Elliot's Bad Hair Day Layout

Both 4 Crafty Chicks and Heart 2 Heart had challenges this week to use critters / creatures on our artwork, and Little Red Wagon was asking to see puns, so I put these three challenges together with this funny picture of my son Elliot when he was a baby and came up with the title for this layout. Hopefully I do not have to explain the bunnies on the layout. If I do, it's just not as funny as I thought it was! Oh well, at least I used up some old CTMH supplies . . .

Recipe:
Hodgepodge Alphabet, Holiday Hoopla, Welcome Baby & Grown with Love stamp sets
Animal Cookies Level 1 papers
Dutch Blue, Goldrush, Creme Brulee & Colonial White cardstock
Dutch Blue, Chocolate, Tulip & Clover Meadow ink
Dutch Blue marker
Chocolate striped ribbon
Tulip Bigger Brad
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: scalloped frame, photo corner

Our 12 Month Journey to Adoption Layout

I finally got my photos developed so I could do the "12 Ages and Stages" challenge over at Let's Scrap.We were given a sketch and asked to create a layout using 12 photos that represent something in our lives. I chose to use photos from my younger son's adoption day, since it took 12 months from the time he was placed with us until we went to court for the finalization. The journaling is written on the tags, which pull out so you can read them. I also was inspired by the Cupcake Special #3 Challenge from 2 Broke Girls, which led me to pick the circle paper and add the flowers because they reminded me of elements on the cupcake!

And here's my layout. Obviously I did not go with the color scheme from the cupcake, although there is chocolate and yellow on my layout . . .

Recipe:
Connections & Universal Backgrounds stamp set
Emporium Level 2 papers
Chocolate, Buttercup, Sky & White Daisy cardstock
Chocolate, Creme Brulee & Vineyard Berry ink
Chocolate & Sweet Leaf markers
Chocolate striped grosgrain ribbon
White Daisy embroidery floss
White Daisy flower brads
Staples
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: tags
Cricut Artiste cartridge: flowers
Pattern: Let's Scrap 5-6-13
Challenges: Creative Belli's Flower challenge

Mug & Muffin Layout

I skipped ahead to Challenge 13 from Splitcoast Stampers' Virtual Scrapbook Night. Sharon's mom has a favorite saying, "Oh, shoot a pickle!," so Sharon's challenge was to scrap a page that was either predominately green or was about food. I chose to go the food route, since I had some pictures of a potluck event at church. I started with Sketch 32 from Sketch-N-Scrap (it's actually a single page sketch but I mirrored it for the second page) and added spots for the Southern Girls Spotty Dotty challenge and flowers for the Heart 2 Heart May Flowers challenge.

Recipe:
Dotty for You Level 2 papers
Whisper, Buttercup & Colonial White cardstock
Whisper & Lagoon ink
Grey marker (Zig)
Paradise & Spring Blossom Just Blooms
Colonial White & Sweet Leaf brads
Colonial White ric-rac
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: title

Dinos Layout

Two posts in one day - wow! I got a lot of scrapping in today, so I thought I'd share another layout with you. I wanted to play along with challenge 2 from Virtual Scrapbook Night at Splitcoast stampers: try making a layout without any white on it. Create your own “white space” without one drop of white.

I started with National Scrapbook Day Sketch 6 from 2 Broke Girls.

And here's what I came up with. I forgot I wasn't supposed to use white and I added white ribbon, so then I had to sponge my ribbon with Bamboo ink to get it to a different color! Guess I should have had the challenge right in front of me while I was working . . .

Recipe:
Cocktail Alphabet & Roar stamp sets
Moon Doggie Level 2 papers
Desert Sand & Colonial White cardstock
Cranberry, Garden Green, Indian Corn Blue & Bamboo ink
Colonial White twill ribbon
Garden Green conchos
Pattern: 2 Broke Girls NSD Sketch 6

Open the Door to Explore Layout

I'm hostessing a challenge over at Splitcoast Stampers for their Virtual Scrapbook Night. Come join us! The theme this time is My Mother Always Said, and here's my challenge: One of the things I remember my mom saying often as her four children ran in and out of the house was, “Shut the door! Do you think we live in a barn?” As a mom myself now, I find myself shutting doors after my kids all the time, so I can understand her frustration. My challenge: In honor of mom, please create a layout that has a “door” on it. It can be a stamped or die-cut door, or it can be something that opens and closes like a door or it can be a totally different idea that you dream up. Get creative and have fun!

For my sample, I chose to scrapbook pictures of my son at the fair, and I not only incorporated the idea of the door in my title, but also made a swing-open door for the picture of my son and his buddy in the "jail" at the fair.

Recipe:
Headline Alphabet & A Typeface stamp sets
Dreamin' Level 2 papers
Bamboo, Chocolate & Colonial White cardstock
Pacifica & Chocolate ink
Colonial White brads
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge 29
Challenges: Splitcoast Stampers VSBN Challenge 14

Fairview Farms Layout

It's the second Wednesday of the month and I usually post a Variety Challenge for Splitcoast Stampers, but we're having a week-long Virtual Scrapbook Night with tons of challenges, so I'm taking a break to allow people to participate in that. Feel free to hop on over and check it out! The theme is "Mother Said," and all the challenges are oriented around mom-isms. Here's my first layout, based on Fashion Mom-ism #1, and the challenge is to do a simple, 1-3 picture, monochromatic layout. (There's another challenge for the "wild child," but I'm definitely in the "dutiful child" category)! My layout is based on shades of brown, but I did throw in a pop of yellow, so maybe there's a little bit of the wild child in me after all!

Recipe:
Journaling Jots & He Said She Said stamp sets
Buzz and Bumble & Dreamin' Level 2 papers
Champagne, Saddle & Colonial White cardstock
Saddle, Cocoa & Honey ink
Coca & Desert Sand markers
White Daisy & Spring Blossom Just Blooms
Cocoa & Chocolate brads
3-D foam tape
Pattern: Let's Scrap 3-24-10
Other challenges: Let's Scrap NSD Challenge #4

He Layout

I discovered a new challenge site this week, 2 Broke Girls,  and thought I'd give one of the challenges a whirl. The Last Bite word challenge asked us to build a layout around either "He" or "She." Since I have boys, I picked "He," and my layout features pictures of my son at the fair. My journaling uses phrases that start with "he" and describes his experience at the fair. I also used papers from my stash that are several years old, so I'm entering this into the Clear It Out challenge to use 2 or more patterned papers.

Recipe:
Spot On Backgrounds stamp set
Stardust Level 2 papers & My Stickease
Moonstruck, Honey, Desert Sand & White Daisy cardstock
Moonstruck, Desert Sand & Versamark ink
Moonstruck marker
DE Monograms "H", "E"
Clear embossing powder
White Daisy ric-rac
Pattern: Let's Scrap 6-13-12

EMS Sketch Challenge 43 - Family

I couldn't find exactly the right sketch for these fun family photos, so I created my own featuring five small photos and several strips of papers. A layout could easily be constructed using scraps from your stash. Have fun, change up what you need, and don't forget to let me know if you get a chance to use it!

The Sketch:

 

My Layout:

Recipe:
Vintage Type & Surf's Up stamp sets
Surf's Up level 2 papers
Chocolate and Colonial White cardstock
Sorbet, Crystal Blue, Chocolate & Creme Brulee ink
3-D foam tape

Look Layout

Color My Heart has a challenge to use Cocoa, Saddle, and a color of our choice on our layout or card. I chose to add Pear to this layout of pictures from the Chula Vista Nature Center.

Recipe:
Chantilly Level 2 papers
Saddle, Cocoa & Bamboo cardstock
Pear, Saddle & Cocoa ink
Cocoa marker
Pear craft buttons
Natural hemp
Fiskars scalloped border punch
DE Monograms "L", "O", "K"
Pattern: Heart 2 Heart Sketch 9

2nd Grade Layout

National Scrapbook Day Challenge #3 at Let's Scrap was to use a line from the provided bingo card and place all the elements on a single layout. I chose the line that said distressing, ribbon, sketch, one photo, and hidden journaling. I'm not really big on scrapping just one photo, but this seemed like a perfect opportunity to get caught up on my older son's school album. He's graduating 5th grade in June and I'm still on 2nd grade photos!

Recipe:
Tiny Typewriter Alphabet stamp set
Lucky Level 2 papers & chipboard assortment
Outdoor Denim, Olive, Sunset & Colonial White cardstock
Desert Sand, Olive & Outdoor Denim ink
Olive marker
Burlap ribbon
Colonial White grosgrain ribbon
Olive embroidery floss & baker's twine
Wicker Weave embossing folder (Cuttlebug)
Staples
3-D foam tape
Pattern: Let's Scrap 9-8-10
Cricut Artiste cartridge: notepaper border
Challenges: Stars challenge from 4 Crafty Chicks