Many of us are starting the month of March coming off the high of February’s LOAD challenge. LOAD226 was called “As You Wish,” based on the film The Princess Bride. In today’s post I’ll start by sharing some general information about the LOAD challenges. Secondly, I will showcase my featured layout (from Day 10) to demonstrate the versatility of the prompts. Lastly, I’ll share a bit about the bonus fun I created for myself…a little side challenge, if you will.
LOAD: The Miracle {Scrapbooking} Pill
If you’ve never heard of LOAD, let me fill you in on its magic. LOAD is an acronym that stands for LayOut A Day. For the duration of the month-long challenge, prompts are posted daily to inspire our storytelling. Participants then have 24 hours (technically 26, as the prompts are posted each night at 10pm MST) to complete and upload their layout to the Circle Gallery. Circle is the platform utilized by ScrapHappy for events, including LOAD.
Should you complete this task every day – thus, a LAYOUT A DAY – you are eligible for a finisher’s prize (a small token to commemorate your accomplishment). However, speaking from personal experience I can honestly share I would participate without a prize. That is a secondary bonus for me. The true Miracle Max moment comes from your own dedication, and in the fact you have 28-31 completed stories. If that’s not winning, I don’t know what is?!
Storybook Love
At the end of the day, all we really want is to document our treasured stories and get them into our albums. What I love the most about LOAD is how the prompts inspire me to tell the stories I wouldn’t always think of, often in unique ways. It is important to note that you don’t have to use the prompts…you can absolutely document whatever you want. But, the prompts add a fun twist and are what truly makes these events special.
Another notable feature is that a layout created by a member of the ScrapHappy community accompanies each set of prompts. How great is that?! There’s no better way to be inspired than by your fellow peers, the ones sitting in their overstuffed craft rooms just like you!
For LOAD226 I was the feature designer for Day 10, which was all about the character Inigo Montoya. Come on…I know you all want to say it, so let’s recite it all together! “My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!” <giggle giggle> Here were the accompanying prompts:
- Story Prompt: Inigo sought vengeance for the death of his father and adopted his famous mantra…His quest becomes his guiding purpose in life. What is a motto or mantra that you live by and how does it show up in your life?
- Technique Prompt: Inigo’s sword was his father’s. It had an ivory handle, with an intricate gold sword basket decorated with gemstones. Use some fancy decoration or metallics on your layout.
Here’s what I had to say about my layout:
To say I’m a fan of The Princess Bride would be an understatement, and I was thrilled to get a day dedicated to Inigo Montoya! Unlike Inigo, however, my mantra in life is a little less…vengeful.
For the story prompt, I decided to focus on the motto, I’M NOT SHORT I’M FUN-SIZED. I used to have a t-shirt with this phrase, and it’s part of my personalized ‘signature’ at the bottom of my work emails. As I designed the layout, I used this phrase to document some photos from pop-culture conventions I’ve attended. My journaling reads: “Amidst the crowds of attendees and celebs at Con Events I’m always the smallest. Yet, I make up for it with a larger–than-life sense of whimsy and fun. At HorrorCon, meeting Mark Burnham made for a hilarious photo-op, as he literally towered over me. At the Calgary Expo I had a quick meet up with my fave podcasters, ‘Disney, Eh.’ Brandon (who I’d never met) is SO tall. But Krysta is fun-sized, like me!”
For the technique prompt I used glitzy paper, which became the decorative star of the show. I then added silver enamel dots for a fancy metallic finish.
A Battle of Wits
Last May I started a LOAD-adjacent game for myself where, ahead of the event, I tried to guess the prompts. When I heard the theme announcement for LOAD226 would be based on The Princess Bride, I just KNEW I had to try my side quest again. I’ve watched the film more times than I can count (I’m 99.9% sure I watched it first on Betamax, which tells you something about how long the movie has been part of my pop culture-loving lexicon). As I embarked on my guessing-game adventure, I hoped to have the type of success more akin to The Man in Black climbing The Cliffs of Insanity (and a little less like Buttercup rolling down the hill after Westley).
Just before the official start of the event, I finalized my list. I chose the things I thought had the best chance of being featured during the month. Of course, with so many potential outcomes, it was impossible to feel 100% confident. I definitely had to leave things off the list and, in some cases, combined things I thought went together.
Unlike when I “played” & documented my first side quest – for LOAD525 Canadian, Eh? (LOAD 525: A New Way to “Play” the LOAD Challenge) – I didn’t focus on a particular order this time. I did group the characters/celebrities together at the start, but otherwise curated my list randomly. Now came the impatient part. I’d have to see if my final choices (my internalized battle of wits, one could say) would be featured in the daily prompt videos posted by Alice.
Overall, I think I did a pretty great job selecting items! There were only eight days featuring topics I hadn’t even considered. The ideas I missed focused on theme or behind-the-scenes information, which were a perfect addition to LOAD226 as a whole. Those days lent themselves perfectly to the focus of storytelling on our pages.
As I checked off my list, I allowed myself a little grace regarding whether or not I matched the exact titles Alice used each day. My biggest stretch was No. 7 (Miracle Max & his wife). While there wasn’t specifically a day dedicated directly to these characters, they were referenced in two of Alice’s videos and inspired a couple prompts (such as Laughter Behind the Scenes & True Love). So I checked that one off. Similarly, there wasn’t a dedicated day for the rhyming scene I chose for No. 17. But, the rhyming did inspire a technique prompt that was combined with Fezzik’s Day. I checked that one off, too.
Were there any items from my list I was sad to see missed, you might ask? Yep! Although content to leave a few predictions on the cutting room floor, there were two I’d been counting on as shoo-ins. They were No. 16 (the Mawwiage Scene) and No. 19 (the Storybook Love theme song). I could definitely have written, and been inspired by, some excellent prompts for those days. Ahhh well, you can’t win ’em all!
As You Wish
I hope you’ll return for, or consider trying out, our next ScrapHappy LOAD Challenge. It truly is one of the best ways to scrap your stories “as you wish,” while still feeling inspired to stretch the creative possibilities.
The next event – LOAD526 – will be in May, and a little birdie told me it’s going to be an instant classic. Follow @scraphappyorg on Insta to watch for details and registration information.
- You can also check out the LOAD FAQ on the ScrapHappy website FAQs about LOAD
- You can try the mini LOAD Free Trial “Scrap the Rainbow” FREE LOAD TRIAL
And if you just can’t wait until May, why not jump in on Calvinball (which kicked off March 1st)! It’s a free creative challenge event hosted by ScrapHappy, full of crafty chaos unlike anything you’ve experienced.
- You can sign up for Calvinball here: Calvinball – an Online Scrapbooking Event
Until next time, stay fun and fantabulous, scrappers!
