regain my energy and motivation and be up and running with everything back to normal in no time.

5 New 12x12 Layouts Completed

Remi showing off her crocheted earrings that I made her.

I completed some layouts.  Just thought I would share.  This first one of my oldest munchkin is on DCWV Colorful Life card stock. I mix and match my brands for everything and I have no rules but if you are interested in anything in particular feel free to ask. 

 This next one was a family day.  I believe on Easter morning, before we dyed the eggs, we chose to wash the car.  It was a super fun day though a challenging layout to get so many pictures on to it.

 This layout here is mostly me diving into my scrap bin of paper/card stock and pulling out all the different blues until I found a couple that I thought worked well together.  The scrap bin is probably my number one stop when I start a new layout.  I like to pic out papers and then find photos that will go with what I like but I don't always do this.  The first layout I actually had the photos that I wanted to scrapbook and then I hunted for the paper to go with them.  It all comes down to my mood, really, on how and why I do any of it.  But back to this layout.  I used Glossy Accents to trace over the silver written letters on the banner to give them more dimension.  I love playing with that stuff.  It makes for some unique personalized bits for projects.

This layout came out nothing like I first planned.  I had pulled the paper and a couple of piles of pics that I was having a hard time choosing from and voila the pocket idea came about to allow me to use all of the pictures that I had pulled. 

 All of the loose pictures have journaling on the back of them.  Interactive pages are always fun if kind of tricky to put into protectors.

This one was great.  The page did all of the work.  I really only had to add the pictures.  I don't tend to like these types of pages much as I actually find them hard to use and this one in particular I have been trying to use for about six months now.  Well, it is now used.  Thank goodness for that. I really don't know why I find slap and go pages difficult.  It may be that I am just not sure how to add my personality to them to make them my own but hey, give me a blank page and I can run forever on it. 

I will be the first to admit that I don't always love every page I make but I do enjoy making all of them.  I learn something every time I create something new and the process of creating allows me to unwind and just be myself.