Birthday Bash Contests & A Free Template!

I’ve been very consumed with school and house cleaning as well as all the other things going on in my world. I’m finding that being a wife is somehow more demanding than being a girlfriend was. Actually, I think that’s a combination of the boxes of stuff from Grandma’s house I’m trying to sort and the stress I’m putting on myself to get all this done before the holidays.

I’ve been doing a little scrapping this month. I’ve done more than I thought I had time for, but not as much as I wanted. I have to thank and say “Happy Birthday,” to the Studio for that!

I was knocked out of the layout contest. This was my last layout:

Credits: In The Between by Designs by Moo

I know why I’ll never win a competition like that and it’s okay. I had to think about it. I was really uneasy about the vote last time because , to be honest, there were many layouts I looked at and thought, “Oh God, train wreck.” Those were layouts that scored much higher than me and advanced. It’s not just a style difference. I have liked many layouts that weren’t my style. I really think the same dyslexia that make s me read slow also makes my brain confused when I look at a scrapbook page with huge clusters of elements. When I read, I see the background first and have to focus on the words in front. It’s actually a pretty common form of dyslexia. When I look at busy layouts, my brain is looking for the background paper first and then to focus on the foreground. When there are a lot of things bunched together in the foreground, my brain gets muddled and the reaction is negative. That’s the style people like to look at. But I’ll never be able to appreciate it and will never be able to scrap that way. That’s okay, but if there is a contest with a lot of layouts with the billowing elements like that, I need to accept that I’m not qualified to vote. It wouldn’t be fair if I did!

Here is the kit the layout artists who’ve moved on are working with this week:

Tears on my Pillow by JulieC Designs

You definitely want to check out this fun kit and the magic contestants weave with it!

Now that I’m not involved in any voting, I’ll talk more about the designer contest. The first rounds were anonymous. Now, with designer names on the kits, the popularity contest part of the voting comes. This week, the designers in the contest were instructed to make a quick page and include all of the paper and elements they used in the accompanying mini kit. The theme was apples! I LOVE the mini kits and pages in the gallery this week! Since the names arte out now and everyone has a chance to call upon all their pals, I want to share with you and endorse the four I voted for. They are all great kits and great pages.

Here are the four that got my votes. The Chronicles of Nani encourages you to vote and consider these four designers when you do!

How Many Apples by Knittin Jen

Apple Cider by Tinks Trinkets

Apple of My Eye by Kimeric Kreations

Picking Apples by 2 Girls Designs

Speaking of minis, Darlene Haughin has a new mini out at both The Studio and Scrap Bird!

Me Time is a sweet kit that is just enough for a few pages that highlight the calmer times in your world. Just looking at the preview relaxes me!

I did this page with the kit:

Credits: Me Time by Darlene Haughin,

Round and Round Template by Digitalegacies Designs

Since my templates this month have been part of the template swap at The Studio, I made this one into a blog freebie!

Click preview to go to download.

Password is eightiesmetal

If you like templates, there is still time to design one of your own and get a slew of them in the swap and the birthday bash is still on until the end of the month to collect those pieces of Blueberry Picnic and all the fabulous kits in the designer competition!