SYTYCS08 Round 1 layout

I've never posted before about being a scrapbooker, and for fun I thought I would enter a competition hosted by the online store Scraptacular called So You Think You Can Scrap 2008--that's the blinkie on my blog to the website hosting the competition.

Here's my layout for Round 1, which closes in less than four hours, together with three close ups:

This round required seven elements to be included on the layout and I found it a real challenge because my work is usually very simple. The elements are:

1. Hand cutting: several flowers hand cut from Making Memories Animal Crackers paper
2. Edge distressing: patterned paper under the main photo distressed with sandpaper
3. Layering: several PP layered under the photos
4. Negative space: 40-50% empty space
5. Texture: brads, MM brad word, machine sewing and a couple of handcut flowers mounted on cardstock
6. Non-standard size photos: x3 cut to different sizes
7. Clustering: hand cut flowers in top left corner

Even if I don't get through this round I'm happy with the layout I've done of Wini from when she was about 12 months old. I love this photo by Horace ... he's such a talented photographer.

Another one for the album, and only 9,999 to go!