It has been said that reflection is good for the soul. In that case, this is the perfect time of year for looking back at the past twelve months. It’s fun to go back through the myriad pictures and relive those events. Or you can do some reflecting on another aspect of your life – whatever suits your fancy. Here’s how the Creative Team members used Katie’s cool Year in Review Layered Template No. 04.

Uma (iUma) reduced the size of the template slightly, chose a photo from each month, and journaled about the event to create twelve little vignettes chronicling life in 2011. I love the seasonal patterned paper she used as a background and the way she changed the typeface for the months.

Credits: Year in Review Layered Template No. 04, Botanist Notebook No. 23 Kit, Bradded Photo Frames No. 01, Elfin Magic Element Pack, Cut Ups: Lovely, Collaged Hearts No. 01, Holiday Cozy Paper Pack, Holiday Cozy Solid Paper Pack, All Heart Brushes and Stamps

Paula (PaulaSG) also highlighted a picture from each month on her layout. Her journaling tells the story of each shot in a one-page review of 2011. How clever she was to coordinate the color of the month by the picture and in the journaling. The bright colors of her page just pop on that black background.

Credits: Year in Review Layered Template No. 04, La Folie Kit, Naturally Krafty No. 09 Paper Pack, Just Saying, Rubber Wraps No. 03, Little Folded Ribbon Bits, Little Folded Ribbon Bits No. 02, Pinned Tabs No. 03, Tied Fasteners No. 04

I reviewed 2011 but with a little different slant. When Carol (carollee) posted this page reviewing her layouts for a year, it went straight into my favorites folder for a future lift. The future is now! I had fun going back through my gallery to select a favorite page from each month to highlight on this page. Thanks for the inspiration, Carol!

Credits: Year in Review Layered Template No. 04, Krafty Canvas Paper Pack No. 01, Basic Paper Alphabet: Orange, Cut Ups Alphabet, Metal Rimmed Glitter Alphabet: Pink No. 01, Chunky Chipboard Alphabet: Red, Basic Paper Alphabet: Pink, Classic Cardstock: Polar, Photo Corners: Colors No. 01, Hinge Pack, Edge Overlays No. 03, Tabbed Dates No. 01A, Drop Shadow Styles Collection, Just Linens Paper Pack No. 35, Jelly Alphabet No. 07, Rouen Kit, Just Tonals Paper Pack No. 07, Farah Kit No. 02: Bold, Bookworm Alphabet No. 02, Little Enamel Alphas No. 02, Thick Alphabet and Numbers, How’d They Do That? No. 13: Bending Shadows

What are you reflecting on right now? Review the fun, the accomplishments, the people, or the places of your life, and document them on this great template. Pick it up for 30% off, and post your page in the Template Challenge Gallery.

. . . and everything in its place. I can usually abide by this dictum on a scrapbooking page; I just wish I could do it in my house! I love the clean lines of Cathy Zielske’s templates, and her Layered Template No. 50 is no exception. There’s room for pictures, paper, journaling, you name it. And it’s always a treat to see how the Creative Team members use the template.

Pattie (ptknox) scrapped some wonderful photos from her family’s 2010 Christmas Eve celebration. The focal shot of the grandchildren on the stairs gets pride of place, and there’s still plenty of room for other shots and Pattie’s heartfelt journaling. I felt like I was right there beside Pattie as she snapped these photos and reflected on these special memories. I also love how that word strip breaks out of the otherwise structured grid.

Credits: Cathy Zielske’s Layered Template No. 50, Autumn Ice Tonal Stripes Value Paper Pack, Sweet St. Nicholas Solids and Stripes Paper Pack, Ho Ho Holiday Words Brushes and Stamps No. 03, Circle Strips 1 Word Strips

Bailey (Starlite9711) used Cathy’s template to showcase some delightful pictures of Christmas preparations at her house. She reduced the size of the template slightly and moved it off center to create white space on her page. I love her attention to detail in selecting the perfect Christmas embellishments and the visual triangle she created with the stamped snowflakes. Santa should be good to her—she’s been a very good scrapper.

Credits: Cathy Zielske’s Layered Template No. 50, Candy Striped Photo Frames, Santa Land Kit

I didn’t go seasonal with my page, but I had a ton of fun scrapping these photos of my grandson at the Science Center. I shrank the template just a bit so that I could indulge in one of my all-time favorite techniques – the page-within-a-page. I credit Jana with introducing me to this design, and I really love the look. I adore all the space on the template for photos and other goodies.

Credits: Cathy Zielske’s Layered Template No. 50, Just Linens Paper Pack No. 34, Henrika Solids Paper Pack, Classic Embossed Grids Paper Pack No. 02, Classic Cardstock: Spring, Satin Stiched Alphabet: Red No. 01, Clean Stitched Borders: White No. 01, On the Go Brushes and Stamps, Hinge Pack, Drop Shadow Styles Collection, My Guy Element Clusters No. 01, Shiver Kit, Goodness and Light Solid Paper Pack, How’d They Do That? No. 13: Bending Shadows

I know in this busy season you have lots of pictures just begging to be scrapped. Cathy’s template will make fast work of that task and leave you lots of time to sit by the Christmas tree and sip cocoa while you enjoy the lights. Give me a present and post your completed page in the Template Challenge Gallery.

A look at my gallery will tell you I love clean lines, the straighter the better. But the beauty of clean, straight lines is that they also look very cool mixed with curves, circles, and grunge. The template I chose this week – Maplebrook Studios’ Layered Memories No. 123 – is an ode to clean lines, and I thought it was interesting that each Creative Team member chose to pair those lines with less regular elements.

Mollie’s (readstoomuch) lovely page tells a story from her summer trip to Paris. In addition to the terrific pictures of the Parisians Mollie and her cousin encountered, she created the perfect background with Katie’s From My Bookshelf Blendables No. 03 and Painted Maps No. 01, even tailoring the street names to the Montmartre area. What an inspired idea to create an artsy mood for a page about Paris’ famous artist colony!

Credits: Layered Memories No 123, En Francais Brushes and Stamps, From My Bookshelf Blendables No. 03, My Family Genealogy Cluster MegaPak, Painted Map No. 01, Santa Land Solids and Stripes Paper Pack {coming soon}, Travel Quote Strips

I love the sense of fun that Wendy (wendymck) created in her page about her family’s Nerf War I. The pictures definitely underscore the good time had by all, and Wendy did a great job of choosing colors and elements to continue the theme. The orange paper reminds me of the brightly colored vests hunters wear, and the title is certainly apropos. To the clean lines of the template she added circular elements and a bit of grunge in her brushwork.

.
Credits: Layered Memories No. 123, Pavement Paper Pack {coming soon}, Classic Cardstock: Hoops, Classic Cardstock: Into the Night, Grungy Ledger Frames Brushes and Stamps No. 01, Cut Ups: Sportsmanship, Cut Ups: Everyday, Fasten Its, Born to Hunt Brushes and Stamps

I rotated the template 90 degrees to accommodate some family shots that I wanted to scrap, and I was dying to use Lynn’s beautiful Holiday Cheer Christmas kit, even though my pictures weren’t from Christmas. Scrappers never let a little thing like that stop them! I liked the combination of the straight lines of the template with the torn and worn edges of Lynn’s papers. It satisfied both parts of my split personality.

Credits: Layered Memories No. 123, Holiday Cheer Kit, Holiday Cheer Worn Solids and Stars Paper Pack, Ripped and Stitched Do-It-Yourself No. 03, Loosely Labeled No. 04, Little Layette Element Pack, Christmas Letter Box Clusters (Facebook Fan Freebie), Country Roads Kit, Letter Box Overlays No. 05, Thankful Memories Element Pack, Drop Shadow Styles Collection, Family Hand Drawn Words, Family Element Clusters No. 01, How’d They Do That? No. 13: Bending Shadows

Whether you decide to go straight, run in circles, or mix it up, I can’t wait to see what you do with this versatile template. Pick it up in the store and post your completed page in the Template Challenge Gallery.

It’s always a treat for me to see the different ways the Creative Team uses the chosen template. When I chose Pattie Knox’s Speed Byte No. 151, I was focused on the great design that highlights a single large photo. But when I started looking at the team’s pages, I realized how differently we had all used the smaller spaces on the template. Love being surprised!

Carol (carollee) used a cute black and white photo of her nephew wearing her St. Paddy’s Day hat in the focal space and then filled the rectangles with a repeated color shot. She placed a monogram and the date in the small squares at the bottom. Her visual triangle with the color green unifies her page and serves to underscore the theme.

Credits: Speed Byte No. 151, Staple Its!: Clusters, Painted Letter Box Paper Pack No. 01, File Tab Words: Summer No. 01, From My Bookshelf No. 02 Kit, Wearing of the Green Element Pack, Messy Stamped Alphabet No. 02 Brushes and Stamps

Paula’s (PaulaSG) use of a neutral background really makes her photo and patterned papers pop on her page. I love how she chose papers that echo the colors in her picture, helping to tie everything together. The text repetition is also a strong unifying element, and the messy stitching is a great touch.

Credits: Speed Byte No. 151, Naturally Krafty No. 12 Paper Pack, Jules Kit, Assorted Messy Stitches: White No. 06, Happy Element Clusters No. 01, Painted Thanksgiving Words Brushes and Stamps, Threaded Wraps No. 05, Fine Lines Border Lines Brushes and Stamps No. 04

I decided to give my photo center stage and filled the rectangles and small squares with solid paper in two shades of green. Those spaces serve as a home for the brushwork that repeats the butterfly motif I used to unify the page. I also included a circular cluster to contrast with the otherwise straight lines of my page.

Credits: Speed Byte No. 151, A to Zoo Kit, Jules Solids Paper Pack, Ripped and Stitched Do-It-Yourself No. 03, Beyond Words Brushes and Stamps, Basic Journal Spots, Painted Wings No. 01, Vintage Blendable No. 03, Clock Parts No. 02: Clock Face Collection, Bead Scatterings No. 01, Alandia Tropics Element Pack, Photo Wraps No. 15, Splatters Brushes and Stamps No. 03, Spot Dots Overlays, Hinge Pack, Watery Wings Brushes and Stamps, Lifted Wings No. 04, Drop Shadow Styles Collection, How’d They Do That? No. 13: Bending Shadows

I can’t wait to see how you use the large and small spaces in Pattie’s versatile template. You can pick it up today for 30% off in the store. Post your completed page in the Template Challenge Gallery.

Sometimes a single photo is all a layout needs to tell the story, to evoke that special moment or memory. Katie’s Share Layered Template No. 02 provides the perfect spot for that featured shot, as well as room to use some pretty paper. Life doesn’t get much better than that! In each of the layouts by the Creative Team, you’ll see a special moment in the spotlight.

Steph’s (Steph) lovely photo of her backyard makes me want to walk down that leaf-strewn path. The warm colors of her page suit her subject matter perfectly, and her journaling is straight from the heart – all ingredients of a great scrapbook page.

Credits: Share Layered Template No. 02, Autumnal Artistry Kit, Destination Harvest Paper Pack, Oiselet Rouge Kit, Have a Heart Felts No. 06, Stamped Sentiments No. 05 Brushes and Stamps, Stitched Journal Strips No. 04

Kathleen (kathleen.summers) has done a terrific job documenting her pregnancy by taking pictures each month and journaling about her thoughts and feelings. The gorgeous pinks of this page draw me right in and make that stunning shot of her the focal point.

Credits: Share Layered Template No. 02, Assorted Messy Stitches Brown No. 01, Twisted Stitches: Brown No. 01, Watery Blooms Brushes and Stamps, Wild One Kit

When Myra was recently in Orlando for a conference, my daughter-in-law and I had the pleasure of getting together with her for dinner. We adjourned to Ben and Jerry’s for more conversation, and that’s where this picture was taken. I used a caramel action on it to get that softer look.

Credits: Share Layered Template No. 02, Taped Together Stacks No. 01, Soft Canvas Paper Pack No. 02, Stitched Word Strips: Autumn No. 01, Paper Strips: Fall No. 01, Botanist Notebook No. 25 Mini Kit, Around Words Messy Fall Brushes and Stamps, From My Bookshelf Blendables No. 04, Pebbled Autumn No. 01, Clock Parts No. 02: Clock Face Collection, Assorted Messy Stitches: Lime Green No. 01, Journal Strips No. 01, Stamped Blocks No. 15 Brushes and Stamps, Flourished Page Masks No. 02, Drop Shadow Styles Collection, Pen and Wash Fronds, Little Folded Ribbon Bits No. 02 (recolored), How’d They Do That? No. 13: Bending Shadows, How’d They Do That? No. 19: Recoloring Essentials

Do you have a photo that’s begging to tell a story? Don’t all of you raise your hands at once! Run right over to the store and pick up this template for 30% off today, and then post your completed page in the Template Challenge Gallery. I want to see your special moments.