Camera Valentines Card

This morning at about 8:20 my phone rang and my caller ID told me it was my son's elementary school calling. These phone calls seldom presage good news, so I nervously answered the phone. Turns out it was my 4th grader calling to remind me I hadn't given him a card for his teacher for Valentine's Day as I had promised (the Spiderman kit we bought only had one teacher card and he has two teachers, so I had told him I would make a Valentine for his other teacher), so could I please make one and bring it over to the school ASAP? So I ended up scrapping a quick Valentine using a few Cricut cuts. The card base is actually a photo mat for a 6" x 8" photo, but the tab reminded me of a camera viewfinder, so I went with that, but if the teacher thinks it's a file tab, that's okay, too!

Recipe:
Background Builders stamp set
For Always papers
Tulip, Pixie, Black & White Daisy cardstock
Pixie & Black ink
Black marker
3-D foam tape
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: camera, sentiment
Challenges: Bitten By the Bug Valentines; Heart 2 Heart Oh My Heart; Retro Rubber Challenge Blog #128 Love + use red, white & pink (my stamp set came out in January 2019 so it is barely a year old, but it does squeak by, plus I've only used it once, so it really needs some love!)

Celebrate {Angel's 5th Birthday} Layout

I dug deep into my stash for this layout and pulled out a paper pack that I received back when I signed up to be a CTMH consultant in 2008! It's not my favorite pack, but I've been whittling away at it for years and was able to use quite a few scraps on this layout, which combines a traditional page on the left with a pocket page on the right. I edited out the names of our guests after I scanned the layout in order to protect their privacy.

Recipe:
Good Times papers & stickers
Sweet Leaf, Canary, Chocolate & Colonial White cardstock
Sweet Leaf, Canary, Chocolate & Twilight ink
Chocolate marker
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: border, arrow
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: star
Cricut Artiste cartridge: birthday boy
Pattern: Heart 2 Heart Sketch 17 (revised to fit an extra photo)

Challenges: Heart 2 Heart Celebrate Good Times (this wasn't a recent event, but we were definitely celebrating, and I used the old Good Times paper pack!); The Paper Girls #193 - Birthdays

EMS Sketch Challenge 85 + Engine Court Layout

I meant to get this sketch posted last week, but, well, life! Anyway, here is a new sketch featuring a mixture of photo sizes. As you can see, it also lends itself to housing a panoramic picture if you so desire. I made a few modifications to make it work for my photos, and you are welcome to do the same. Don't forget to post a link in the comments section to your completed layout if you use the sketch. I love seeing what others do with my sketches!

The Sketch:

My Layout:

Recipe:
Glamour Uppercase, Glamour Lowercase, Pen Pal Alphabet & Felicity Alphabet stamp sets
Pet Shop papers (KI Memories)
Pewter & White Daisy cardstock
Sky, Goldrush, Bamboo, Chocolate & Whisper ink
Kraft Color-Ready Borders
Chocolate brads
Silver washi tape
Color Kaleidoscope sticker book (American Crafts)
Cricut You Are Here cartridge: castle
Cricut Design Space: journaling shape using an imported file and the print and cut function
Challenges: Scrap With Stacy's February Tic-Tac-Toe board (I used the column with brads, washi, and 5 or more patterned papers); Lasting Memories #484 Stamps (stamped the title and subtitle and the flourishes)

Big 5 Layout

The title of this layout is a little misleading, since it doesn't refer to the sporting goods store but to my son's first day of being a big 5th grader! But hey, if you leaped to conclusions, it's probably the month to do it since it's a leap year, right? Anyway, I'm hosting the scrapbooking Stash Busters challenge over at Splitcoast Stampers this year, so I picked three items from my list to add to my layout: 2 patterned papers that were not my favorites (the blue and rust plaid), chipboard, and washi tape. I could instead have also chosen a label, something metal, or fibers. This challenge is open all month, so click on the link above to play along!

Recipe:
Blue and grey patterned papers (from my stash, source unknown)
Rust Plaid paper (Paper Pizazz)
Linen, Lagoon & Juniper cardstock
Slate & Crystal Blue ink
Steel Grey marker (Zig)
Slate polka dot washi tape
Color Kaleidoscope puffy stickers & sticker book (American Crafts)
Teen Spirit Boy ephemera (Echo Park)
Oh Happy Day Bits & Pieces die-cuts (Simple Stories)
Oh Happy Day chipboard (Simple Stories)
"5" & "A" die-cuts (from my stash, source unknown)
Slide mount (Magic Scraps)
3-D foam tape
Star punch (source unknown)
Pattern: Sketch-n-Scrap #194

Challenges: Lasting Memories #483 - Punches (I used a star punch to add a little punch to my layout- LOL!); The Studio Challenges Half  (I used half a piece of the blue patterned paper on my layout)

Joy of Sets Challenge #14 + Hey There Layout

Joy of Sets has a new challenge up today, so put on your thinking caps and pull out your supplies and let's get crafting! There are lots of fun combos this month, and you can choose any row across, down, or diagonal. Here's my layout, with watercolor, purple, and die-cuts.

And here's the board:

Recipe:
Connections stamp set
Watercolor papers (Recollections)
Hot Off the Press vellum (Paper Pizzazz)
Black ink
Oh Happy Day Bits & Pieces ephemera (Simple Stories)
Black Dymo label

All Spruced Up Layout

When I saw Heart 2 Heart's All Spruced Up challenge, it immediately made me think of getting all dressed up for a special occasion. Since I don't have the paper line by that name, I went with this alternate meaning for my layout, since it shows off my son and our church youth group kids all dressed up to serve dinner at a banquet at church.

Recipe:
Washi Wonder stamp set
Heartstrings papers & cardstock stickers
Crystal Blue, Black & White Daisy cardstock
Cranberry, Crystal Blue & Lagoon ink
Black marker
Crystal Blue "Love" Ribbon
Grey Wool washi tape
Black & White enamel dots
Red Pearls
Cranberry embroidery floss
Wooden birds (Art Minds)
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: stencil
Cricut Design Studio: title using Chloe font
Patterns: EMS Sketch 18

Challenges: The Library Challenge #51 Romeo and Juliet (inspired me to use the rose paper plus I picked up on the green-blue in Juliet's dress and added "love" touches around the layout)

Bold & Beautiful {Brianna} Layout

In case you've never visited the site, there are so many fun challenges to play along with at Scrapbook.com. Whenever I need inspiration, this is one of my go-to places to help me add that extra item or idea to my layout that takes it from just okay to being a star in my album! For this layout, here are a few of the Scrapbook.com challenges in which I participated:

Click on the layout for a close up view!

• Scraplift the Person Before You: lifted Lela's You & Me layout (see link below)
• Daily Inspiration challenge for 1/20: use the word "dream"
• Music: used the lyrics "You're a rock star" and "Only shooting stars break the mold" from All Star by Smash Mouth
• Baker's Dozen: added the following 13 items to my layout (see if you can find them all!)
1. Rainbow
2. Stickers
3. Stickles
4. Edge punch
5. Envelope
6. Sequins
7. Unicorn
8. Inking
9. Something hand drawn
10. Die-cut
11. Dry embossing
12. Ampersand
13. Star
There are a bunch more challenges to play along with, so feel free to join us and have some fun!

Recipe:
Molly Sketch With Style paper (Bella Blvd)
Black, Kraft & White Daisy cardstock
White Daisy textured cardstock
Vellum (The Paper Company)
Raspberry & Lagoon ink
Black marker
White gel pen (Sakura)
Star Dust Stickles (Ranger)
Teen Spirit Girl Frames & Tags and Ephemera die-cuts (Echo Park)
Oh Happy Day Bits & Pieces ephemera (Simple Stories)
Color Kaleidoscope stickers (American Crafts)
Molly Treasures & Text stickers (Bella Blvd)
Raspberry baker's twine
Lollydoodle Assortment bling
Lagoon & Cotton Candy washi tape
Black washi tape (Simple Stories)
Suede decorative ribbon (from my stash, source unknown)
Scalloped border punch (Fiskars)
Heart punch (EK Success)
Cricut Simply Sweet cartridge: title
Cricut Artiste cartridge: envelope
Cricut Noah's ABC Animals  cartridge: horse
Cuttlebug embossing folder Swiss Dot
Pattern: Scraplift of Lela's You & Me Love layout at Scrapbook.com
Challenges: Lasting Memories #480 White Space (I really struggle not to fill every last inch of my layouts, so here I left the top and bottom of the left page and the lower left corner of the right page embellishment, photo, and paper -free!)

That's How I Roll Layout

Love these photos of my son playing hard and enjoying life before he crashes hard! He has always been a sound sleeper, probably because he expends so much energy when awake.

Recipe:
Spot On Backgrounds, Star Struck & Tiny Typewriter stamp sets
Something Fierce & I Heart Us papers
Bluebird & Juniper cardstock
Clear vellum (The Paper Company)
Bluebird, Juniper & Versamark ink
Something Fierce stickers
Emoji stickers (American Greetings)
#Life card: Enjoy
Teen Spirit: Boy ephemera (Echo Park)
Celebrating Freedom Noteworthy die-cuts (Bo Bunny)
Canary baker's twine
Clear embossing powder
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: frame
Pattern: Sketches in Thyme #404

Challenges: Heart 2 Heart color challenge - Bluebird; Retro Rubber Challenges #127 (I chose the column with twine, die-cut, and vellum, and all my stamps are from 2009 or earlier)

In-n-Out Layout

I wanted to play along with the January Joy of Sets board again, plus a few other challenges, so I pulled out these fun pictures of my kids at In-n-Out, our favorite burger place. If you're not from Southern California or one of the few states that have In-n-Out, you don't know what you're missing!

Recipe:
CTMH Fall 2019 Mix In & Animal Cookie papers
Lagoon, Tulip, Clover Meadow, Cashmere & Cocoa cardstock
Tulip & Sunflower ink
Black marker
ShinHan Touch Twin markers
Later Sk8r PML card
Enamel hearts
Black grosgrain ribbon
Lagoon satin ribbon
Triangles Washi tape (from my stash, source unknown)
Oh Happy Day Bits & Pieces ephemera (Simple Stories)
Color Kaleidoscope stickers (American Crafts)
Cricut Artistry cartridge: title
Cricut Autumn Celebrations: hamburger
Pattern: Sketch-n-Scrap #192

Challenges: Double Trouble #48 - Thing 1 = something that makes you smile (my kids) + Thing 2 = play along with Atlantic Heart's card sketch challenge (I chose sketch #352 and incorporated the rainbow leading up to an image into my layout) + Thing 3 = favorite comfort food (In-n-Out burgers - oh yeah!); Heart 2 Heart Cutting It Close (I die-cut the hamburger and title using my Cricut); Joy of Sets #13 (I used red, hearts, and ribbon this time for a totally different look from my last entry into this challenge - love how versatile these boards are!)

Let's Explore Some More Layout

This layout is a mix of some old things and some new. I needed to finish up the photos of Windsor Castle's Middle Ward, so I used some older patterned papers from My Mind's Eye and combined them with a curved title that I created in Design Space with the help of this video. Although that's not a new technique, I had never tried it before, so it took some experimenting, but I love how it came out!

And here are a few of the photos from the facing pocket page:

Recipe:
Magnolia papers (MME)
Pear, Canary, Tulip, Pixie, Sky, Espresso & French Vanilla cardstock
Pear & Crystal Blue ink
Black marker
White Gel pen (Sakura)
Enamel dots
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: flowers, title (created using Cricut Design Space)
Pattern: Sketches in Thyme #403

Challenges: Heart 2 Heart & Bitten By the Bug Something New challenge (my something new was using Cricut Design Space to curve my title)