The Usual Way to Participate in LOAD
Whether you are new to ScrapHappy, or a seasoned veteran, participating in LOAD challenges throughout the year is one of the best parts of membership. Three times a year (four, if you count Mini-LOAD) we come together as a community in Circle to scrapbook a layout a day!
For each day in the month of LOAD there is a story and technique prompt, which we can use to help inspire us in our pursuit of getting our stories onto the page and into our albums. If you don’t want to use the prompts, no problem! You can document a different topic you’ve been itching to share.
When the LOAD challenge was announced for May 2025 the theme was revealed to be “Canadian Eh?”. It would feature Canadian entertainers, which sounded like a blast to me – I’m Canadian AND I love pop culture.
Folks who participate in the LOAD events share such amazing layouts and interpretations of the prompts in our Circle Gallery. And, everyone proves to be the best of cheerleaders, leaving comments of encouragement and hitting those “love” icons.
Here are two of my layouts from early in the month…Days 3 & 4.
An Idea was Hatched
For me, personally, there was going to be a wrench in my LOAD525 plans. I didn’t know how much crafting time I’d have during the month (as it’s an incredibly busy time of year for me as a school teacher). But then, I had a brainwave! I decided I would try to guess which actors/actresses would be chosen by our ScrapHappy Host, Alice. It would be a little side-game for me so, even if I wasn’t spending time in the craft room, I’d still feel completely involved and invested. I messaged Alice about it and she was thrilled with the idea.
We texted back and forth about how hard it was to choose, and how there was pressure to make great choices to both interest participants and best represent Canada. I’d already drafted a HUGE list of potential candidates, circling ones I thought had a good chance of making the cut. The only clue Alice gave me was that the entertainers would be revealed from oldest to youngest.
Once I had this clue I spent time looking up a whole swack of birthdays, and started to fill in my “draft”. I also had the privilege of knowing who would be featured on Day 10 (John Candy) because that was my assigned day as feature designer. Well, once I got started I realized there was already a curveball. As I started placing entertainers, I realized I didn’t have enough on my circled list old enough to show up before John Candy. I headed back to the drawing board, reinstating a few folks I’d previously tossed aside (like Leslie Nielsen) and also doing a bit of research to find some Golden Age possibilities (like Mary Pickford).
The Final Guess List
To say I spent a lot of time on this little LOAD adventure is an understatement. I took into account so many factors (aside from age) to finally reach a finished list I was satisfied with. I considered things like diverse representation, genre (such as not having too many comedians), the popularity of shows/movies (such as hits from certain decades, or Marvel), and tried to balance out the number of males and females as best as I could…although I still ended up with more guys.
As well, knowing a huge number – if not most – of our ScrapHappy members live outside of Canada, I thought long and hard about selecting actors/actresses that would be known for roles outside of the Canadian entertainment scene. To top it off, I had a few instances where there were multiple entertainers within a family unit – such as the Levy’s or Donald & Kiefer Sutherland! I had to decide to either keep, or set aside, related entertainers.
Like I said, I spent A LOT of time thinking about this! But boy, did I have fun. I’m a sucker for a good guessing game (which is probably why I adore shows like The Masked Singer or Claim to Fame). Without further ado, here was my final guess list.
Launching into the Chaos
As the first stretch of actors/actresses were revealed, I started off strong! I correctly guessed 12 of the first 14 days! One of my favourite things about the February and May LOAD events are the videos Alice creates to accompany each day, and LOAD525 was no exception. We learned so many fun facts about the featured stars and their lives/roles. As each day’s famous figure was revealed I screen-shared the video to my TV screen, feeling ecstatic if my guess for that day was right.
DAY 10: JOHN CANDY (My Day as Feature Designer)
A key feature of ScrapHappy LOAD events is that it’s the members themselves who provide sample layouts to complement each set of prompts. This brings such a cool vibe to the membership because you realize it’s everyday crafters, just like you, creating the examples. What a truly empowering way to infuse confidence into the essence of every crafty space of participants. When you are a part of the ScrapHappy Family, you just KNOW your stories are worthy of being documented.
I had the pleasure of being the featured designer on Day 10 for LOAD525, which honoured the late John Candy.
Guess-tastrophe in Progress
It was Day 15 where the wheels fell off the bus a little. I missed including some key ‘players’ from the field of talented Canadians (such as Kim Cattrall, Michael J. Fox – who I’d left off following February’s Back to the Future-themed LOAD – and Jason Priestly). In hindsight, how on Earth did I ever think Jason Priestly wouldn’t make the cut…90210 might possibly be the most famous TV zip code, ever. Duh!
So, although I was still getting quite a few names right, my days quickly fell out of sync. There were also names I’d included later on in the month that didn’t appear at all (such as Neve Campbell, Cobie Smulders – of How I Met Your Mother fame – and Marvel’s Simu Liu). Instead of feeling down on myself I did what any true Canadian would do. I embraced my temporary hoser status and had a Caesar!
Case Closed and I Crushed It...Mostly
As I write this it’s May 31st. The final star and set of prompts was revealed last night at 10:00pm (Mountain Time) and, to be honest, I think I feel just as exhausted from my little “game” as if I’d actually been creating a layout each day. Just kidding! For everyone out there reading who completed this month’s challenge, I applaud you! It is no small feat to craft daily.
I’m a believer that every spark of an idea is ignited for a reason. For me, I’ve now discovered that in one of my busiest months, when I usually feel a bit like a spectator on the sidelines as the LOAD Challenge plays out, I’ve found a new way to get my head in the game. I might have started a yearly tradition for myself. Stay tuned and check in with me next May for an update.
Here’s the final reveal of how I did with my guesses. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself.
An Additional Plot TWIST
There was ONE extra twist I added to the mix, to up the ante. Before the month began I told Alice there was a person who, in my opinion, HAD to make the list – but I didn’t tell her who. We all have that one actor/actress who is a fave, right?! A non-negotiable?! We planned for me to write a blog post about this whole guessing “game” extravaganza (the one you’re currently reading right now) and, if my person didn’t make the list, I would create a bonus set of prompts to share in the post.
Alas, my secret person (drumroll, please … Joshua Jackson) DIDN’T MAKE THE LIST! Dagger to my heart! I admit, I may or may not have had a pin-up or two of Joshua Jackson on my wall as a teen <giggle giggle>. It’s a shame he was missed, but there are truly just too many excellent Canadian entertainers to have had everyone make the final line up. Plus, it’s made for a great story AND lucky you…I have a BONUS set of prompts so you can keep the LOAD525 party going.
BONUS DAY 32: JOSHUA JACKSON
Known for playing Charlie in Mighty Ducks, Joshua Jackson became a household name on the tongues of teen girls everywhere following his breakout role as Pacey Witter in the WB network drama, Dawson’s Creek. If you were one of the thousands to watch this show weekly, which ran for 6 seasons, you’d likely have been either “Team Dawson” or “Team Pacey.” For the record, I was most definitely Team Pacey!!
You might also recognize Joshua Jackson from a variety of other TV shows (such as Fringe, Doctor Death, or Doctor Odyssey) and films (The Skulls, Cruel Intentions, and Karate Kid: Legends).
He has even narrated audio books like Canadian Boyfriend (a personal fave of mine) and the Oracle series. If he’s narrating, sign me up to listen pronto!
Story Prompt
From Mighty Ducks to Doctor Odyssey, Joshua Jackson is known for a number of roles where he was part of a team. Alternately, if you grew up watching the teen drama Dawson’s Creek you might have been Team Pacey (Jackson’s character), just like me. Document a story about a either a team you feel a part of, or a team you root for!
Technique Prompt
In honour of Joshua Jackson’s role in the television series Fringe, use fringe on your layout.
Here’s the layout I designed using the prompts I came up with – it’s a tribute to Joshua Jackson, himself! I had so much fun documenting the origin story behind the prompts, and sharing how participating in LOAD in a completely different & unusual way was equally as fun (if not more so). Plus, having an excuse to create a totally ‘nerdy’ pop-culture page is right up my alley.
Canadian, Eh?!
Without a doubt, LOAD525 “Canadian Eh?” was a hit! Hundreds of layouts have been completed by ScrapHappy members worldwide, proving that – even though this month’s theme may have featured the nation of Canada – scrapbooking truly knows no borders. And that’s what community, specifically what THIS crafty community, is all about!
I hope to see some of your Bonus Day 32 layouts in the Gallery (if you’re a member) or on social media. Be sure to tag me – Lindsy Cummings on Circle or @migimon2002 on Insta – so I can see/comment. I’ve also posted my Bonus Layout in the Circle Gallery. Be sure to comment if one of your favourite Canadians didn’t make the list.
My name is Lindsy, and I am Canadian! Until next time…stay fun and fantabulous, scrappers!
