So I actually took the time today to sit down and soak up the creative mojo that literally jumps off the pages of this year’s Hall of Fame book! I’ve never done this before…..literally read everything cover to cover. I can’t tell you why but with past issues I merely flipped thru the pages only skimming and catching here & there the creative talent. Maybe it was the format this year…….I LOVED IT!! With all it’s contents divided into categories my mind was able to move across each layout knowing it was focusing on something specific. Doing this I seemed to take SOMETHING away from EVERY layout whether it was “my style” or not. HOW COOL IS THAT??? Or maybe it was the fact that this particular year was the first year I actually entered the HOF contest so I was curious to see why exactly I wasn’t chosen. I’ve never been upset about not getting “the call”…….disappointed sure…but never upset. Especially after pouring over page after page of glorious creative inspiration!!! I NEED to get scrapping! I need to enter the Hall of Fame again! It pushed me to my creative limits and I was grateful for the sense of accomplishment it gave me even without “the call”. My children love those pages & their ear-to-ear grins as they study them is priceless! It makes all the time, heart, effort & money I put into this contest very much worth it!! Anyway, here’s a little review of some of the things that caught my attention! Every one of these ladies is extremely talented and deserve BIG congrats! Even the Honorable Mention winners and those who entered period. If I left some people out it wasn’t intentional…..I just commented on some layouts that specifically jumped out at me. It was a great read & an inspirational tool!!! And for those who are saying, “She must have a lot of extra time on her hands to do this”…….know that this happened today during naptime while my six daycare kiddos were fast asleep. LOL Grab a diet Coke….it’s gonna be a few.

Angi Stevens….How can you not smile at that Celia “Smile” layout? All your layouts made me smile! She’s got moves & Mommy’s got scrappy skills!!! (I haven’t seen you dance! ;o)

Candice Stringham….I could watch Pride & Prejudice a thousand times and not get sick of it!! Omigosh!! Under the Christmas Tree & over the game of Life……..What a sweet, sweet page for your family to cherish!! And it’s pure eye candy too! (I’m referring to the papers you used! Wink!)

Elizabeth Dillow….OMIHEAVENS!!! The M & G PAGE!!! Is that your handwriting?? I WANT IT! And your “FOUR” layout! I LOVVVVVE IT! If you knew what a tag freak I am you would have no questions about why I get plain giddy just looking at it! It literally made me gasp!

Jennifer Olson….Embrace Life…..the judges said “dramatic simplicity”…this is PERFECT! If I could do simple like that I’d be selling off my embellies!!! And “In Your Element”….There’s no better boy page! Something I know nothing about raising 3 girls!

Nisa Fiin….Nisa….I now know way tooooo much about you but it made me giggle so it’s all good! Aside from the obviously gorgeous photo & touching journaling in your “Didn’t Know” layout….you rock with the color & texture and embellies on this page! It’s delicious! (Why do I suddenly feel the urge to apply some Cucumber-Melon lotion now?) LOL

Jennifer Adams Donnelly….Why you knit? You forgot one….to woooooo the CK Judges into choosing you for HOF this year. Seriously I am teasing cause I wouldn’t have thought of that in a MILLION years! That page is AMAZING!!!

Kelly Lautenbach…..Seriously Kelly….on “Hanging out”…who can resist some adorable baby booty??? I have many, many photos like this but haven’t decided the best way to scrap them until now! (The idea vault has officially been “cracked” open!) THANKS!!!

Marla Kress…..I’m sooo envious of your ability to combine digital skills with the tangible scrappy supplies! Your “Backyard View” layout is FREAKIN’ RAD!!!

Sherelle Christensen…..I absolutely love your pieces of me layout! I’m always struggling with ways to scrap myself for my children’s sakes. What an inspiration!

Shannon Freeman….I love the “Pure Mush” layout! Love the title! Love the main photo with the journaling tied in! I love the photos along the bottom. I can’t read the journaling but I can still feel the emotion coming off the page! LOVE IT! Oh….and have you tried the Cinnabon Cheesecake at TGIFriday’s??? It’s to DIE FOR!!!!

Tiffany Tillman…..Mud Baby! Cute baby! Talented Baby! Love it Baby! Could I get some digital scrapping lessons Baby?????

Wilna Furstenberg…..Seriously….I want your handwriting too! Your ART-iculate layout is pure genious! The title, the journaling (hand-written of course), and that flower!!!!! You actually sewed on that flower?????????? AMAZING!

Angelia Wigginton…..On your bed? Really? Yah…….YOU’RE NUTS!!! But YOU CAN BE when your work is in every scrapping publication on the planet! You know how much I love your work girl! It’s no secret! I love that I can spot one of your layouts in any mag because of those two beauties adorning your pages! There’s nothing I don’t love about your “Then came You 2” page. I love how you mixed the graphic diamonds with the soft pink hearts & flowers! The color combo is scrummy!

Heather Preckel……You KNOW how happy I am so see you in the book girl! It’s about time! You’ve heard that a thousand times I’m sure! I can’t believe I have those same large glittery Target snowflakes in my Christmas stash but never thought to use them on a page! YOU’RE BRILLIANT! I can’t believe how big Kiersten is getting! It’s so fun watching her grow in pages! That “adore you” layout is scrumptious and that photo is priceless!

Heather Thompson…..What a great way to display all those Disneyland photos! Consider yourself lifted! And I am officially resigning my label of “Scrap-Whore-der”!!! I now resolve to use my embellies only with the purpose and intent of telling a story or adding meaning to the page with them! Not buying them to just look cute on my scrap shelf in my scrap space! My debit card thanks you.

Mary MacAskill…..I drooled over your “COLOR” layout Mary! I love that you used photos of the sweet things in life we take for granted….that we are so blessed to have around us. Your design on this page is STUNNING and I love the quote. Oh! And your “grow someday” layout made me sing!

Vicki Boutin…..Vicki! You have an UNMATCHED talent for using color & patterned papers on your layouts! You add sooooooo much extra emotion to your pages this way. Your FLY layout is a perfect example of this! Simply…..you ROCK!

Brittany Laakkonen….I bet that “Two Sisters” layout looks unbelievable in person! I can’t believe how much stitching you did on that! WAY COOL!!!! Seriously….Your layouts are all soooo detailed and time consuming…at least that’s the way they look! I could stare at them for hours. I would say, “Let’s see what her layouts look like after 3 kids and 6 daycare kiddos are running around” but you would probably out-scrap me then too! Mad props girl! LOL

Jessica Sprague……remember the early days of scrapping when we would have freaked that our babies weren’t perfectly clean & posed for pictures? Conspicuous Consumption is perfect proof of how things have changed! It’s so nice that we are scrapping Moments as much as events now! I can’t say how much I love this page!

Kim Crothers….Love the Color Blind layout! Those Colors you chose are amazing and your digital talents are unrivaled!!! I have no idea what it means about my personality that I can immediately throw socks out with no matchie but one other question for you…..How can you be so color-blind and still master such delicious color-combos????

Laura Kurz…….Sorry Mom & Dad…….YES! I ADMIT! I totally laughed out loud when I saw this layout! It’s classic! You’d be crazy not to! Thanks for the giggle!

Leora Sanford……I absolutely ADORE your “I am blessed” layout. That family photo is perfect and I love that you chose a background paper that lets the photo pop off the page! Oh……and I am sooooo with you on a “fresh package of new rub-ons” girlfriend!

Mimi Schramm…..Hey Mimi! I used to scoop ice cream too at Thrifty’s!!! LOL I love all the movement on your “confidence” page! The stitching, the ribbon, the journaling, THAT PHOTO! Pure perfection!

Amanda Probst……Your Melodrama layout! Soooooooo stinkin’ cute! Love the colors, the title and of course those priceless photos!

Greta Hammond……Your Journey layout……I love the “modern edge” mixed with the “buggy photo” and the journaling…….well…..YOU GO GIRL!!! You have inspired me to tell more stories and focus on that part more!

OH MY!!! I just realized how many times I hit the exclamation point!!!! But if you know me……I am really excited so I hope you’re feelin’ it!

Thanks for reading my book! It felt good today to type out what I was thinking!!!!

Shanna