Wow...A Published Scrapbooker - with wheels!

Welcome to the Your Story Matters e-book blog hop.  You should have arrived her via Paivi.  If not, check the list below to be sure you catch all of our participants.  Looking for inspiration?  Looking for ways to document the little things in life?  Look no further!  Read on and find out how you can get your hands on this fantastic e-book resource with contributions by the Scrap Happy community under the direction of Lain Ehmann and Dani Taylor.

Over the summer, an exciting scrappy opportunity came my way.  Lain Ehmann, of the renowned LOAD challenge and Scrap Happy membership site, with help from Dani Taylor, solicited layout contributions from the talented and super supportive scrappy sisterhood.   The challenge was to create layouts about our own personal stories.  Not the big life events, but little everyday things that still very much matter.  Things like your first car, what's in your purse, the view from your front porch, your morning routine, to name a few.  I'm always game for a little inspiration and motivation to complete another layout, so I signed up.  I never thought  the end result would yield a PUBLISHED layout in the e-book entitled Your Story Matters!  ME...a published scrapbooker!  How cool is that?   Here is my contribution to this inspiring resource:

 My assignment was to complete a layout about my first car.  My Big Brown Buick.  It wasn't a cool or sporty car, as you can see, not even back in 1984!   It had belonged to my sister-in-law's retired aunt, but this 7 year old sedan was generously given to me gratis...provided I pay for the insurance.  It was my ticket to freedom, and sporty or not, I gratefully accepted the gift.

As for creating the layout, I decided I wanted to keep a monochromatic look.  Cars aren't really brown these days and emphasizing that does help to drive home the outdated "first car" feel (either that or it horribly dates me!)  I found the papers in Echo Park's, "Note to Self" paper pack perfect.  The arrows and spirograph looking paper seemed to fit the car theme.  And as a side note, this car had horrible brakes and terrible traction.  It would spin out with even the slightest amount of rain and forget about ice!  So, that spirograph paper has even MORE significance!  As for the tire track paper, I just broke out one of my son's matchbox cars, rolled it around in my ink pad and did some "donuts" on some kraft paper!  The finishing touches included a Studio Calico wood veneer car, a Cosmo Cricket wood tone arrow and a sticker from the "Note to Self" pack that I fashioned with a red arrow to look like a speedometer.  A pretty well-appointed layout, don't you think?

And while Your Story Matters was originally available exclusively to Scrap Happy members, it is now available to the general public for an introductory price of $7 via instant download.  Use the coupon code HOP and receive $2 off the purchase price.  Offer valid until midnight on 1/21/13. Just follow the link below to purchase a resource that is fully loaded with inspiration!

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE

We will be giving away THREE copies of the book from comments made on ALL blogs participating in this hop.  Leave a comment telling me what story is critical for every scrapbooker to document by 1/19/13 for a chance to win.  Winners will be announced on the Layout A Day blog on Monday, 1/21/13.  Prizes must be claimed by Wednesday, 1/23/13.

Interested in seeing some other samples of what's included in this amazing resource?  Just follow the list below.  Your next stop will be Kelli     

Lain Ehmann: http://layoutaday.com

Leslie Smith: http://lcsmithsaved-outofthemire.blogspot.com/

Alison Charlton: http://scrappinginsingapore.blogspot.com/

Heather Dubarry:  noexcusescrapbooking.com

Danielle Hunter: http://ecoscrapbook.blogspot.com

Cathy Holiday: http://pikespeakscrapper.blogspot.com/

Monica Bradford: http://scrapinspired.com/

Alison Day:  http://adayinthelifeor5.blogspot.ca/

Paivi Eerola: www.peonyandparakeet.com

Lynnette Nagle: sassyscrapper2010.blogspot.com    YOU ARE HERE!

Kelli Panique: http://scrapbookgirl71.com/
Danielle Taylor:  http://scrapperonthestreet.com

And see...I didn't even try to sell you the undercoating!