So here’s what I came up with:

The kit I used is Baby on Board by Brenshevia Taylor-Boone.
The word art (“Sweet Little Miracle”) is my first try at something like that. The fonts used in there are Pea Mushi and Pea Jamie which can be found for free at kevinandamanda.com/scrapbook/fonts/fontsforpeas/.

And if you like, you can download the word art here. There are two versions, high and low (referring to footprint placement). Click the images to download, both versions are included in the same file.

Please tell me what you think, if you download, and seasoned scrap designers, feel free to tell me what I’ve done wrong. :P

But, anyway, hopefully I’ll start finding more time to catch back up on scrapbooking. This page, by the way, is Kayleigh’s version of this one I did for Elijah over a year ago.

Oh, and maybe I should mention that the footprints are Kayleigh’s actual footprints that were done a day or two after she was born. They’re only about an inch long in actual size.

No surprise, it’s a great kit! I’ve already put it to use in some of my “free” time yesterday.

However, it all goes to charity, right? So, I’d have bought the kit anyway. But since I got mine free, I want to share. So, during this month, you can join my first-ever contest here at spoken-for.org to win one of three gift certificates to songbirdavenue.com. Of course, if this kit doesn’t quite do it for you, you can use the certificate for next month, or August, if you like.

So, how to enter?

The way to win is to, of course, design a layout! Download my first-ever freebie template, Spring Fling, and do up a layout using any papers, elements, etc., you want to. Post it somewhere on the ‘net, and leave a comment here with the link to your layout.

When the deadline rolls around, three judges will each be choosing their favorite layout as a winner. Judges to be announced. :)

The entry deadline is June 25th, 2008, that’s 3 weeks from today so even if you’ve never done this before, you have plenty of time to get started!

I will then be posting the winners and sending out the gift certificates on Friday the 27th, so you’ll still have at least 3 days to get June’s kit if you so desire.

Just for fun, here’s a layout I did with the template that comes in the kit (oh, yes, a template, too!) using the kit:

I’m going to try and do another one tonight.

Get started!!

Please be gentle, it is my first freebie. Special thanks to Rin (from which the butterfly cut-out was made from the freebie download paper butterflies as allowed by TOS), bittbox.com (“teardrop” foilage brush/cut-out, used as allowed by TOS) and Letti who named it!!

How to use this template? Here’s just a very quick tutorial for my friends who’ve been asking me since I started with the digital scrapbooking.

Of course, you need some sort of image editing software. I use Photoshop Elements 6, it’s completely affordable and in my opinion, just as good as the more expensive “full” versions. Of course, there are lots of other programs out there and you should be able to find something to your liking, probably even for free.

So, it’s really all very simple. Open up the template and save a copy (you wouldn’t want to over-write the original). This particular template is sized at 12″x12″ (though I personally print at 8″x8″ myself). Now open your photo(s) and the supplies (digital papers, flowers, etc.) you’d like to use. Now, just drag those supplies and photo(s) onto the template and put them where you want them to go. To make them match a particular piece of the template, make sure you’ve got your paper as the first layer above said template piece and press Ctrl+G, it will snap to match the shape.

Now do the same for your papers and whatnot. You may not want to use the butterfly, that’s okay — delete that layer and drag an element there, or whatever you want. Or notice the ribbon layer, there you could snap a paper in or delete that layer and add an actual ribbon element. When you’ve got all your stuff on, I’ve found that, at least for my stuff, it looks better to add a small drop shadow to the items that would have a bit of “fluff” to them if used in an “actual” scrapbook. In Photoshop Elements, there should be an Effects tab above the Layers palette that may or may not be expanded. Pick a shadow and click apply, you can then click on the blue font-like icon on the layer to adjust the shadow.

Is this all making sense? :)

So, here’s my layout:

I used the kit For Keeps Sake from scrapmatters.com which can be found here.

But! There is also lots and lots and lots of free stuff out there! (Seriously, my “supplies” folder is 22.3 GB in size right now!) Keep surfing around the scrapmatters shop and you’ll find some, and here are some more of my favorite sites to get and find freebies at:

– Shabby Princess*
– Designer Digitals*
– Digital Candy
– Digitreats
– Ikea Goddess (she links to freebies almost every day)
– Faith Sisters
– digitalfreebies.com
– Peppermint Creative

There are so many more good sites! I try to remember to add them to my ma.gnolia, so check that out, too.

(* means I’ve also made a purchase at those sites; there was one other but it has since changed directions so I’ve chosen not to link to it at this time. Also check out Songbird Avenue where each kit is $8 and the money goes to charity.)

So, anyway, if you download the template, I’d love it if you’d leave me a comment telling me what you think. Hopefully in the future I’ll get better with actually creating stuff like this!

Only, I don’t really need it. Nothing against it, it’s just not my thing, you know?

But all I gotta do is fill out the card so if anyone out there wants it, it’s yours. Leave a comment here then fill out the contact form for your address. First one to do it, gets it. I’m assuming you have to be in the USA for this, so sorry to all my friends who are not, but USA addresses only.

(You can trust me with your information. I handle people’s sensitive information every day with my candle website and I assure you that I’ll fill out the card, reply to let you know you’ve gotten the subscription, then delete your email.)