Summer Blast Decorating Layout

I'm taking a break from my Kew Gardens photos to finish up a few layouts from Vacation Bible School 2019 (our Children's Director called it Summer Blast). One of the things I always enjoyed was decorating - guess it's an extension of my love of crafting - and so I took some photos of the awesome volunteers getting the church ready for the kids. Even though I had just ordered a new pack of jungle paper to use on this layout, I decided instead to keep it super simple with just cardstock and some old stickers that I already had in my stash, and I am glad I did since hopefully it keeps the focus on the pictures.

Recipe:
Autumn Terracotta, Garden Green & Colonial White cardstock
Autumn Terracotta & Garden Green ink
Autumn Terracotta marker
Burnt Sienna fineliner pen (iBayam)
Wild Adventures stickers
Safari stickers (MAMBI)
Janice paper flowers (Little Birdie)
Top Dog Shape Sprinkles (Doodlebug Designs)
Cricut Design Space: adventure circle, title (using Thick font)
Pattern: Stick It Down October Sketch from Facebook group (adapted for larger photos)

Challenges: A Cut Above Anything goes with die-cuts; Neglected Stuff Challenge My neglected stuff is the stickers (from 2001 and 2004 - they haven't been touched for years!); One More Page Any scrapbook layout; The Outlawz Anything But a Card.

Woodland House Layout for LM #821

This week's shape challenge over at Lasting Memories is to add at least three circle to our layout, so I used a couple of circles I cut on my Cricut plus a pre-printed ephemera circle as embellishments. This was an easy challenge, so hopefully you come on over to the blog and play along!

Recipe:
Kraft, Garden Green, New England Ivy & Almond cardstock
Garden Green, New England Ivy, Almond & Chocolate ink
Burnt Sienna fineliner pen (iBayam)
Field Notes ephemera (Idea-ology)
Birdsong Ephemera Bits (49 and Market)
Curiosities in Willow Grove rub-on transfers (49 and Market)
Midnight Magic Shape Sprinkles (Doodlebug Designs)
Green craft buttons
Colonial White & Chocolate embroidery floss
Woodgrain stencil (Amazon)
Cricut Design Space: grass, title using Quarter Note font
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #86

Challenges: A Cut Above Anything Goes with a die-cut (title, grass); Crafter's Cafe #335 Anything goes with optional twist of no cards; Little Red Wagon #880 Use a frame; Stencil Fun Anything Goes with a stencil (woodgrain).

Life's Little Pleasures Layout

Love these photos of my hubby acting like a kid as he navigated across the log trail and checked out the badger sett at Kew Gardens in London! I used a Stampin' Up kit for the majority of the page, and even though it was autumn themed, I think it went well with these springtime photos.

Recipe:
Autumn to Remember scrapbooking kit - papers, cardstock, die-cuts, stickers (SU)
Saddle, Whisper & Olive ink
Burnt Sienna fineliner pen (iBayam)
Gazebo Titles Great Lengths sticker (CM)
Sparkle Dot Essentials (SU)
Raffia (from my stash, probably off of a gift)
Peeled Paint Distress Spritz (Ranger)
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #130

Challenges: Let’s Craft and Create #236 Anything goes with optional twist: the colors of fall; Love Those Pretty Papers Anything Goes with lots of patterned paper; One More Page Any scrapbook page.

The Good Life {Kew Gardens} Layout for LM #820

This week, the challenge from Lasting Memories design team member Wendy is to use three rectangles on our layout. This was a no-brainer for me, as I wanted to use a bunch of rectangular photos. I pulled out an old sketch and got to work, adding a few photo mats (also rectangles) to create some separation between the photos. If you would like to play along, click on the link above and show us your rectangles!

Here's a close-up of the title and some detail on the photo mats. For the photo mats, I matted my photos but then folded over one end of the patterned paper so you can see the pattern on the reverse. I punched holes and inserted eyelets in them to thread the twine through and tie into bows. Haven't used this technique in forever, so I'm glad I remembered it!

Recipe:
The Flower Emporium papers (49 and Market)
July/August 2021 Mix-In papers
Kraft cardstock
Pine & Sage ink
Sap Green fineliner pen (iBayam)
Simple Vintage Essentials foam stickers (Simple Stories)
Zoo Animals stickers (Tumblebeasts)
Border stickers (MAMBI)
Antiqued bronze eyelets (MM)
My Happy Place & All Aflutter Shape Sprinkles (Doodlebug Designs)
Fern thick twine
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #51

Challenges: As You Like It Favorite fabric embellishment - I went with twine because it is so versatile to tie on or around something (here I threaded it through two holes and tied bows on two of my photo mats); Heart’s Quest Challenge Blog #88 Lime green hearts; Neglected Stuff Challenges The bird and border stickers; Triple B Anything Goes with a bird, a bloom, and/or a butterfly.

Open House Layout

Last month, I was hoping to finish up my daughter's third grade photos for her school album, but I didn't quite make it. I am saving some Halloween photos to do this month since there are so many Halloween challenges to play along with, and I never like scrapping the photo with all her classmates, so I put that off for later, which means this is almost the last layout for third grade. Open House always entails lots of photos, so I placed six photos in Flip-Flaps that lift up to reveal the photos underneath; hopefully my layout doesn't look too cluttered!

Here are a few close-ups showing some fun details from the layout:

Recipe:
Noted Backgrounds stamp set
Typeset papers
Barn Red, Juniper, Coca & Vanilla Cream cardstock
Barn Red, Juniper, Cocoa & /Bamboo ink
Burnt Sienna fineliner pen (iBayam)
Typeset canvas shapes
Cranberry Magic Mesh
Freshly Baked enamel shapes
Walnut Stain Distress Spritz (Ranger)
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: title, scalloped borders
Cricut Wall Decor and More cartridge: owl
Cricut Design Space: apple, book
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #114

Challenges: Cut It Up #366 Use more than one die-cut; Love Those Pretty Papers Anything goes as long as you use lots of patterned paper; Time Out Challenges #323 My two picks are circles and an apple.

Muffins With Mom 2017 for LM #818

It's time for another round of challenges from Lasting Memories, and this time it's all about shapes. This week, Wendy challenged us to use at least 3 triangles on our layouts, so I chose to create a banner with 3 triangular pennants on which I stamped part of my title. We would love to have you join us and show off your scrappy interpretation of this challenge!

Recipe:
Bingo Alphabet stamp set
Mayberry papers
Olive, Smoothie, Cocoa & Colonial White cardstock
Olive, Honey & Cocoa ink
Burnt Sienna fineliner pen (iBayam)
Paper flowers (Recollections)
Heartfelt Wonder felt leaves
White baker's twine
White lace
Chocolate brads
Love This Shape Sprinkles (Doodlebug Designs)
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: banner, title
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #75

Challenges: Heart’s Quest Challenge Blog #88 Anything with a heart goes; Paper Rocks Scissors #21 Used scissors to trim baker's twine and lace; Triple B Blooms; Color Dare #722 - my added color is green.

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.