UR Special Card

I led a Bible study group this past school year and, as we draw to a close this upcoming week, I wanted to show my appreciation for each woman by sending her a card to let her know how she blessed me during the study, so here's one of the cards.

Recipe:
Typeset stamp set
Buzz & Bumble papers
Sweet Leaf, Cocoa, Kraft & Colonial White cardstock
Sweet Leaf, Cocoa, Toffee & Goldrush ink
Sweet Leaf craft button
Autumn Terracotta embroidery floss
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: title shape, flowers, banners
Pattern: Viva La Verve Sketch February 2014

Challenges: Heart's Quest Challenge Blog #85 Anything Goes with a Heart; Pick 3 Challenges #4 - used friend, feminine, and rustic.

Happy Birthday 2 You {Bri} Layout

I have been neglecting my stamps lately, so for this layout featuring photos from my daughter's birthday dinner at In-n-Out, I pulled out six sets and added them around my page!

Recipe:
Happy Everything, Limited Edition, Today's Date, Typeset and You & Me stamp sets
The Flower Emporium paper (49 and Market)
Party Time paper
White Daisy cardstock
Lagoon, Flamingo & Black ink
Black marker (SU)
Mod Titles Great Lengths sticker (CM)
Party Time border sticker
Heartstrings Sentiment Bits (Simple Stories)
White Acrylic Hearts
I Heart Christmas Shape Sprinkles - hearts (Doodlebug Designs)
Lagoon Ribbon
Pattern: scraplift from Scrapbook.com
Challenges: As You Like It: Favorite Embellishment - mine are enamel hearts because they are so easy to add to a layout, plus I am usually scrapbooking about my family, so they always go with my  theme; NBUS #85 - my never before used stuff is the enamel hearts; Heart's Quest Challenge Blog #84 Anything goes with a heart option; Heart's Quest Celebration of Love #4 - celebrating a birthday; Krafty Chicks Challenge #814 Birthday theme; One More Page - April challenge; The Outlawz Anything But a Card

O Christmas Tree 2013 Layout

I got a chance to scrapbook today and it felt good to get back in the groove! For this layout, I pulled out an older sketch from my blog (see the link below if you'd like to use it, too) and added leftover scraps from my Pear & Partridge kit, plus a cut up journaling card from the coordinating Picture My Life line. A few Cricut cuts and a pretty organdy bow helped put the finishing touches on the layout.

Recipe:
Distressed Backgrounds & Typeset stamp sets
Pear & Partridge Level 2 papers & PML cards
Kraft, New England Ivy, Olive, Cranberry & White Daisy cardstock
Cashmere, Desert Sand, Smoothie & Olive ink
Black marker
White gel Pen (Sakura)
Cranberry organdy ribbon
Pink Glitter Dots
Fiskars scalloped border punch
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: O, Tree, ornament frame
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: Christmas
Cricut Artistry cartridge: tree tag
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge 30
Challenges: Heart 2 Heart Get Your Kraft On challenge; Lasting Memories Circles challenge

Be Yourself Layout

Animal Cookies was one of my favorite CTMH paper packs, and I bought a bunch of it. Now that four of the colors are retired, I find myself using it less, but it still comes in handy for fun and silly layouts, like this one of my crazy boys getting creative with straws!

Recipe:
Typeset stamp set
Animal Cookies Level 2 papers
Sunflower, Dutch Blue, Tulip, Whisper, Chocolate & White Daisy cardstock
Sunflower, Tulip, Whisper, Chocolate & Clover Meadow ink
Chocolate & Sunflower markers
Grey Wool baker's twine
Tulip embroidery floss
Slate washi tape
Tulip, Topiary & Dutch Blue craft buttons
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: banners, tag
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: owl, title banner
Pattern: Sketch-n-Scrap sketch 45

Challenges: Southern Girls' circle challenge (buttons, patterned paper, washi tape); Heart 2 Heart's Grateful for You challenge (my journaling reads: So grateful for my silly boys!); 1 2 3 Get Scrappy November challenge (I used the middle line down - bird, circles, and buttons)

You Layout

Eniko over at Let's Scrap issued a challenge to scrap in a style unlike your usual. I think I'm a mixture of a couple of different styles, but one thing I definitely am not is a "grungy" scrapper, so I decided to give it a try. I'm not too sure how successful I was, but here's the list of what I tried to incorporate.

• Embellishments are often metal (rusty, worn or otherwise aged) - I added staples and brads that I sanded to make look old.

• Deep, dark-colored, (often autumn palette) distressed papers.

• Photos are often black & white and usually slanted & layered with other elements

• Lots of dark inking & severe distressing - well, it's severe compared to my usual!

• Masculine feel, with a creative slant - yes!

Thanks, Eniko, for a fun challenge that made me try something new. Other challenges I'm entering include:

Heart 2 Heart challenge: distressing

Scrap It With a Song: be inspired by Whitney's Houston's I Will Always Love You

Paper Secrets: use the word "you" in your title or journaling. I did both!

Recipe:

A Typeface, Extreme Caps Alphabet & Typeset stamp sets

Lucky Level 2 papers & chipboard assortment

Craft, Outdoor Denim, Bamboo & Colonial White cardstock

Outdoor Denim, Chocolate, Desert Sand & Bamboo ink

Outdoor Denim marker

Colonial White ric-rac

Cork Color-Ready Alphabet stickers

Milepost Shapes

Natural hemp

Staples
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: journaling box

Pattern: Let's Scrap Sketch 5/12/10

Scrabble Time

Since I was out of town during the weekend of Virtual Scrapbook Night at Split Coast Stampers, I didn't get to participate in any of the challenges except the one I hosted, but now that I'm back at home, I'm trying to use them for some scrapping inspiration. This layout was inspired by Michele's Childhood Games challenge based on the game Leapfrog. We needed to use a favorite game from childhood for inspiration ( I chose Scrabble), use a minimum of 3 photos (because Leapfrog wasn’t a single player game and it wasn’t as much fun with just two people), and to tell what game inspired us (Scrabble, of course). My sister was such a good sport posing for these pictures, and now she's got me hooked on Scrabble again!

Recipe:
Blue Ribbon & Typeset stamp sets
Typeset Level 2 papers
Barn Red, Desert Sand, Creme Brulee & Colonial White cardstock
Barn Red, Desert Sand & Black ink
Barn Red marker
Brack mini brads
3-D foam tape
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: stars
Pattern: Dramatic Fashion from Cherish