White Tower Layout

In the center of the Tower of London is the White Tower, the original building William the Conqueror had constructed in the 1070s to bring the fierce and fickle Londoners under his control. One of the main exhibits inside is the Line of Kings, a massive display of armor that opened in the late 1600s. We took lots of photos of this exhibit, but I decided to put most of them in pocket pages, so my journaling about the history of the White Tower and the collection will also be in the pocket pages. For today, I just scrapbooked the exterior of the Tower.

Recipe:
Live Inspired, Distressed Backgrounds, Lucky & Friendship Alphabet Small stamp sets
Color Kaleidoscope papers (American Crafts)
Glacier, Linen, Black, Chocolate & White Daisy cardstock
Glacier, Lagoon, Pear, Linen & Black ink
Sienna fineliner pen (iBayam)
ShinHan Touch Twin marker
Halloween Mix epoxy stars (Bella Blvd)
Top Dog Shape Sprinkles (Doodlebug Designs)
Cricut Medieval Silhouettes cartridge: castle (edited in Design Space)
Challenges: Colorful Options rainbow colors; Cut It Up Challenges #311 Anything Goes with a die-cut; Challenge YOUrself #128 Inspired by a Rainbow (I tried to use soft hues of all the rainbow colors, and there are two photos with me in them wearing a grey shirt and black scarf)

{You} Made It Layout

To scrap these photos of a friend's new baby, I played along with several challenges, including the Heart's Quest challenge to use hearts and a congratulations theme. The song lyrics, "Looks like we made it" kept running through my mind, so I shortened and adapted it to {You} Made It, with a special note of congratulations to the new parents as my journaling.

Parents' and baby's names blanked out to protect privacy.

Recipe (all supplies CTMH except where noted):
Chocolate Alphabet Small, Background Elements & Live Inspired stamp sets
March/April 2022 Mix-In & Skylark papers
Sage, Toffee, Chocolate & White Daisy cardstock
Sage, Desert Sand, Chocolate & Lagoon ink
Sienna fineliner pen (iBayam)
Lagoon ribbon
Silver heart brads (from my stash, source unknown)
Cricut Wall Decor & More cartridge: You
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: tag, heart, brackets
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: heart banner
Scalloped border punch (Fiskars)
Pattern: Stick It Down July 2023 single page sketch

Challenges: Heart's Quest Challenge #34 Congratulations theme + hearts; Use Your Stuff  #489 Three Item Cluster (cluster on tag using multiple stamps, cardstock circle, silver heart brad & bow); Color My Heart Color Dare #558 (used diagonal with lagoon + silver + sage)

St. George's Chapel Layout

My final layout from Windsor Castle features photos from St. George's Chapel. I kept laying these pictures out on my desk and then putting them away because I couldn't figure out what to do with them, so I was happy to stumble across a book of color-blocked papers in my stash that I thought would work to scrapbook them. I cropped the sheets to 11.5" square and backed them with cardstock to give the pages a definite border. It's an older style but hopefully it works here.

The file folder card opens up to reveal my rather lengthy printed journaling. I used one of my last photo turns to keep it closed when I don't need to access the journaling.

Recipe:
Live Inspired stamp set
Kyla's Classic Color Block Papers (Paper Pizazz)
Almond, Toffee, Cocoa & White Daisy cardstock
Almond & Toffee ink
Yesterday & Today PML cards
Trinkets Wooden Shapes
Embossed Metal Badge Buttons
Pewter photo turn
Creme Brulee ribbon
Polka dot washi tape
Dymo label tape
Color Kaleidoscope stickers (American Crafts)
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: file folder, capture the details
Cricut Art philosophy cartridge: tag
Challenges: The Studio Challenges Tic-Tac-Toe

Snapshots of St. James Park Layout

The November Variety Challenge at Splitcoast Stampers, "Gridlocked," is to arrange pictures in a grid pattern. To make it easy, I used a sketch from Jeanette Lynton that already had a grid, and I just adapted it to work for my photos. Feel free to play along with this challenge until the end of the month!

Recipe:
Live Inspired stamp set
Vintage Green Ornate papers (The Paper Studio)
Flaxen, Kraft & White Daisy cardstock
Flaxen & Desert Sand ink
Chocolate marker
Kraft Color-Ready Borders
Fern ribbon
White baker's twine
Base & Bling heart charm
Snapshots Complements
Let's Go tags(Chic Tags)
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: journaling shape
Pattern: Small Packages from Imagine by Jeanette Lynton
Challenges: Color My Heart Monochromatic Green + neutrals (okay, there is a tiny splash of pink here, but it was fun using mostly greens on my layout!)

Base Court Layout

We took tons of pictures at Hampton Court, so I decided to scrapbook a selection of them traditionally while placing the coordinating photos in photo storage pages, thus saving me lots of time! Here are a few of the base court, the first courtyard you enter after proceeding through the main gateway. I love how the Clementine papers I used pick up the beautiful tones of the buildings and also provide some contrasts so the photos stand out against them.

Recipe:
Live Inspired, Felicity Alphabet & Spot On Backgrounds stamp sets
Clementine Level 2 papers
Creme Brulee & Cashmere cardstock
Creme Brulee, Cashmere, Saddle, Twilight & Sorbet ink
Bronze Shimmer trim
Blue Enamel &Glitter Dots
3-D foam tape
Pattern: Sketch-n-Scrap #142

EMS Sketch Challenge 65 - A Pirate's Life for Me Layout

It's been a couple of months since I managed to create a sketch for my blog, but I really needed a design for some pictures so that got my creativity kick-started. If you're able to use the sketch, please link up your post below!

The sketch:

I had lots of fun creating the background of my layout, starting with brayering Sky ink on white cardstock, then sponging on hints of Sorbet, Crystal Blue, and Cocoa. I then stamped the corners, and my canvas was ready for all the other elements to be added.

Recipe:
Live Inspired, Lucky, You and Me & Universal Backgrounds stamp sets
Majestic Blue Level 2 papers
Cocoa, Indian Corn Blue, Bamboo & White Daisy cardstock
Sky, Crystal Blue, Outdoor Denim, Bamboo, Cocoa & Sorbet ink
Outdoor Denim marker
White gel marker (Sakura)
Cocoa brads
Ribbon from my stash
Cricut Wall Decor & More cartridge: skull, monograms, ship, swirls, compass
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: tag, title (lowercase letters), scalloped border
Challenges: Fantabulous Cricut Challenge anything goes (lots of "anythings" on this layout!)

EMS SKETCH CHALLENGE 65 - Link up your layout here!

An InLinkz Link-up

Loved Faces @ the Canyon Layout

Happy February, everyone. Hope you're having a fun day watching the Superbowl or scrapbooking, or whatever else takes your fancy. I was able to sit down and create another Grand Canyon layout that incorporated a few fun challenges.

Recipe:
Live Inspired, You & Me, Victory WOTG, Star Struck & Today's Date stamp sets
Lucky Level 2 papers
Outdoor Denim, Desert Sand & Colonial White cardstock
Outdoor Denim, Desert Sand, Sunset & Cocoa ink
Cocoa marker
Cocoa grosgrain ribbon
Brown sparkles
3-D foam tape
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: title, hearts
Pattern: EMS Sketch 22 + my creative brain!
Challenges: 4 Crafty Chicks Anything Goes challenge; Frosted Designs Directions challenge (arrows, @ symbol); Scrap It Girl Recipe challenge (arrows, numbers, blue)

Dakota Card Workshop

I haven't posted anything for a while because I've been so busy creating cards for my card workshops. I just finished a workshop last night, and here are the cards we created, 2 each of 6 designs. I wasn't enamored of the Dakota papers when my ladies picked them, but I really enjoyed the challenge of taking papers that weren't "my style" and making cards that were my style. Hope you like them!
Recipe:
Live Inspired, Find Your Style, 4 My Friend, Diverse Backgrounds, Say It In Style, It's Your Day, Hooray Bouquet, Intrinsic Backgrounds, Card Chatter - Birthday, You & Me stamp sets
Dakota Level 2 papers
Pacifica, Barn Red,Sky, Desert Sand, Bamboo, Black & Colonial White cardstock
Pacifica, Barn Red,Sky & Black ink
Color-Ready Seam Binding ribbon
Burlap ribbon
Colonial White ric-rac
Durables Round Studs
Pearl Opaques
Milepost Shapes stars
3-D foam tape
Patterns: Gallery, Delightful Dots, Stay Left, Sentiment Secured, Veranda WOTG, Clementine WOTG
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: scalloped border, frame, alphabet collage, "u", arrow, star, sun, flower

LOAD #11 - Oceans Pacific

Today's layout is another one I pre-designed in Studio J and copied using items from my stash. One of my blog readers asked me to elaborate on how I do the Studio J layout first and then recreate the layout, so here goes. If you're not interested, feel free to skip right down to today's layout! First, let me mention that I use Close to My Heart products almost exclusively. If you are using other products, Studio J is not so helpful as a design tool. I log onto Studio J, pick a pattern based on the number of photos I want to scrap, and then scroll through all the paper packs until I find one that I think coordinates well and that I know I have at least a portion of the pack on hand. The people at CTMH have already put together six paper combos based on the pattern I've chosen, and I select the one that best showcases my photos. At that point, I also verify that I have enough of the particular papers they use, so I can recreate the layout using traditional methods. I then drag my photos into the suggested photo wells, decide if I like the layout as is or if it needs to be rotated or any papers switched out. There are also suggested embellishments and title and journaling areas I can test-run. Basically, I end up with a completed layout that only took me a short time to design, I haven't spent any money, and I can order my photos and start scrapping, knowing that my end product will be something I really like. You could do this in other programs (like Photoshop Elements), but it would be a lot more work because you would have to scan all your papers and embellishments in order to test them out. My husband doesn't get this; he thinks it adds a lot more time to the process, but I love seeing the full picture before I even cut into my papers, plus the CTMH designers are so clever that I get great ideas from seeing what they came up with. It's like the ultimate in scrap-lifting!

Recipe:
The Works Alphabet & Live inspired stamp sets
Majestic Blue Level 2 papers
Desert Sand, Outdoor Denim, Chocolate & Crystal Blue cardstock
Outdoor Denim & Chocolate ink
Outdoor Denim marker
Chocolate grosgrain ribbon
Outdoor Denim spiral clips
Craft buttons
White Daisy embroidery floss
Pattern: Conclusion Combo from Imagine

Bus Tour Layout

I had lots of fun with this layout. I wanted to participate in the Scrap It Girl challenge from 1/11: use items that start with C, H & A on your layout (in honor of CHA). I chose chipboard, hemp, and arrows. Frosted Designs had a challenge to add vellum, acrylic, or a transparency to your layout, so I added vellum. And finally, for the Split Coast Stampers variety challenge to stack something up, I stacked my chipboard letters. The letters actually have a lot of layers: I started with paint, then I added some texture by pressing a piece of twill ribbon onto the paint while it was still wet, then I lightly sponged Outdoor Denim ink onto the dry letters, and finally I stamped a design using Desert Sand ink. I then stacked the letters over vellum and over themselves so they overlap. Fun!

Recipe:
Live Inspired stamp set
Majestic Blue Level 2 papers
Desert Sand, Outdoor Denim, Bamboo & Colonial White cardstock
Desert Sand & Outdoor Denim ink
Natural hemp
Outdoor Denim brads
Vellum (The Paper Company)
Chipboard letters & shape (unknown source)
Create-a-Shade paint
3-D foam tape
Pattern: Understudy from Imagine

Buenos Aires Layout

My mojo has not been flowing much this year, so I decided to sit down and force myself to scrap today! I'm glad I did, because this layout is the result. I was able to participate in two challenges; for the one from Heart 2 Heart, I used a stamp set I've had for quite a while but had never used before (Live Inspired), and for the Split Coast Stamping Inspiration Challenge, I added buttons to the page. I was also inspired by a couple of cards, one from Helen Onulak (stamping on a paper flower) and one from Cibele Glazer (the explore element).

Recipe:
Live Inspired & A Typeface stamp sets
Passages Level 2 papers
Colonial White, Cocoa, Bamboo & Desert Sand cardstock
Cocoa, Desert Sand & Cranberry ink
White Daisy Just Blooms
Craft buttons
Natural hemp
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: flourishes, journaling box
Pattern: Winning Layout from Cherish