Layouts a la Rachel...plus a cheeky giveaway...

The cheeky giveaway is three sheets of clear alphabet stamps and patterns...more info at the bottom of the post. So I have been disappointed with my lack of scrap action this easter. I have been busy...on my Southern road trip, also I spilt milk on school laptop - ooppps and so spent Monday back in school trying to sort that out. A lack of laptop has hindered my blogging action too. A new keyboard has been ordered. So last night I was determined to scrap some of my easter pics. I made three whole layouts in one evening - not often achieved by moi. I went for the Rachel Ward approach (check out her blog) of just throwing everything at it and not thinking too much or stopping for faffy bits nad bobs. I often spent a few sittings on one layout as i feel it always needs more. SO here they are, let me know what you think. Is less really more? So it was difficult to find papers to match these clashing patterns. But these did the job:- Loving the monogram here and my journalling stamps I forgot about. This page is basically a homage to our love of the humble rootbeer float. I cut the bottom of a saffrass page to jazz it up a bit, black cardstock was the only thing to pull the whole look together. I am loving the button border - I didn't even bother with the stitching, just glue! I love using the bracket chipboards and of course double polka dots.... So you have seen these pics and now I scrapped them to remember that fab contest. I journalled round the edge as sometimes it is the only space left. I spent ages finding my scalloped cardstock to draw round - I never use it just keep it as a template! The title is a play on the old song Sweet Like Chocolate. I didn't even mat my photos just plonked them on with rounded corners - a la momma Jones! And here is my mother's day page. My mom is South African so we use the American spelling - always difficult when getting cards - guess I should just make them! I used the good old glimmer mist. I am finding my silver and pink mists are not working as well as they should be now and are making the whole page wet - anyone else encountered this problem. Although we don't really look alike, we are very similar and so I used the strip journalling to list some of the ways we are similar. This cardstock is very fussy so I just let it do the talking and didn't add any other embellies except the calendar. So here is my minimalist approach. Now onto the freebie. I have some clear alphabet stamps and little phrases like 'our family' sister, everlasting love etc a bit cheesy really but great if you like card making. There are big and small alphas and some flowers and little borders. So leave me a comment and I will pick the winner in a week using the random generator.