Two New Layouts -- Tassel/Hassle and Great Outdoors

I spend some time cleaning out/up my scrappy area.  Still much more work to do.  I've been in a clean up and out mood though -- you'd think it was spring.  Worked out at the storage unit Sunday.  Still more to do there, too.   Ah well....

I used a lot of challenges for inspiration on these layouts.

The first one is another of Ben's graduation -- the part where their names get called and they get to walk across the stage and everybody shouts.  Most of Ben's close friends graduated the year before, so only a few got snapped on stage.  I love the photo of Ben with Mr. Harris.  Mr. Harris was his Leadership teacher/adviser for all three years he was at VAAS.  He was one of Ben's two favorite teachers.

The challenge that inspired this was a sketch + challenge over at ScrapStuffz "Inspired By" (my friend Stacia).  A friend, Adele, had created this sketch:

and the rest of the challenge was to use a handmade die cut.  I love this sketch, but needed two pages for all the photos.  So I turned it to create the second page.  And I made the title die cut -- love my Silhouette.  And all those circles were punched -- from a 6x6 pad that Merry sent me, if I'm not mistaken.  I love my online scrapping community!  

The next layout plays off several challenges:  

I used a DCWV sketch, but since I didn't use DCWV papers, I won't be submitting it there (shh!  don't tell)  But the sketch worked soooo well for the layering challenge over at  Scrapbook Circle.  But what to scrap?  Then I remembered that Scrap Our Stash had a Selfie (plus pre-made/packaged frame) challenge and SWAT had a summer  vacation challenge going..  I had to think about the Selfie -- just don't take many, honestly.  BUT -- David snapped this pic of us in Zion on our trip with Ben's friends.  The frame I've had for AGES -- just never seemed to go.  And honestly, I probably wouldn't have thought of it if it hadn't been for the challenge.    AND -- the frame covered up most of the stranger behind us that was (unintentionally) photo-bombing us LOL.

Thanks for stopping bye!