New video + NSD Revenge Challenges Update + Fifth Month of Christmas + My Computer is a Thankless Wench

Hi, everyone! This post is kind of long, so bear with me. :)

So, I decided to spend the weekend scrapbooking and working on my blog {yes, I also called my mom and wished her a happy Mother's Day} and finishing my "Revenge Challenges" and doing the next layout in the "World of Wonder" album and ... well you get the idea. I had lots of stuff to do, and lots of it involved my computer actually, I don't know, working properly.

Which, I suppose, was just asking too much.

First, I spent an afternoon working on the "World of Wonder" album, filming as I created the second layout in the book. When I went to edit the video, Adobe Premiere Elements {my video editing software} told me the raw file was corrupted & couldn't be imported into the program. Now, Adobe Premiere Elements is kind of a temperamental program, so I decided to try and open the file in Windows Media Player {that was the file format, anyway} and it also told me it was corrupted and unplayable.

So, no step-by-step video for Part Three. Sigh.

I ended up filming a second video after that. It's an overview of the layout, explaining what I did to create it. I've included the video below & if you have any questions about it, just let me know & I'll try to answer them. Sorry about that, but technology was against me this weekend.



My computer problems didn't stop there, of course. I went to print photos so I could complete the rest of my "Revenge Challenges" from National Scrapbook Day on The Beach, but my computer couldn't find our external hard drive, even though it is on our network and Mr. Lifeguard's computer can find it just fine. After spending several hours trying to get it to work, Mr. Lifeguard finally had to stop trying to get it to work because he was *this close* to putting a sledgehammer through it.

The gist of this is that I can't print photos because the only place I have photo editing software installed is on my desktop & my desktop can't get to my photos. So, I am posting my finished challenges without photos in some cases. Bad me, but what can you do when your computer turns against you? So here's what I came up with:

NSD Revenge Challenge #1: Blind Stash Grab

The challenge for this layout was to create a layout using only items I took from my stash with my eyes closed. This one wasn't actually that bad since I had just finished organizing my scraproom, so I was able to control what I chose pretty well & not end up with anything too heinous.



This is the layout I created with the items I took from my stash. When my computer is cooperating again, I will mat a photo of my stuffed monkeys on that piece of book paper & it will be done!

NSD Revenge Challenge #2: NSD 2010

The challenge for this layout was to create a page using photos and quotes from the NSD 2010 celebration on The Beach.



I prepared the above digital layout, because I wanted everyone to have a copy if they were interested. It is available for you to download in the "Scrapbook Related" section of the Forum on The Beach site: Commemorative Layout. So if you'd like your own copy to commemorate the event, it is available over there!

NSD Revenge Challenge #3: Monochromatic Challenge

The challenge for this layout was to complete a page using only elements of one color.



In the above layout, I used pictures of my family from the beach Christmas 2008. My first inclination was to use blue since that is the predominant color in the pictures, but I changed my mind at the last minute & went with orange. Blue and orange are opposite each other on the color wheel, so the orange background made the blue photos really pop & created a dynamic layout, even though it has no embellishments.

NSD Revenge Challenge #4: Handmade Garden Layout

The challenge for this layout was to complete a page about a garden, using only handmade embellishments.



In the above layout, I printed out a screenshot of the "All Photos" page on The Beach and titled it "Creative Garden". I then made the three flowers from paper & called it a day. I disliked this challenge intensely because I do not enjoy making handmade embellishments {which is why I rarely do it & therefore suck at it}. I think if this was the only way to scrapbook, then I would not be a scrapbooker.

NSD Revenge Challenge #5: Triplet Challenge

This challenge was to make a layout, a tag and a card that incorporated all the same elements and embellishments. So, or example, if I used a flower on the layout, then I also needed to use a flower on the tag and the card.



In this challenge, I cheated a little bit. I made a 12"x12" "tag" that was a copy of the above layout. I mailed that "tag" to Dawn Edwards who is pictured on the layout & is the creator of the challenge. I also enclosed the card i made with the tag and the prizes she won from NSD. Unfortunately, I boxed them up and sent them off before I took a picture of all three of them together, but I can at least show you the layout.

NSD Revenge Challenge #6: Spring Cleaning Challenge

This challenge was to make a layout using some of the oldest stuff in my stash.



I have not even been scrapbooking for four years, so none of my stuff is all that old. However, I did recently unearth some Heidi Swapp ghost shapes that are some of the oldest things in there. I also used one of the first fonts of Thickers I ever purchased, so that's another older stash item. This one also has no pics because of the computer being a thankless wench.

So that's it for the "Revenge" Challenges! I hope you enjoyed seeing what I can up with & there are many hours of UStream recorded from NSD weekend where you can see me working on some of these challenges: Live on the {Scrap}beach.

Whew! I am exhausted already from this Tolstoy-long blog post. Are you guys still with me? Are your eyes tired? Did you pass out from low blood sugar?

If you're still with me, it's time to announce the prize for the Fifth Month of Christmas. This month's prize was inspired by the age old saying, "April showers bring May flowers" and it is some packs of Primas!



The winner will receive the above pictured Primas to do with as they please. To be entered to win the "May Flowers" prize pack, simply leave a comment on this post before 11:59 p.m. Miami, FL USA time {GMT/UTC-4} on Thursday, May 13th. I will post the winner first thing on Friday morning!

~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.