Layout made with swapped items!

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!  And now my excuse for being absent:  I'm busy, busy, busy!  Aren't we all this time of year?  Since it's been a while since my last post, I want to share a scrapbook page I made using some swap items--and give my fave swapping site a little shout out!

I just got a huge box of swap items back from "It's a Scrapbooking Swap Thing"!  I've been so busy making stuff and trying to stay ahead of the current deadlines, but when I got my box, I wanted to start scrapping!  Well, I got one page done.  But it only took about thirty minutes (gathering pics, giving my toddler snacks, diverting her attention, etc.) to do the whole thing.

Oh, actually, this page kit swap came with the last box, but because I had some pics ready that were from last year's Christmas stuff, I thought I'd use it first.  There were a lot of items in this kit, but I just used the photo mat, journal block, and border (which happened to have a title on it!) since I only wanted a one-page layout.

I love all the details this swapper put into this border:  the words mounted on red with stickles glitter around each one, the snowflake with a red dew drop in the center, and the eyelets laced with red fiber.  So cute with the mixed patterned papers!

My only problem when starting my layout is that I love to use patterned paper, so I was struggling with what to do for a background.  I looked at those cute snowflake embellies and then thought, "Spray mist!"  I got out my Tattered Angels' Icicle Blue and LED Red, and misted over some snowflakes cut from Cricut's "Joys of the Season" cartridge (which were temporarily adhered).  You can't really see the shimmer on these pics, but it shines!

I have big plans for Christmas vacation:  I hope to use up lots of my swaps and get some layouts scrapped so we can enjoy those photos that have just been accumulating in boxes lately!  And I'm going to let my kids use some of the leftover pieces to make pages for their own albums.  They need to get into this hobby as well, don't you think?

Hope you enjoyed checking out my page, and if you're looking for a swap group, check out "It's a Scrapbooking Swap Thing" (IASST) at www.iasst.forumotion.net.  Thier big Birthday Crop is coming up on New Year's Eve when they have lots of challenges and new swaps to sign up for!  I'm excited about that, too!