Kindness is the light that dissolves all walls between souls, families, and nations. – Paramahansa Yogananda

Given the state of the world, there’s no doubt we all need more kindness in our lives. That’s one of the reasons I love the “Show Off & Shout Out” thread in our This or That Challenges forum. It’s a chance for us to practice kindness and receive a whole lot in return. Here’s how it works:

Reply to the thread to claim your spot. Throughout the month, update it with

• links to 15 pages in the Gallery on which you’ve left a comment (we call it “leaving love”),
• an image of a layout you created this month and posted in the gallery you want to show off,
• a sentence or two about why you’re proud of the layout you created or why you love it so much,
• an image of a layout someone else created and posted in the gallery to which you want to give a shout out, and
• a sentence or two about why their layout inspires you or what you love about it.

That’s all there is to it: leave love for 15 layouts in the gallery, share your Show Off, and share a Shout Out, and at the end of the month, you could win a free kit or mini bundle up to $15 in value. Our winners in January were seniorgal and EHStudios – congratulations!

I asked some of the Sugar Babes to share their Show Off and Shout Outs to wrap up the month of February. Here’s what Cassie, Krista (kristalund), Kim (Jak), Cherry, Ally, and Eve had to say:

Cassie’s Show Off

Why Cassie is proud of this layout: “I’m always delighted when I can match a kit to a photo so well without staging any pics and this collection of Val’s matched both the theme and the colors of my photos perfectly! My MIL calls me “matchy matchy” like it’s a bad thing?! Red and yellow are not a combo I use together often so I especially like the change in color palette to brighten up my gallery! I also love how full the page is with so many flower clusters, paints and splatters and paper layers. It’s messy in the best kind of way!”

Cassie’s Shout Out

Why Cassie loves “Today is a Gift” by EvelynD2: “While looking through the gallery I was immediately drawn to this layout! I adore how perfectly matched the colors of the kit are with the colors in the photographs. The artist has managed to match multiple shades of blues and greens and even more impressive – the burgundy without ever having to venture outside this one collection! It’s like it was made just for these photos of this beautiful little girl! Secondly, I admire the repetition of circular design through out the page. From the photo frame to the paints and stitches and right down to the circular confetti scatters – everywhere I look there’s more and more subtle details to pick up on. It’s a true delight for the eyes!”

Krista’s Show Off

Why Krista is proud of this layout: “I am proud of this layout because I challenged myself to create this quickly and I got it completed in record time! I didn’t spend a lot of time thinking and re-thinking about what elements to use or where to place them. The first spot I set them is where they stayed and I moved on.”

Krista’s Shout Out

Why Krista loves “Just Love Lacrosse” by tlowe: “I love this layout because it is an awesome Pocket Page! My heart went pitter patter when I saw it in the Gallery. I love the elements that are placed outside the box and the stitched pocket borders.”

Kim’s Show Off

Why Kim is proud of this layout: “I love this layout because it came together pretty easily AND I used hardly any flowers (which is a challenge for me!). I felt with the theme of the photos and the kit, plus being a boy layout, it should NOT be all flowery. I also loved the background paper with the gears, which I blended with another paper to make them more subtle, and I think they perfectly complement everything else on the page.”

Kim’s Shout Out

Why Kim loves “My Wish” by Scrap-therapy: This layout just screams colour and fun! Her extraction of her kids and the page composition are perfect as they spread colour across the page. All the different elements are well-balanced and I love the placement of the balloons in her son’s hands. She has also used an impressive five different kits to make the layout! Her journalling is very heartfelt too.

Cherry’s Show Off

Why Cherry is proud of this layout: “There are tons of moments where my daughter would do quirky things in real life that I wasn’t able to capture (unless I ask her to do it again) but they’re all in my core memory. But this time, I was taking photos of my flowers when she just took the tripod and started singing and rocking ‘Beggin’ You’ in front of me, and I was quick to turn on the video while clicking the camera as well. That’s why I used these photos for my February This or That.”

Cherry’s Shout Out

Why Cherry loves “Good Witch or Bad Witch” by JennNtheBoys: “I love everything Harry Potter and plants. When I saw this in the gallery, I was really surprised at how smoothly JennNtheBoys combines a Slytherin and a plant kit together. Like, if you haven’t don’t know there were two kits used in this beautiful page, you’d be surprised. I love how they go together so smoothly.”

Ally’s Show Off

Why Ally is proud of this layout: “This page was difficult for me, but I pushed through until I loved it, and that’s why I’m proud of it! The colors in the photos were challenging for me–all that red with those crazy bright pinks. When I saw Val’s kit, XOXO, I knew it could work with these photos. I also like how the grungy elements came together, along with the fun little journal tag. I feel like this was a bit of a departure from my normal style, and I actually love how it turned out!”

Ally’s Shout Out

Why Ally loves “Forest Walk” by cutiejo1: “I am always drawn to layouts that celebrate nature, so all the gorgeous greens really caught my eye here! I love the softness of the photo blend in the background and the pops of pink in the clusters. The ribbons and the long leaves & foliage are really striking as well. This is such a beautiful page!”

Eve’s Show Off

Why Eve is proud of this layout: “I want to tell the story of our walks so I picked Cindy’s journaling template and Val’s kit fits the story and theme. The template is quite structured, not an artsy type but after I put all the elements together somehow it blends together pretty well.”

Eve’s Shout Out

Why Eve loves “Serenity” by cinderella: “This page by cinderella calls the inner artist in me, the way she used the doodles and the actual (digital) elements added on top make this layout looks like a real art! How brilliant!”

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Barbara De Angelis said, “Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference. They bless the one who receives them, and they bless you, the giver.” Come join us in this month’s Show Off and Shout Out challenge, and spread a little love and kindness in this corner of the digital world!