Blessed Layout

Even though several of the kids are squinting at the sun, I still love this picture because it's the first posed one we have of us as a family of six. I used words from Martina McBride's song "Blessed" as my journaling. It expresses my feelings towards my family and all God has given me quite well!

Recipe:
Victory papers
Outdoor Denim, Olive, Goldrush & Colonial White cardstock
Outdoor Denim, Olive, Goldrush, Bamboo & Chocolate ink
Outdoor Denim marker
Cork Color-Ready alphabet stickers
Floret Just Blooms paper leaves
Burlap ribbon
Bronze Magic Mesh
Olive frame
3-D foam tape
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: hearts
Cuttlebug Swiss Dot embossing folder
Pattern: The Studio Challenges

Challenges: Heart 2 Heart Fall challenge (with Fall being a season of gratitude, I went with a theme of counting my blessings); Joy of Sets #10 (I used the top row across with paper leaves, burlap ribbon, and bronze Magic Mesh)

Beware These Costumed Cuties Layout

This layout came together so quickly! Since I had already struggled with two layouts featuring the bright blue Elsa dress, I decided to just not stress about matching it and go with Halloween colors. Three challenges gave me great ideas for items to add to the layout, and thanks to my hubby for helping me decide the pressing question of one vs. two big bats!

Recipe:
Spellbound papers
Watercolor paper (Recollections)
Black, Slate & White Daisy cardstock
Black, Whisper & Orange ink
ShinHan Touch Twin markers
Black photo hanger & brad
Black grosgrain ribbon
Black enamel dots
Jeepers Creepers Complements chipboard
Color Kaleidoscope sticker (American Crafts)
Dymo Label
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: title, moon, fence, crow
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: tag
Pattern: Scrap Our Stash October Saturday cartoon inspired sketch challenge

C - Cricut die-cuts (moon, title, fence, crow, tag)
A - arrow
S - stars & sticker
P - photo hanger
E - enamel dots
R - ribbon
Challenges: Bitten By the Bug Crows, Scarecrows, Sunflowers (I went with the little crow sitting on the fence); Use Your Stuff #377 Labels (I went with a different type of label by adding a Dymo label I embossed using my label maker - hope that's okay for this challenge!)

The Sweetest Besties Layout

My daughter and her cousin were born only weeks apart, and they have always been the best of friends, so it's a delight when these two sweeties get to have a sleepover. Making cupcakes was a bonus!

Recipe:
Cutie Pie Stamp set
Watercolor paper (Recollections)
Molly Sparkle & Shine and Sketch With Style papers (Bella Blvd)
Canary, Lagoon & White Daisy cardstock
Canary, Lagoon, Pixie & Black ink
Black marker
ShinHan Touch Twin markers
Shimmer Brush
My Crush Best Day Ever Assortment journaling card
Molly Treasures & Text stickers (Bella Blvd)
Escape the Ordinary Thickers (American Crafts)
Flamingo Dots
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: scalloped circle
Confetti embossing folder
Pattern: Sketch-n-Scrap #186

Challenges: Retro Rubber #121 Tic-Tac-Toe (I chose the diagonal row for die-cut, embossing, floral. My stamps are the title and the cupcake from the Cutie Pie set from 2014)

A Promise for a Princess Layout

The local shopping plaza offers carriage rides, and we had a lovely time taking my daughter, all dressed up in her Elsa costume Grandma made for her! This layout was challenging to create because I couldn't find just the right papers to use with the Elsa blue and my son's green shirt, but I finally purchased some glitter and watercolor papers and combined them with some really old pastel vellum from my stash. Hopefully you enjoy the result!

Recipe:
Elegant Script & Frame Flair stamp sets
Glitter & Watercolor papers (Recollections)
Pastel Vellum (Paper Pizazz)
White Daisy cardstock
Star Spangled Blue, Black & Juniper ink
Glitter Embossed Snowflake stickers (Recollections)
Sticko Classic Snowflake stickers (EK Success)
Color Kaleidoscope Thickers & sticker book (American Crafts)
Blue Rhinestones (Recollections)
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: title die-cut
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge 47

Challenges: Lasting Memories #467 Torn Edges ( I tore the edges of the vellum for a subtle effect)

EMS Sketch Challenge 79 + Orange Lazers Layout

I'm trying to create more sketches these days, so here's another double with a variety of photo sizes. Either page could be used as a single layout as well.

The sketch:

My layout:

I wanted to use the fun little phrase strips around the layout, so I moved my journaling to a tag.

Recipe:
Diverse Backgrounds & One Way Borders stamp sets
Later Sk8r papers & PML cards
Sunset & White Daisy cardstock
Slate, Outdoor Denim & Sunset ink
Outdoor Denim marker
Slate polka dot washi tape
Pear ribbon
Energy #-D stickers (Provocraft)
Cricut Artistry: title
Cricut Artbooking: chevron arrow
Cricut Art Philosophy: tag
Challenges: The Studio Challenge Blog use chevrons (on the arrow and the tag); Lasting Memories  #466 Pick Three (I chose washi tape, stickers, and tag)

Frozen Party Layout

My two youngest kids loved the movie Frozen, so they were delighted to be invited to a Frozen themed birthday party! My older two were not as excited, but who can resist the lure of candy and cake, right? I'm not a huge Frozen fan, but the party was amazing, so hopefully this layout conveys a little of the magic of the day. I used my monthly double sketch one last time, and now I'm going to retire it for a while, although I'm sure I will pull it out to use in the future.

And here's a close up of the glittery title. I downloaded the Ice Kingdom font, the closest match to the Frozen font I could find, and then used Cricut Design Studio to cut it out. I sponged Twilight and Crystal Blue ink on it and finished by adding Star Dust Stickles for a icy shine.

Recipe:
Wonderland papers
Crystal Blue & White Daisy cardstock
White Daisy textured cardstock
Crystal Blue & Twilight ink
Clear Sparkles
Star Dust Stickles (Ranger)
Mini Snowflake punch (EK Success)
Cricut Artistry cartridge: snowflakes
Cricut Design Studio: title using Ice Kingdom font
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge 78

Challenges: Heart 2 Heart All About Cricut challenge (used Artistry to cut out all the snowflakes except the tiny ones)

Let's Go Fly a Kite Layout

All month I've been meaning to play along with the cartoon inspired sketch from Scrap Our Stash, but I didn't have the right photos until today, when I pulled out some photos for my youngest son's school album. I've already scrapped the center photo once for an ABC album, but I wanted to go in a totally different direction, and the sketch and challenges I played along with offered some great inspiration. Here's my layout:

And here's the sketch challenge that inspired me. As you can see, I went with a green background with yellow highlights, but there are lots of other colors in the inspiration image so I used lots of colors in my layout. I added a book sticker to the journaling block, since my son's book buddies are the ones who took him kite flying.

Recipe:
Colorful papers (KI Memories)
Cranberry & Canary cardstock
Cranberry, Canary, Sweet Leaf & Sky ink
Black & red markers
Color Kaleidoscope Thickers & puffy stickers (American Crafts)
Escape the Ordinary Thickers (American Crafts)
School Days sticker (Boyds Bears & Friends)
My Crush Besties Assortment
White baker's twine
3-D foam tape
Cricut Artistry cartridge: kites
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: frame, spiral bound paper
Artiste cartridge: title
Challenges: Lasting Memories #465 Recipe - use 3 photos, 5 or more paper strips, and small word stickers

Hey There Peanut Layout

I host a daily inspiration challenge over on Scrapbook.com, and for September 13, since it was National Peanut Day, I asked the scrapbookers to either be inspired by one of Charles Schulz's Peanuts cartoons or to use a peanut image on their artwork. I was originally going to use the cartoon theme, but then I had the idea to use the word peanut in my title, springboarding off the alternate definition of a peanut as "a cute person, used as a nickname to show affection." Little Tristan was certainly a cute peanut in these photos!

Recipe:
Hodgepodge Alphabet, Life's a Jungle, Hello Friend & Trinity Alphabet stamp sets
Patterned paper (all scraps from my stash)
Slate, Whisper, Carolina, Desert Sand & White Daisy cardstock
Slate, Bluebird & Carolina ink
Coffee marker (Zig)
Heavenly Blue organdy ribbon
Escape the Ordinary Thickers (American Crafts)
3-D foam tape
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: tags, large hearts
Small heart punch (EK Success)
Pattern: Sketches in Thyme 389 (loved the idea of the paper strips so I stretched it out to a 2 pager)

Challenges: Double Trouble #38 Something Plaid: Thing 1 - added plaid paper strips + Thing 2 - played along with Use Your Stuff by using tags + Thing 3 - used three tags; Retro Rubber Challenge Blog #120 Anything Goes (Hodgepodge Alphabet - 2009, Life's a Jungle - 2009, Hello Friend - 2014 or earlier, Trinity Alphabet - 2011)

Just Wanna Have Fun Layout

My kids having fun at the park! I loved using these pretty autumn papers but didn't have enough of the floral piece to go all the way up and down the page, so I fussy cut four scraps from another piece to fill in the bottom.

Recipe:
World Traveler & Tiny Typewriter stamp set
Dreamin' papers
Linen, Pacifica,Cashmere cardstock
Pacifica, Cashmere, Goldrush & Chocolate ink
Brown marker (Zig)
Stargazer Dots
Chocolate embroidery floss
Chipboard letters (source unknown)
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: tag
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge 33

Challenges: The Studio Challenge Blog Take 5 (use enamel dots/ shapes, chipboard alphas, the color orange, thread/ stitching, and stamps on your layout); Scrap With Stacy photo inspiration

1 Cool Cowboy Layout

For this layout of my son as an extremely cute cowboy, I pulled out my most recent sketch and used just the left hand page, substituting patterned paper for the circular photos on the sketch. I'm hosting some challenges over at Splitcoast Stampers this month, so this layout is my sample for the Cut Through the Clutter challenge. I asked everyone to create a layout using items that start with the letters in the word "Clutter." You can see my list below, and hopefully it inspires you to pop on over and play with us!

C - cowboy, chipboard
L - lasso, lettering
U - "U" rub-on
T - tag
T - Thicker
E - embossed metal badge buttons
R - revolver, rub-ons

Recipe:
Bingo Alphabet stamp set
Dakota papers
Black, Barn Red, Whisper & Desert Sand cardstock
Black & Barn Red ink
Milepost Shapes - arrow, tag
Embossed Metal Badge Buttons
Natural hemp
DE chipboard circle
Alphabet Transfers rub-ons (K & Company)
Color Kaleidoscope Thickers (American Crafts)
Liquid Glass
3-D foam tape
Cricut Southwest cartridge: cowboy boot, hat, horse, revolver
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge 78 (left side only)