Wild Jungle Fun Layout

My daughter worked very hard on her ecosystem report about the rain forest when she was in third grade, but I only had one photo of her with the report, so I decided to print it as a 5" x 7" and give it a layout all of its own. The design is based on a layout by Lisa, one of my fellow design team members from Lasting Memories. Beside the photo, I think my favorite element on the layout is the chimp (gorilla? orangutan?) that I fussy cut from a piece of patterned paper; he looks so quizzical, like he is wondering why he's on this layout! 

I added a few close-up shots of my layout, including the journaling on the tag hidden behind the photo.

Recipe:
Summer Vibes & Sweet Safari papers
Country Woods paper (SU)

At the Zoo paper (Doodlebug Designs)

Safari paper (BoBunny)
Zoo Adventure Multi Journaling Cards (Carta Bella)
The Flower Emporium paper (49 and Market)
Garden Green, Pine, Kraft & White cardstock
Candy Apple, Glacier, Fern, Saddle & Desert Sand ink
Crisp Air enamel heart
Jungle Safari element sticker (Echo Park)
Posh Parrots sticker (Mrs. Grossman's)
Janice paper flowers (Little Birdie)
Chocolate baker's twine
Burlap ribbon
Magic Mesh
3-D foam tape
Swiss Dot embossing folder (Cuttlebug)
Paper crimper (Fiskars)
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: tag, hearts
Cricut Artiste cartridge: sleeve for tag (partly hidden under photo)
Cricut Design Space: Wild
Challenges: Can You Handle the Pressure? Used the Swiss Dot embossing folder on my kraft circles; Crafter's Cafe #334 Anything Goes with optional twist: lots of color; Heart’s Quest Challenge Blog #88 Anything with a heart goes; NBUS Challenge #91 My never before used stuff is the chimp that I fussy cut out of a cut apart paper purchased in 2023 but never used; Paper Rocks Scissors #21 Used scissors to fussy cut the chimp and hello leaf, trim the ends of the twine, cut the Magic mesh and burlap and numerous pieces of foam tape; Pick 3 Challenge #9 Used leaves, brown, and bird.

Living It Up Carnival Style for LM #818

I decided to use my monthly sketch again for the latest Lasting Memories challenge. Wendy challenged us to add the following items to our layout: 5 photos + 5 stars + 5 word title + 5  embellishments (I added 2 banners and 3 stickers). It was so fun to figure out what to add and where! Feel free to join us for this or the other number challenges over at Lasting Memories, but hurry; the fun ends on Saturday, October 3.

Recipe:
Blue Skies papers & stickers
Good Day Sunshine papers & stickers (Echo Park)
Book Fair paper cut apart card (Simple Stories)
Dutch Blue, Candy Apple & White Daisy cardstock
Candy Apple, Green Apple, Indian Corn Blue, Outdoor Denim & Canary ink
Prussian Blue fineliner pen (iBayam)
Star Attraction Shape Sprinkles (Doodlebug Designs)
Cricut Design Space: subtitle using DTC Spring Break font
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #131

Challenges: Crafter's Cafe #334 Anything Goes with optional twist: lots and lots of color; Love Those Pretty Papers; The Outlawz Anything But a Card.

E Is for Epic Layout

Every year, my kids' elementary school would celebrate Dr. Seuss Day by inviting the kids to dress up in crazy outfits reminiscent of the characters in some of his books. In 2017, my kids choose to dress in the outfits pictured here, and they were excited to see the costumes of their fellow students and even the teachers!

Recipe:
Best Friends papers (Photoplay)
Chocolate, Cotton Candy & White Daisy cardstock
Chocolate, Cotton Candy, Saffron & Citrus Leaf ink
Mars Black fineliner pen (iBayam)
Childhood PML card
Monograms 2 Chippies (Mintay Papers)
Rainbow acrylic shapes
Black Puffy Shapes - hearts (Doodlebug Designs)
Summer Afternoon enamel dots (Altenew)
Chocolate baker's twine
Ribbon Boutique flower ribbon (Berwick)
3-D foam tape (Scrapbook.com)
Edge distresser
Cricut Design Space: Cat in the Hat, Dr. Seuss (using Agent Q font), pennant
Pattern: Splitcoast Stampers Sketch15Dec1

Challenges: Colorful Options - Options 3: rainbow of colors; Crafter’s Café #334 Anything Goes with optional twist: lots and lots of color; A Cut Above Anything Goes including a die-cut; NBUS Challenge #90 - my never before used stuff = all the patterned paper + I created a Cat in the Hat cut file on Cricut Design Space; One More Page Anything Goes as long as it’s a scrapbook page; Inkspirational Challenges #376 Word Prompt. Furry Friends - The Cat in the Hat!

Red Ribbon PJ Day Layout for LM #817

Here's another layout for my daughter's elementary school album, just in time for the latest Lasting Memories challenge. Wendy dared us to use four each of the following items: photos, squares, a 4-word title, and embellishments. This was a great chance to use one of my older sketches that featured four squares as the background, and then I added a few wooden veneers that I painted - so fun! We would love to see you over at Lasting Memories for this or any of the September challenges, but hurry, there are only two weeks to go.

Here's a close up of the owl; I added him because he's the school mascot!

Recipe:
Slipper paper (Karen Wilson Fine Arts)
Lilac, Wisteria & Slate cardstock
Wisteria & Slate ink
Light Grey fineliner pen (iBayam)
Everyday Moments pocket card (Scrapbook.com)
Best Friends sticker (Photoplay)
Wooden shapes (flowers from Amazon, owl from my friend Lisa)
Acrylic paint (Plaid)
Googly eyes (Michaels)
Petticoats & Pinstripes enamel dots (Echo Park)
Leopard print stencil (Amazon)
Cricut Design Space: title using Agent Q font
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #109 (rotated right)

Challenges: Neglected Stuff Challenges My neglected stuff is the slippers patterned paper that's been in my stash since my neighbor gifted it to me in 2014 (glad I finally could use some); Stencil Fun I used a  leopard print stencil on my photo mat; Triple B Anything goes including a bird, a bloom, and/or a butterfly - used owl and flower wood veneers.

Oak Mesa Dance Layout

I'm chugging along creating layouts for my daughter's elementary school album, so here is one from the school dance when she was in 3rd grade. The journaling turned out a little washed out on my scan, but it basically says my daughter enjoyed hanging out with friends and dancing along to the music provided by DJ Carlos.

Recipe:
Cherish the Day papers (DCWV)
Joy in the Journey papers
Journey, Wisteria, Black & White Daisy cardstock
Pastel Vellum (Paper Pizazz)
Journey, Wisteria & Gypsy ink
Lilac Mist marker
Lilac Mist embroidery floss
Blue rhinestones (Paper Studio)
Cricut Design Space: dancing children, title using Quarter Note font
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #56

Challenges: A Cut Above Anything Goes including a die-cut; Neglected Stuff Challenges My neglected stuff is the Summer Stack papers - I bought the pad in 2011 and have never used the lantern paper! Paper Rocks Scissors #20 - used scissors to cut my embroidery floss.

Sweetest Memories Layout

This month, I'm working hard at finishing my daughter's third grade year for her school album, so here's another layout. Since Father's Day falls after the close of the school year, Donuts with Dad in January is a yearly event at my kids' elementary school in lieu of a Father's Dad celebration. We only got one photo, but since it featured my hubby and the two kids, I'm satisfied with it. Plus I am very happy that this is my 100th layout this year. Only 25 to go! 

Recipe:
You & Me stamp set
Country Woods patterned papers (SU)
Vicki Boutin Printed Mixed Media paper (American Crafts)
Reasons to Smile paper 9American Crafts)
Blush & White Daisy cardstock
Bamboo, Blush, Lagoon & Outdoor Denim ink
Ocean marker
Birdsong Ephemera Bits (49 and Market)
Lagoon baker's twine
Oh Happy Day thicker (Simple Stories)
Slice of Life mini puffy stickers (American Crafts)
Heart sequins (from a card my mom sent)
Blue rhinestones (Recollections)
Swiss Dot embossing folder (Cuttlebug)
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: arrow frame
Pattern: Sketch-n-Scrap Throwback to Sketch 184

Challenges: Can You Handle the Pressure? Used a dot embossing folder on the circle; Let’s Craft and Create #235 Anything goes including optional twist: Frame it; Double Trouble #225 Use the following: 3 Layers + 2 Images (donut thicker, stamped ticket) + 1 Aperture (heart) + used Thing 3's option of shaker (mine is filled with sequin hearts).

Brianna's 1st Day of 3rd Grade Layout

For my daughter's first day of third grade, I still had the plaid paper from my previous layout sitting on my desk and realized it was perfect for these photos, so I went with it since they will be in totally different albums. I'm hoping to get all her third grade photos scrapped this month, so wish me luck!

Recipe:
Wicker Lane papers
Reasons to Smile papers (American Crafts)
Raspberry & White Daisy cardstock
Raspberry, Juniper & Almond ink
Turquoise fineliner pen (iBayam)
Reasons to Smile puffy stickers & washi tape (American Crafts)
Book Fair Bits & Pieces ephemera (Simple Stories)
Clear sparkles
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: scalloped border, heart
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #94

Challenges: Love Those Pretty Papers; One More Page - scrapbook layouts only; The Outlawz Anything But a Card; Paper Rocks Scissors #20 - I needed to use 2 scalloped border to fit across the page, but the left one was too long so I used scissors to trim it to fit.

My Silly Sif Layout for LM #816

This month over at Lasting Memories, Wendy is challenging us to follow a recipe each week based on numbers. This week, it's the number 3, so I had to figure out how to add 3 photos, 3 triangles, a 3 word title, and 3 embellishments to my layout. I kind of created 3 embellishment clusters, with the 3 hexagons each having a flower and either a phrase sticker or a stamped image on it. Feel free to join us to exercise your creativity with Wendy's recipes!

I love these photos of our cat checking out my hubby's phone, and the bottom right one really cracks me up. It's like she is playing innocent after being caught in the act!

Recipe:
Occasionally & Newsprint Upper and Lowercase Alphabet stamp sets (SU)
Wicker Lane papers (Photoplay)
Crystal Blue, Raspberry, Ruby & White Daisy cardstock
Raspberry, Honey & Black ink
Mars Black fineliner pen (iBayam)
Chloe stickers (Bella Blvd)
Janice paper flowers (Little Birdie)
Cricut Design Space: hexagons, triangles
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #91

Challenges: Alphabet Challenge Blog J is for Just Kidding (humorous card/LO); Critter Crazy Challenges #114 Anything goes with an animal as the focus; Little Red Wagon #875 Use a stamp - stamped the phone and the title; Inkspirational #376 Word Prompt

You're Getting Very Sleepy Layout

I love these photos of our cat Sif when she was a kitten, especially the top one where she is eying our older cat Thor as if wondering how long he will tolerate her presence on the bed - LOL! I started my layout with the sketch below, but I decided to squash the photos together and used the fun circle frame cut file to create a wreath around the photos, which I decorated with hearts and pet embellishments. Hope you like it!

Recipe:
Friendship Alphabet Small stamp set
Chloe patterned paper & stickers (Bella Blvd)
Fern & Crystal Blue cardstock
Clear vellum
Autumn Terracotta & Crystal Blue ink
Chip Ciao Thickers (Bella Blvd)
DE Quotes chipboard
Autumn Terracotta baker's twine
Warm & Cozy enamel dots (Altenew)
Clear embossing powder
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: hearts, tag
Cricut Design Space: ACOT large circle frame, Zzz (using Maiandra GD font)
Pattern: Sketches in Thyme #723 (from Facebook group)

Challenges: A Cut Above Anything Goes including a die-cut; Critter Crazy Challenges #114  Anything goes with a featured critter; Heart’s Quest Challenge Blog #87 Anything with a heart goes; Pick 3 Challenge #8 I picked wreath + polka dots + stamping.

You Can't Make Old Friends Layout

I love the lyrics of the Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton duet, "You Can't Make Old Friends," especially the lines about "When somebody knocks at the door, someone new walks in, I will smile and shake their hands, but you can't make old friends." This is something I have discovered in the past five years as our old church closed down and we had to start anew at a different place. I am getting to know the ladies there, but there is something missing, the shared experiences that help make old friendships so vibrant. Hopefully someday that will develop, but in the meantime, I am grateful for the ladies pictured here, who were my old friends for so long!

The hidden journaling where I talk about the event and the friendships I have with these lovely ladies is on a tag that pulls out of the green sleeve:

Recipe:
Post Card Travel Series stamp set
Summer Vibes papers
Lemonade, Glacier & Candy Apple cardstock
Sunny Yellow, Glacier, Fern & Black ink
Mars Black fineliner pen (iBayam)
Scrapbook Queen stickers (MAMBI)
Decor Journaling Spot
Red Dot Essentials washi tape (Echo park)
Red baker's twine (from my stash, source unknown)
Heart punch (EK Success)
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: scalloped frame, circle
Cricut Design space: arrow, title using Bradley Hand ITC font (written on the circle) & BFC Night Kiss (cut out)
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #99

Challenges: Paper Rocks Scissors #20 Scissors = I mounted the corner stickers on white cardstock and trimmed around them; Let’s Craft and Create #235 Anything Goes including optional twist: Frame it; Neglected Stuff Challenges my neglected stuff was the MAMBI corner stickers (I searched my blog back to 2015 but couldn't find I had used them anywhere, so they were truly neglected)!