It was a slow scrapping week.  I made DH's Valentine's Day card and 2 layouts.  I worked on a third layout yesterday but didn't get far.  With a card counting as 1/2 of a layout (since I do 2-page layouts), I'm at 29.5 layouts for the year. 

Lately I've been putting my cutterbee scissors (from my parents - woo-hoo --- really good gift and I didn't even know I needed/wanted them) to use.  I've made some title letters out of PP, made some matting for monograms, and am making a 'hand-cut' 'die-cut' for my latest layout.  I figure if I'm going to wish for a wishblade I need some evidence that it would make my life easier.  I still don't think I'm *ever* going to have the patience to cut intricate fonts out by hand though. 

I also tried out 'premium' supplies for the first time.  DH noted that layout as one of his favorites.  I'm not sure if it was the premium-ness of the supplies or the dark colors.  I'm not sure if it matters if the only way I can get a decent selection of dark PP and dark cardstock is to buy 'premium' supplies.  Interestingly, that layout is getting little notice here which means, IMO, that premium supplies don't make you a good scrapper - no no - they just add to a good scrapper's ability to make good layouts... and so I have no intention of dumping my less expensive supplies and converting to 'designer' lines and such. [edited to add - I'm either a hypocrite or a waffler because just a week later I spent $90 on bazzill... ah well....  I'm still not dumping my other stuff!]  But I think I may put some of my first 'in the black' dollars into some books/classes/magazines/something.  Or maybe I'll ask DH for the $25 of shared gift money to use for that. 

I've been playing with monograms.  Not really happy with what I'm doing.  Other people do it so well.  I need monogram lessons.  LOL. 

Very happy with the 'hike' layout I did this week - I'm loving printing directly on the cardstock background of a layout.  The journaling is less distracting.

And I'm very happy with the Valentine's Day card - I'm loving monochromatic layouts like this one and the Saints Go Marching one I did.

Since I wanted to stop feeling guilty about my scrapping expenditures I decided to (retroactively - big mistake!) budget myself $2 per layout completed (not couting photo printing, printing ink, albums, page protectors, or organizational items).  I'm still $20 in the hole since I keep finding 2006 receipts.  Kicking myself for making it retroactive.  But sticking to it none-the-less. 

I didn't spend anything this week.  DH gifted me some karate embellishments.  *Total* surprise.  *Better* than flowers!

My goal is 240 layouts for the year.  My progress is 29.5/240. 12% of the way with 14% of the year gone.  Not so bad.