Patterned paper possibilities

I've been scrapbooking a lot lately! I know I should be packing up my craft supplies in preparation for our move instead but I just can't make myself do it until a little closer to our actual move date. Crafting makes me happy and sane, both of which I need right now!

This layout focuses my my daughter and her babysitter's daughter. I love getting photos during the day that show me how happy she is and the fun that she is having. Here I paired some patterned papers that I usually would never put together but I wanted the layout to be colorful and reflect what was going on in the photo. I thought the number paper from the My Minds Eye Lime Twist collection (I'm still really loving this stack!) was related to the fact that they are in the library (OK, letters would have made more sense...) and the cloud paper from American Crafts showed that it was a rainy day, hence my daughter's polka dot raincoat. The plaid paper (I think from the Target Dollar Spot) picked up the color of her friend's coat and the flowered strip (DCWV Kidlet stack) was fun and tied the colors together. The blue strip at the top was kind of a random addition that I'm not sure if really adding anything. I just happened to be going through my sticker stash and found the chipboard "Pals" title (DCWV) as a last minute addition. The date sticker is from the Target Dollar Spot (so many cool bargains abound there!) and the little sticker next to it that says "Sweet" was a freebie for renewing some magazine.

Maybe one of these days I can actually catch up a big and scrapbook some 2013 events! The photos in this next layout are even older, as you can see that my daughter was just a baby. How time flies!

Again I paired patterns that usually I wouldn't pick. I really am trying to use up some of my stash and stretch my creativity (sometimes with mixed results, I know!). These are some really old papers from Colorbok. I also used one of those foam craft stickers for kids as the embellishment. The journaling and date label are digital elements that I printed. I punched holes down the side and ripped some to the edge to simulate authentic notebook paper.

The photo in this last layout is from around the same time. To make it I used a lot of the scraps generated from the previous two layouts. Since I scrap 8.5 by 11, I usually cut an inch off of each sheet of 12 by 12 paper before I start using it. I've organized these 1 by 12 inch strips in a box that I can pull out when I need a quick border. I found out that they also make a cool background!

The title is from a very old DCWV kit but it just happened to fit my subject. I really am trying to use up my stash! I love that simple layered flower sticker in the lower right. Kind of hides the fact that I cut the plaid pink strip too short! A mistake is just an opportunity for creativity, right?