Challenge #151 week of 29th December 2014

Welcome to what is the last prompt of 2014 and the first of 2015. I'm looking ahead with positive feelings and hopefulness. I have big plans for the year.

Sprucing up our little corner of the web and actually trying to complete the prompts I create each week are definitely on the list of plans for 2015 and I hope so much that you will join me along the way. This community makes me happy, even if we've gone a bit quiet over the last months and I get much joy from seeing the creations that you share. So without much ado, let me just say....

Pinterest source here

I try to change up the challenges as much as I can and not to repeat anything directly so when I looked back at the last prompts of the year or the first of the new for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 (can it be so many already?!?), I saw ideas such as goodbyes, goals, confetti or turning points. So I tried to think about what January can mean to many of us and came up with... possibilities.

This week, I'd love you to be inspired by the possibilities of your life or of your own corner of the world. This can come in many forms and it can be interpreted in many different ways. Words of advice to a child about the future to come, the different paths your life has taken or the roads you want to take. It could be the possibilities a new course of action might take or something you'd like to achieve. It could even mean the different ways to use up something in your scrap stash! Take it along any meandering path you like.

To help us along the way, I was particularly inspired by the following finds on Pinterest...

Pinterest source here

Pinterest source here

Pinterest source here

I do hope you will join us in this turn of the year prompt. And it would be wonderful to see your creations over at our Whimsical Musings Flickr gallery (here) with the tag WM#151.

I am looking forward to the year to come and hope to be more present in our little community. I appreciate every one of you and promise to be more active and involved - helped by my very wonderful friends Leslie and Lynnette. Who knows? Pam might even make a come-back guest appearance one day!

Have a very wonderful New Year's Eve and to coin a rather quaint German expression, "Einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr!" (literally translated: a good slide into the new year!")

Challenge # 150 week of 22nd December 2014

Yes! We missed a week. Whoops! Sorry about that.

But I'm back today with some inspiration which I hope will keep you going through this Christmas week and then you can come back for the last prompt of the year next Monday :-)

And seeing as it is indeed Christmas week, I thought it would be appropriate to get inspired by a true classic. One that I only discovered as an adult - or at least as far as I can remember - but now no Christmas is complete without...

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

Originally found on Pinterest (here) but source is Altered Artifacts (here)

And if this wasn't enough inspiration for you, a quick search on Pinterest brought up this page full of "'Twas the Night" images, ideas and presentations.

I've just been looking to see if I could find a layout that I've made in the past with this inspiration but nothing jumped out at me! But how about this Graphic 45 layout using their Jolly St Nick papers?

Pinterest source here

Don't forget to link up your creations over at our Flickr gallery (here) with the tag WM#150. Let's get that gallery hopping again like it used to!

And, not wanting to keep you from your no doubt overwhelmingly long list of things that you need to do in the next two days, I will sign off here and wish you....

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

Challenge #149 week of 8th December 2014

We spent another Saturday up at the retreat.

Because we had unexpected sunshine & above-freezing temps we got a lot done!

The main task was to rehab the old firepit.

Done!

Once we get a cabin built this will be the view from the porch.

The large paper white birch on the left has been dubbed "The Chandelier".

We will be making our own map of the property & this will definitely be a landmark.

On the drive up I was looking at this book:

So many amazing paper artists! 

And all inspired by trees.

Peter Callesen "Fall 2008"

Su Blackwell "2014 - Migratory Words"

Cindy Ferguson "Crows in a Tree"

Yuken Teruya "Corner Forest"

Rob Ryan

Casey Ruble

Perhaps you will try a bit of dimension as some of these artists did? Or sharpen
your scissors & fussy-cut! I brought home some birch bark to work on an album for
the story & progress of our new retreat, so that will be my tree inspired project.

I made this page awhile back for WM Prompt #138 inspired by the same spot of woods.

I hope YOU can find some inspiration from trees!

http://lcsmithsaved-outofthemire.blogspot.com/

Challenge #148 week of 1st December 2014

I love it when the first of the month coincides with the beginning of the week and this month is no exception. How wonderful to have 1st December fall on this Monday and just one day after the beginning of Advent!

It's a big tradition here in Germany to have an Advent wreath with four candles for each of the Sundays leading up to Christmas and even on those years when we've not had a tree, there's been a huge, gorgeous wreath to brighten up those cold, dark December evenings.

There's been many different colours and this year's is a rather rich shade of gold. But we've had pinks and blues and silvers too. The wreath must match my decoration colour scheme of the year so I guess I will be going with a lot of gold this year!

So, this week, I'd like you to be inspired by Advent itself or Advent wreaths.

I went on to Pinterest and pinned some wreaths or Advent candle arrangements I found particularly pretty or inspiring onto the Whimsical Musings Pinterest board so why not check it out to see if you can find something to kickstart your creative process? And don't forget to follow us while you're there!

It would be lovely to see your creations over at our Whimsical Musings Flickr gallery with the tag WM#148.

Have a wonderful start to the week everyone and hope to see you again next week :-)

Challenge #147 week of 24th November 2014

This is a celebratory time of the year round here - lots of birthdays, anniversaries, celebrations and then Christmas! Last weekend, it was my turn to open up presents and our Whimsical friend, Pam, will take her turn next weekend!

So it only seems appropriate to find a way to bring that into this week's prompt.

I've set up a Pinterest board (here) which might help you to be inspired by gift wrap and gift wrapping.

Pinterest find here

Pinterest find here

Pinterest find here

There's a wealth of inspiration over there in Pinterest if you just use the search terms gift + wrap so I'm sure you can find something fun, colourful or pretty to bring party spirit to your layouts!

Don't forget to share your creations over at our Whimsical Musings Flickr gallery (here) with the tag WM#147.

Challenge #146 week of 17th November 2014

I remember very clearly when I hadn't been scrapping long and was telling my husband about a new, and much-loved purchase of a tiny jar full of baby pink mini buttons. He was rather non-plussed and asked me what on earth I would be doing with buttons on a layout?!?

Well, he might not fully understand the lure of those little domes of plastic, glass, resin or even wood that can be glued, sewn, scattered, generally liberally sprinkled or strategically positioned on our pages, but I'm sure that YOU can :-)

I still love using buttons even though they may be a little less dimensional than in the past and not so numerous. But I still have a large jar of them to dive into when the design needs a little certain "something"!

Add to this, the fact that yesterday (16th November) was Button Day and we have a perfect prompt!

So go on! Go and get that huge jar of mixed buttons and give it a go!

How will you incorporate buttons onto your layouts this week? We can't wait to find out so don't forget to share over at our Whimsical Musings Flickr gallery (here) with the tag WM#146.

Have a great week everyone!

Challenge #145 week of 10th November 2014

How do the ideas for these prompts come?

I wish I could say. Serendipity meets senility perhaps in my case!

Since I've retired I have established a few new regular daily routines.

One of those is having a glass of orange juice with my breakfast.

It is delicious & refreshing & I count it as a serving of fruit.

And I've been missing it the past week or two as I forgot to restock.

We have just made another trek down to Shipshewana, Indiana. There is an Amish community there & we stock our freezer with meats that have no hormones, etc. We also stock our pantry with cases of canned spiced peaches & pears.

FRUIT

 (now I'm drooling, lol!)

Fruit pizza

How about this for November?

(adore the gold leaf pears)

This week be inspired by fruit.

This is my most recent page.

You can see my glass of juice there on the table!

I had a little look at some more pages of mine & discovered these:

 (This one you will recognize from September)

The Big Apple

"An apple for the teacher"

She is eating applesauce & it's part of the journaling.

Will look for your page this week! Once again, please share your creations over at 

the Whimsical Musings Flickr gallery (here) with the tag WM#145.

Happy scrapping! Leslie

Challenge #144 week of 3rd November 2014

A few years ago I decided that I would change my attitude to what I'd always thought to be miserable November and think about it more positively. It works! November can be a wonderful month if you look for the good in it so I hope you will join me in welcoming what I'm calling "Incredible November"!

In honour of that feeling, I'd like to spend a few minutes thinking about the celebration of Guy Fawkes Night (Bonfire Night) on 5th November. If you don't know about this very British evening, Wikipedia can explain it to you here or the BBC site here.

Pinterest source here

Photo from the BBC here

While it's quite a grisly story and a nasty end to all of the plotters, especially poor Mr Fawkes, these days we celebrate this historical event with a cosy, warming bonfire; plenty of hot, delicious food; many glasses of mulled wine and lashings of fun fireworks.

Pinterest source here

Pinterest source here

As a child, a highlight of the night were the beautiful sparklers even though I was a little afraid of the little hot sparks I could feel through my gloves. Drawing shapes and words in the dark cold air was so much fun!

Pinterest source here

Now that I don't live in the UK, I really miss this über-British event and find myself a little homesick right now. I'll have to organise to go home at this time one year so that I get to celebrate it again - think of the photo opportunities!

So this week, I'd like you to be inspired by fireworks. I think that is broad enough to have something for everyone, wherever you are in the world! 

Don't forget to link up over at our Whimsical Musings Flickr gallery (here) with the tag WM#144.

We love it when you share how our prompt has inspired you to create :-)

Challenge #143 Week of 27th October 2014 - Mad for Plaid

This is my favorite time of year.  The weather is turning cooler here in the Northeastern United States.   Nothing better than snuggling up with a warm plaid blanket.

Photo Credit

How inviting is this table setting with a backdrop of plaid?

Photo Credit

Plaid scarves are a MUST these days when accessorizing...

Photo Credit

Cozy, right?

How can you incorporate plaid into your layout this week?

Be sure to show us your creation over in the flickr gallery and tag it WM#143.

I'll share with you in a few days!

Happy Scrapping!

xo, Lynnette

Giveaway prize!

When I posted at the beginning of the week, I promised that I would draw the name for our relaunch giveaway and here it is! Better late than never.

Because I was a little late, I included any layout uploaded to the Whimsical Musings Flickr gallery since the beginning of September - right up to today. I also included Julene's layout which is on Flickr but she doesn't seem to have been able to get it into the gallery. (If you are reading this Julene, get that layout in the gallery so everyone can enjoy it!)

There were a total of nine layouts...

All the names were folded up and put into a little basket so I could pull a name fairly.....

Tadaaaaa! Leslie - your R+R layout is the winner! So please expect a little prize to be heading your way as soon as I can get something in the post for you :-)

Because Leslie is also helping out around here and because I'm feeling generous this morning, I decided to pull a second name too to spread around the giveaway love.....

... Congrats to Julene! Julene, contact me with your snail mail address and I'll get a little something in the post to you as well. It's even more important now that you get your layout into the Whimsical Musings Flickr gallery too!!!

I'm off to my weekly crop this evening at my wonderful LSS, Scrapabilly, so I'll be picking up some bits and pieces for these giveaways which is always a lot of fun.

Come back soon for more inspiration!