It's The 70's and Bloggers Appreciation Giveaway

I had so much fun playing with today's layout.  Different techniques and one I had not seen before.  What fun!  Before I get started with "What I Learned" I'd like to say "thank you" for coming to Debby's Dare and leaving comments of encouragement.  I love the comments that lend itself for you to share.  The Bloggers Appreciation giveaway is your choice of the complete line of Graphic 45's Steampunk Debutant OR My Minds Eye Alphabet Soup, a good mix of both girl and boy lines with brads and playing cards.  This is two very different styles and I would love to know a bit about your style.  Leave a comment about which line of paper you would chose if you were the winner AND bring at least one friend to check out Debby's Dare.  Your post would be something like "I would pick Graphic 45's Steampunk Debutant.  I invited my Facebook friends to check out Debby's Dare."  I would love to know why you like a particular style.  I'll post a winner on Friday using Random.org.  Thanks Bloggers! (the giveaway is open to United States, Canada, and Australia.  I'm sorry but the postage is a bit too much for other countries.)

My wonderful daughter gave me an ipad for my Mother's Day present!  It wasn't on the list but "Wow!" I never would have thought to ask.  I'm hooked.  Now I have more opportunities to search the Internet and check out blogs for new-to-me techniques.  Through Two Peas in a Bucket I found Tonya's blog "creativi t."  She has a cool demo video on how to make the flowers on my layout.

As part of my journey I decided to plow into the photos from the 70's.  It was the time of poor quality photographs, greens and browns, funky clothes, shag carpet, and Farah Faucet hair.  As far as scrapbooking the 70's it has been difficult for me.  So I decided to tackle the photos from the 70's.

The Story
The photos of my daughter and her mom and dad!  She was just learning to sit up and with help stand.  I'm so reminded of my granddaugther that I just had to make a layout of these photos.

The Layout

What I Learned

• Offset the dark colors with brighter colors. It doesn't seem so dark when I added color to the layout.
• I loved adding an epoxy embellishment and photo to the buttons.
• Of course the whole flower thing.  It was plastic from packaging, cut with Tim Holtz's Alteration.  Painted one side, dry very well.  Emboss the flower with your favorite embossing folder and sand.  It you emboss or de-emboss when you sand it you get a fabulous look!  For a full demonstration at creativi t.
• I thought it was fun to stamp on the dictionary print.
• Adding three area of embellishments created my triangle for a better focus on my photos.
• I was able to use some of the old brads to help make the page pop.
• I also used a cardstock word from My Minds Eye from a couple of years ago.  A LSS went out of business and I bought all I could of the paper and matching word titles.  I never really used them until now. 

I have another 70's layout for Friday.  In the mean time have some fun with the Bloggers Appreciation Giveaway.

Gratitude List
1.  watching my children learn
2.  celebrating life
3.  remembering the children's early childhood
4.  Adam and Vanessa
5.  looking around to realize God's grace and mercy towards me