it's all about the layouts....

I got busy today - as I'm not going to be scrapping any other time this week - uni work uni work uni work....

Firstly. Well it was the announcement of the next round of the Ultimate Digi Scrappers Challenge today. Can I say I really don't like compertitions? But what I don't like even more is getting caught up in the stress and hype of it all. I mean really - to steal a line from a great move ;) - There Can Be Only One!! [got to love highlander]. Do I think I'm going to be that one? HELL NO! - and no that's not me putting myself down or anything of the like. I think you'd have to take me out the back and shot me if I started to think I was going to win! LOL I have to say I'm actually haveing fun with it, and only find I get stressed when I start thinking of all the wonderful talanted and creative digi scrappers who ARE NOT a part of the compertition anymore. As strange as it sounds this is where I feel stressed. Becasue I know that there are a large number of people who would have loved the chance to be where I'm at right now, so it kind of makes you realise you can't 'slack' off as it would be unfair to them to do that - after all you'd have taken someone else spot who would have put in 120% .... what right do I have then to not to do my very best. And I hope that you can all see that I have.

Another thing I have been very careful of in this comp thing is to make sure that the layouts I have done are layouts that I would have done outside the comp for a 'regular' challenge type thing. Layouts that aren't for the comp alone and when it's all said and done are my layouts.... becasue to change styles, and to scrap just to win a prize seems silly and also - wrong. After all that's not what my scrapping is about. I like to keep my integrity in this and produce layous that are for me - not for someone or something else. IYKWIM. [and I'ms so not saying I have seen people doing this - I have't taken any notice of that kind of thing - just a more what I've been thinking about myself and my appoarch to this all]

So with out much more ado ... here is my layout for round four Beautiful

In Other scrapbooking news......

A cute little layout of my mum and brother....

{credit: Sandra Boddingtons Gental Dreams kit avaliable at www.sweetshoppedesigns.com }

a cute little layout of my big Sister and her hubby, One of the fonts on this is kind of funny - the layout is called Young Love and the font used for the "Young" part is called .... wait for it...... YOUNG LOVE!! hehe [yes I did that on purpouse - and bounse is it looks good too!]

{credits: Tracy Ann Robinson's Artlines 4 Kallista kit avaliable now at www.scrapbook-bytes.com font's young love; and pea beth]

This layout was actually done first for the freestyle/ round four challange but I felt there just wasn't something right about it - maybe it was the photo - but I didn't think it was my 'best' so I held it back for a little while to see if I could come up with something to 'fix' it or another layout - and the later happened, which is a good thing I think because I actually really like this layou the way it is...

{Credits: Alison Folendore for the flowers and the gems www.scrapbook-bytes.com, Kate Teague for the lace. Katie Pertiet for the messy stitches www.designerdigitals.com .Heather Melzer for the tags www.shabbyprincess.com, Dani Mogstad for the tag string www.designbydani.com, Nancie Rowe Janitz's alpha www.scrapartist.com brushKimberly Giarrusso for the happiness tag.View alpha Jan Crowely both avaliable at www.thedigichick.com }

And I think that is that - time for bed!