LOAD #31 - Hey Grandpa

This is it! My final layout of LOAD! I am so excited that I actually did this. Thanks to Monica, Linda, and Beth for participating in this challenge with me, and for pushing me to get my layouts posted so that they could post theirs. Even though I need a break for a while, I am actually looking forward to doing this again in April. Who's with me? Now, on to the layout. I'm really loved scrapbooking these photos of my dad with my younger son. It's a blessing to see their relationship developing like this, especially since they do not get to see each other very often. No exceptional techniques used here, but here's my tip of the day: altering stamped images. After I stamped the arrow, I realized it was a little too long for the spot where I wanted to place it, so I cut off part of the tail, re-inked just the bottom of my stamp, lined it up with my previous image, and stamped a new line of dots across the bottom. I love being able to see where I'm stamping. I opens up new worlds of possibilities for my artwork. This is just a little tip, but there is so much more you can do.



Recipe:
Star Struck stamp set
It's a Guy Thing Level 2 papers
It's a Guy Thing My Stickease
Bamboo & Colonial White cardstock
Cocoa, Desert Sand & Bamboo ink
Barn Red marker
Basic Craft Buttons
Hemp
New England Ivy Embroidery floss
3-D foam tape

LOAD #30 - Cat Tales

I didn't include any journaling on this layout since I will include it on the facing photo storage page, so here's Cat Tales in a nutshell. It's a wildlife rescue foundation outside Spokane, WA that focuses on saving big cats (i.e. lions, tigers, leopards, etc.) who are either being abused or whose owners realized they can't handle a wild animal in their living room! We got a guided tour and learned the stories behind many of the rescues. It was fascinating, and I highly recommend visiting if you're ever in the area. We only photographed the center picture on the layout; the other two (really great) shots are postcards we purchased on site. As far as the layout goes, simple was the order of the day. I tried various embellishments, but nothing seemed to fit, so I left it as is. The title block was inspired by my upline Jenni; she created the template by tracing around one of the Emporium My Stickease, and she generously made me a template, too. Great way to make the most of your purchases! Only one more day of challenge left. How are we doing, ladies?



Recipe:
Spot on Backgrounds & In the Wild (Stampin Up) stamp sets
Expedition Level 2 papers
Autumn Terracotta cardstock
Autumn Terracotta, Cocoa & Desert Sand ink
Silver brads
Staples

LOAD #29 - Together

I usually try to get a nice picture of our whole family around the holidays each year. These pictures were taken this Thanksgiving. Thanks to my upline Jenni for suggesting my title. I had used "Family" several times in the past week, so she helped me come up with something different. Tip of the day: if you want the look of twine threaded through clear buttons, be prepared for a long, frustrating session of trying to push the twine through the cardstock and into the buttonholes! I probably could have threaded the buttons before adhering them to the page with Liquid Glass, but I wasn't sure they would lie flat. Live and learn, I guess!

Monica, Linda, and Beth, could you each e-mail me using your personal (not Google) e-mail address? I have a question I want to ask all of you privately. Thanks.



Recipe:
Charm Upper Alphabet, Hodge Podge Alphabet & Felicity stamp sets
Felicity kit
Crystal Blue, Desert Sand & Bamboo cardstock
Twilight & Desert Sand ink
Clear Buttons
Twine
Liquid Glass

LOAD #28 - Mine

I purchased a Magic Moments scrapbooking kit in the clearance sale and have been trying to use it whenever possible. Here's another layout that I adapted to fit my photos. I didn't want to put an 8x10 photo in the large space on the left-hand page, so I added the shaped blue frame and spread the photos across it. I was going to use leaves (for fall), but my journaling lent itself to hearts, so I chose to use some of the chipboard hearts from my new Dimensional Elements Hearts. I scrapped this today at my upline's house, and she let me borrow her die-cutting machine to make my title letters, so I am not sure what they are called, but thanks, Jenni. Only 3 layouts left for this month - woohoo!



Recipe:
State of Mind stamp set
Magic Moments Scrapbooking kit
Indian Corn Blue & Goldrush cardstock
Barn Red & Sweet Leaf ink
Cocoa marker
Colonial White ric-rac
Dimensional Elements Hearts

LOAD #27 - Dinner Prep

My parents' church sponsored a community dinner this year for Thanksgiving, and since we were visiting my parents for the week, we got to pitch in and help. Both my mom and sister were wearing blue shirts, but I am a little tired of that color right now (my kids don't seem to wear anything else, but I guess that's my fault since I purchase their clothes), so I decided to try emphasizing some of the other colors in the photos. I couldn't find the perfect B&T paper in my stash, so I decided to create some using my stamps. Recipe Box was a natural choice for a food-oriented layout, and I haven't used Intrinsic Backgrounds much, so I thought I would try that out as well. The buttons and journaling placement are pretty much a direct scraplift from the layout in Imagine.




Recipe:
Friendship Alphabet Large, Recipe Box, Intrinsic Backgrounds & Say It In Style stamp sets
Bamboo, Garden Green & Brown Bag cardstock
Brown Bag, Chocolate, Garden Green & Olive ink
Chocolate marker
Garden Green My Accents
Olive Embroidery Floss

LOAD #26 - My Parents

Today's layout is a little tribute to my parents and their long-standing love for each other. The pictures were rather bright and contained quite a few contrasting colors, so they were a challenge to scrap. I finally decided to go with neutral colors in order to let the photos stand out. The Silhouette papers were a great solution to my problem.



Recipe:
Tiny Typewriter Alphabet stamp set
Silhouette Level 2 papers
Silhouette My Stickease
Black & Bamboo cardstock
Black & Desert Sand ink
Black marker
Pewter brads & mini brads
White Daisy Just Blooms
Colonial White Edge Anchors
Colonial White Ribbon Rounds

LOAD #25 - Bounce

After some technical difficulty with our new computer (my hubby forgot to install the stitch program), I was finally able to scan and stitch today's layout. Woohoo! Sorry it's so late. I had to do another red, white, blue page today. Fortunately, the Blue Ribbon paper collection came to my rescue, and the layout came together without too much trouble. I used a Reflections pattern for this one: Title Topper - Subtle. I don't use vellum very much, so this was a different look for me. My fun technique of the day was masking. Using Bamboo cardstock, I cut out a small half circle, then cut out a smaller circle using a Post-It note, layered the smaller circle over the larger, and stamped my image. When I removed the small circle, I was left with a little frame of dots. Cool, huh?



Recipe:
Spot On Backgrounds stamp set
Blue Ribbon level 2 papers
Cranberry & Bamboo cardstock
Outdoor Denim & Bamboo ink
Outdoor Denim marker
DE Monograms "B", "O", "U', "N", "C", "E"
Outdoor Denim My Accents
Vellum
3-D foam tape

LOAD #24 - Teething

It's getting late and I am still working on my layout, so I'll post this in case Monica, Linda, or Beth want to post their layouts for today.

Monday morning
Well, I ended up getting so frustrated with my layout that I went to bed, hoping for a fresh perspective in the morning! I guess it serves me right for scrapping after 10pm. I finished it up today, and it wasn't as bad as I thought. I actually like how it came out, although I ended up leaving it really simple just for the sake of getting it done. This is another layout for Elliot's baby album. Confession time: I used a non-CTMH stamp - gasp! I had purchased a set of stamps (Baby Firsts from Stampin' Up) when Elliot was a newborn, and then I never did his baby book, so the stamps have been sitting here unused for four years. Although I discovered the joys of CTMH's clear stamps in the meantime, I felt I should use this set at least once. The pattern is In the Groove from Imagine, and I had to adjust it a bit to accommodate the 12" x 11.5" pages from Elliot's baby album; it's an old CM album. BTW, I know the top left photo is too small. I had already cropped it when I realized that, so I have to get a new print developed. Yet another thing for my to-do list. On a happy note, we only have one more week left of LOAD. I think I'm going to take a long scrapbooking break when January is over - at least a week!



Recipe:
Hodge Podge Alphabet, Tiny Typewriter Alphabet & Baby Firsts (Stampin' Up) stamp sets
Magic Moments Level 2 papers
Indian Corn Blue & Colonial White cardstock
Indian Corn Blue, Cocoa, Sunflower, Sweet Leaf & Baby Pink ink
Indian Corn Blue, Cocoa & Sunflower markers
White gel pen (Sakura)
3-D foam squares

LOAD #23 - Goodbye Grandma

Although I sometimes have trouble working with red, white, and blue, this layout came together surprisingly quickly. Maybe it was the two shades of blue that made the process easier, or perhaps the splash of yellow. Whatever it was, I'm done already! My grandma passed away last month, and I was fortunate enough to visit her before she died. Since she lived out of state, my boys never got to know her well, so I'm glad she got this opportunity to see them one last time.



Recipe:
Friendship Alphabet Small & Alphabet Solos "H" stamp sets
Blue Ribbon Level 2 papers
Outdoor Denim & Indian Corn Blue cardstock
White Daisy textured cardstock
Outdoor Denim, Indian Corn Blue, Cranberry & Buttercup ink
Outdoor Denim & Indian Corn Blue markers
White Daisy Just Blooms
White Daisy ricrac
Outdoor Denim & Cranberry My Accents
3-D foam squares
White gel pen (Sakura)

Load #22 - Soccer

Yes, another soccer layout. I've either gotta get one of my kids into another sport or stop taking pictures at their games before I drive myself crazy! This layout tells the story of my son's very disappointing 2nd season of soccer. I almost didn't scrap it, but I realized that it's sometimes good to remember the not so great times because they make the great times really stand out as special. I used the pattern Salsa from Imagine, one I'd never tried before, and I like how it turned out. I'm also nearing the end of my stash of Free Spirit Level 2 papers; it's great to be scrapping every day because I'm clearing out some older papers and making way for the new. By the way, my husband went shopping today and we're supposed to get a new computer tomorrow, so hopefully this will be the last photographed layout before my scanner is working again. Cross your fingers for me.



Recipe:
Rustic Alphabet stamp set
Free Spirit Level 2 papers
Honey, Moonstruck, Indian Corn Blue & Colonial White cardstock
Moonstruck, Indian Corn Blue & Chocolate ink
Chocolate brads
Chocolate Mini-Medley ribbon slides
Cocoa Ribbon
Moonstruck marker

LOAD #21 - We're Family

I'm back to working on current family pictures. These were taken for no particular reason, just because the kids and the dogs were cute together that day! Okay, the dog tongues are a little gross, but it cracks me up that we were able to capture these shots. I just watched the latest episode of Art & Soul, and I'm dying to get my hands on those cute chipboard hearts, but until then, I had to make do with some Dazzling Diecuts. Watch out for more chipboard coming up soon (well, as soon as I place and receive my order)!



Recipe:
Neighborhood stamp set
Emporium Level 2 papers
Cocoa & Colonial White cardstock
Cocoa, Crystal Blue, Barn Red & Bamboo ink
Dimensional Elements Framed Fun
Sweet Leaf Ribbon Rounds
White Daisy Dazzling Diecuts
Antiqued Copper photo hanger
Border punch (Fiskars)

LOAD #20 - You Make Me Smile

Another layout for Elliot's baby album. I used a few non-CTMH supplies (the buttons and zig-zag scissors) on this one, and I think they really work with the CTMH products. Hope the layout makes you smile as much as it does me!



Recipe:
Thoughtful Seasons, Classmate Alphabet & September Word Puzzle stamp sets
Stardust & Animal Cookies Level 2 papers
Moonstruck & White Daisy cardstock
Moonstruck & Dutch Blue ink
White organdy ribbon
Star buttons (JoAnn's)
3-D foam squares
Zig-zag scissors (Fiskars)
Edge distressor

LOAD #19 - Our Little Hairy Man

I have my layout all ready to go, but I can't post it because we're having computer problems. Boohoo!!! I'll try to get it up tomorrow. Hopefully my hubby can figure out what's wrong with my computer!

It's tomorrow, and the computer is still not fixed. I heard from a friend that she's having the same problem (hard drive won't boot up), so maybe all the rain we're having in Southern California is affecting my computer. I'm posting this from my husband's laptop, which doesn't have a scanner hooked up to it, hence the less than stellar image of my layout today! It's the best photo I could take of it. This is another layout for my son's baby album, this time with a humorous look at how much hair he had all over his body as a newborn. I didn't use any really cool techniques on this, but I do have a tip for those who are into getting the most mileage out of your supplies. I had used a journaling box from the Dazzling Diecuts package, and I had the leftover frame from where I punched out the diecut. I cut around the edge to create an outline frame, which I then inked up with Sorbet ink to use as a frame around part of the bottom picture.



Recipe:
Tiny Typewriter Alphabet, Charm Lowercase Alphabet, Extreme Caps & Simple Stitches stamp sets
Twitterpated Level 2 papers
Colonial White cardstock
Cocoa & Sorbet ink
Cocoa marker
White Daisy Dazzling Diecuts
Dimensional Elements in Color: Organic
Sweet Leaf embroidery floss

LOAD #18 - Cry Baby

It's a very rainy day here in Southern California, perfect for scrapbooking at my little desk near the fireplace while my sons are outside splashing in puddles. I almost told them no, but after all, how many rainy days do we get in Los Angeles every year? Until I pick up my Costco order, I have no current pictures to scrap, so I decided to follow Monica's example and work on my youngest son's baby book. He'll be five in March, and I had only scrapped the first week of his life! Loving these pictures, especially the look on my older son's face as he contemplates his squalling baby brother.



Recipe:
Hodge Podge Alphabet, Priceless Love Word Puzzle & Shining Star stamp sets
Stardust Level 2 papers
Buttercup & White Daisy cardstock
Moonstruck, Buttercup & Vineyard Berry ink
Moonstruck & Vineyard Berry markers
White Daisy Dazzling Diecuts
Moonstruck embroidery floss
Winter craft buttons
3-D foam tape

LOAD #17 - Family

This layout is special to me because it features our eldest son's birthmom, Deb. She has become a treasured part of our family, and we see her and her family on a consistent basis, so I wanted to document that unusual but special relationship. She is pictured here with my husband and myself; she's the one holding the baby, who is one of our son Adrian's cousins. The little girl at the bottom is also his cousin. We're so fortunate to have "adopted" a whole new family when we adopted our precious boy!



Recipe:
State of Mind stamp set
Grace Level 2 papers
Twilight, Cocoa & White Daisy cardstock
Cocoa, Bamboo, Honey & Barn Red ink
Dimensional Elements "F", "A", "M", "I", "L" & "Y"
Cocoa marker
Clear button
Liquid Glass
Mustard embroidery floss (Making Memories)
3-D foam tape

LOAD #16 - Carnival

Today's layout is simple in design, but it allowed me to get 8 uncropped 4"x6" photos on a double page spread. I got the idea from the December 2009 edition of Creating Keepsakes magazine. One fun technique I used today: I didn't have any white brads left (used them all on my Christmas cards!), so I dipped the silver brads in Versamark ink, then White Daisy embossing powder, and then I heat set them. Viola - white brads. You can do this with any color of embossing powder, so I sure wish CTMH carried embossing powder to match all their colors. Maybe next idea book!



Recipe:
Cocktail Alphabet & Alphabet Solos "F" stamp sets
Giggles & Grins Level 2 papers
Giggles & Grins My Stickease
Sunny Yellow & Cranberry cardstock
Versamark ink
Cranberry, Black & Silver brads
Clear sparkles
Rhinestone frames
White Daisy Embossing powder
Black marker
White gel pen (Sakura)

LOAD #15 - IFL Halloween

Hi everyone. Well, I had planned to do laundry and scrapbook today. My husband wanted me to help him clean out the garage. Guess who won? Anyway, I haven't even started my layout for today, but I wanted to post something so Monica, Linda, and Beth could get their layouts posted if they were ready. Hopefully I will stop aching long enough to complete a layout tonight!

Saturday morning . . .
I finished last night, but didn't have the energy to post, so here is my layout #15. I tried a variation on one of the layouts featured in the Felicity brochure, and added some details to make it more Halloween-y. I also added several more pictures, and even a Flip-Flap. Thank you, CTMH consultant Krista Ritskes, for your version that inspired me, too. I discovered something cool about using Flip-Flaps: if you have a photo that you really want to include on a layout because it tells part of the story, but its colors clash with the rest of the layout, you can hide it under a Flip-Flap. That way it still is part of the layout without being featured. Cool, huh? And yet another great reason to buy Flip-Flaps!



Recipe:
Felicity, Spooky Smiles & Thoughtful Seasons stamp sets
Felicity papers
Bard Red cardstock
White Daisy Textured cardstock
Barn Red, Garden Green & Autumn Terracotta ink
Barn Red & Autumn Terracotta markers
Antiqued Copper brads
3-D foam squares
Flip-Flap

LOAD #14 - New Best Friends

We got these "dolls" for our boys at the Disney store a while back (they were on sale), and the kids were so excited about them. Adrian had dressed up as Buzz and Elliot as Woody for Halloween the year before (2008), so they each identified with their new friend. I especially love how Adrian carefully buckled Buzz into a seatbelt before we started the car. Too cute! Also loving the Route 66 papers I got through the CTMH Holiday Heyday Clearance Sale in December. Gotta have more of those sales, right? And I got a chance to use 2 new stamp sets that are destined to become favorites, Boys at Play and Cocktail Alphabet. I can tell these are going to be so useful in the future as I scrap photos of my two superheroes!



Recipe:
Boys at Play, Cocktail Alphabet & Journaling Jots stamp sets
Route 66 Level 1 papers
Moonstruck, Clover Meadow & White Daisy cardstock
Moonstruck, Clover Meadow, Cranberry & Sunflower ink
Natural twill
Sunflower embroidery floss
3-D foam tape
White jel pen (Sakura)

LOAD #13 - Sing Praise!

I backtracked a few months in order to scrapbook the final layout for last summer's VBS. When I was scrapping my other VBS photos, I realized I didn't have any music stamps, so I ordered Encore, a brand new stamp set found in the Spring 2010 CTMH idea book. I paired it with the January stamp of the month, True Friends, and some more retired B&T paper. There's no journaling on the page because I'm sticking it in one of the pockets on the facing photo storage page (not pictured). I'm not crazy about the layout, but considering the primary color palette I had to work with (Bubblegum and Citrus Leaf!), I did my best. By the way, if you're following this challenge, don't forget to check out Monica, Linda, and Beth's layouts. Links are posted in the comments, and the layouts are really worth seeing. Until tomorrow, keep on scrapping'!



Recipe:
Encore, True Friends, Friendship Alphabet Small & Simple Stitches stamp sets
Summer Celebration B&T Combo papers
Cocoa, Desert Sand & White Daisy cardstock
Cocoa, Desert Sand, Bubblegum & Citrus Leaf ink
Cocoa marker
3-D foam tape
Sponge
Scalloped scissors (Fiskars)

LOAD #12 - Cherish

Sorry I'm getting this posted so late. Tuesdays will be a little crazy for me the rest of the month. Monica, Linda, and Beth, feel free to post your layouts, and I'll get my layout up as soon as I can.

10:54 (Seriously!)
Finally getting a chance to post this layout. Yay! It's pretty simple, but my new Topstitch papers and My Stickease arrived late this afternoon (thanks, MIB, for not losing my package or breaking anything in it), and I wanted to play with them. They are so pretty and girly! I don't have girls, so I have to live vicariously through friends and relations who do. Thanks, Hilary, for having baby Kaydence so I got a chance to scrapook using pink! (I know that's the main reason she did it - heehee).



Recipe:
Topstitch Level 2 papers
Topstitch My Stickease
Chocolate cardstock
Chocolate marker

LOAD #11 - Pastor Appreciation Sunday

This is one busy layout! I picked out 15 photos from the many I took at the recent Pastor Appreciation tailgate party at church, and put them on the layout using the Fab 15 pattern. I didn't have much in the way of embellishments for this layout, so I did some alteration. I ran White Daisy embroidery floss over my Blush ink pad to turn it pink, and I dipped a pewter brad in Versamark ink then pink embossing powder before heat setting it to turn it pink. Now I'm off to make a quick card for my hubby. We're going out tonight to celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary!



Recipe:
Alphabet Solos stamps A, C, D, E, I, N, O, P, R, S, T, U & Y
Say It In Style & Thank You stamp sets
White Daisy, Brown Bag, Blush & Star Spangled Blue cardstock
Blush, Star Spangled Blue & Versamark ink
Blush & Brown Bag markers
Pastel Pink embossing powder (JoAnn's)
White Daisy embroidery floss
Vellum (Michaels)
Blush Ribbon Rounds
White Daisy ricrac
Metal rimmed circle tag
Pewter brads

LOAD #10 - Carving Jack

I'm taking baby steps in this whole business of using my Felicity kit, so today's layout uses a 4" x 12" strip of one of the Felicity papers. Woohoo! Not up to using a full page yet, but the day is coming. I love this layout because it uses a couple of cool pictures of my hubby carving the pumpkin. Too often he takes a backseat to my cute kids, so it's nice to see him front and center for a change.



Recipe:
Spooky Smiles, Chocolate Alphabet Large, Rustic Flowers, Felicity, Express Postage, Celebrate the Everyday stamp sets
Felicity kit
Dutch Blue, Desert Sand & Colonial White cardstock
Desert Sand, Autumn Terracotta, Bamboo & Cocoa ink
Desert Sand & Autumn Terracotta markers

LOAD #9 - The Hunt

I hosted a crop at my house today, and afterwards I decided that crops are a waste of time for me as far as getting pages scrapped. I am usually too busy talking or giving others advice about their pages to get my own pages done! I do love the girl time though, so I'm not giving up on them yet. I managed to finish this layout at the crop, at least. I realized I used a lot of discontinued product on it, but let's be real - CTMH's stamps and embellishments don't suddenly get un-cute just because they are retired. No, I can see myself using the stamp sets for years to come. Hopefully I'll use up the embellishments, though, because I do not want to be using them for years! I based my design on a Becky Higgins sketch from November 2009 Creating Keepsakes. Although I am not quite as sad about Becky not having a sketch column in CK as I would have been if I hadn't discovered Jeanette Lynton's pattern books, I will still miss seeing her monthly columns. Hopefully her work will still be featured frequently in the magazine.



Recipe:
Playful Caps & October Word Puzzle stamp sets
Chocolate, White Daisy, Autumn Terracotta & Chocolate cardstock
Autumn Terracotta & Chocolate ink
Topiary & Chocolate markers
Autumn Terracotta Ribbon Rounds
Autumn Terracotta brads
Photo Hangers
3-D Foam tape

LOAD #8 - Posing at the Patch

Can you believe we're already at #8? At this rate I may run out of pictures to scrap! Just kidding; there are plenty more just waiting to be scrapped. This is normally a layout I would not post, since I don't love how it came out, and the pictures are not the greatest, but I don't have time to do another today. The Christmas tree ornaments are sitting in the middle of my living room, begging to be put away, so I have plenty to do with the rest of my day. Okay, back to the layout. Does anyone else have the same problem I have when you get a new paper pack that is "only available this month?" I can't wait to open it, and I try it out with numerous sets of photos, but I can't bring myself to cut into any of the paper. After all, what if the perfect layout comes along, and I've already used the piece of paper I needed? I'm trying to force myself to get over this quirk, so I broke out a piece of paper from the Felicity paper pack, and I used it on this layout. I know, it's a really small piece, but it's a start. Maybe I'll cut up a full piece (gasp!) in the next week.



Recipe:
Felicity, Hodge Podge & Thoughtful Seasons stamp sets
Felicity kit
Autumn Terracotta & Buttercup cardstock
Autumn Terracotta & Barn Red ink
Barn Red Bigger Brad
Autumn Terracotta My Accents
Autumn Terracotta marker

LOAD #7 - Stingers

Wow, I'm posting earlier today than I have the whole week. Monica, I hope you're proud of me! Here's the latest layout. It's probably a little hard to see, but I random stamped the Honey cardstock using the bees from the Bee Mine stamp set (the Petite Perks Set from this quarter's idea book). I wanted a subtle effect, so I used Creme Brulee ink. I also used the bees for my embellishments, but I had to add a little stinger to them since my son's team is called the Stingers. I finished them with a little Liquid Glass and a foam square to pop them up. Looking forward to seeing today's layouts from everyone.



Recipe:
Posterboard Alphabet, Best Shot & Bee Mine stamp sets
Silhouette Level 2 papers
Honey, Black, Bamboo & White Daisy cardstock
Hydrangea, Black, & Creme Brulee ink
Black marker
Liquid Glass
Foam Squares
Brayer

LOAD #6 - Women of Faith

I never imagined I would use this color combination on a layout, but it seemed to match the color in the photos perfectly, so I ran with it. Actually, it's growing on me now. I don't have any current B&T papers with Ocean in them, so I used the flowered piece from a long-retired pack. Who remembers the old B&T combo packs for each season? I miss them . . . Anyways, I ran into some technical difficulties with this layout, so it took me longer than I thought to finish. I wanted to use my Color Ready Alphabet stickers on it, but I didn't have enough of two of the letters, so I had to create some using my Wishblade. Can you tell which ones aren't stickers? Hopefully not!



Recipe:
Summer Celebration B&T Combo Pack
Hydrangea & Amethyst cardstock
Hydrangea ink
Dimensional Elements Framed Fun
Color Ready Alphabet Hodge Podge
Just Blooms paper flowers: Big Pink & White Daisy
Spring Harmony Bigger Brads
White Brads (source unknown)
Ocean marker
Sponge

LOAD #5 - Served with Love

I'm still working on today's layout, but I am happy to say I'm further ahead on it than I was on yesterday's at this hour. Go ahead and post yours if you're ready, and I'll get mine up as soon as I'm done. Linda, just an FYI: you forgot to post your layout for day three, and we all want to see it. Can you go back and post it? Pretty Please?

9:30 pm
Okay, now I'm done! I took a shortcut on this one and used a page from the Magic Moments Scrapbooking Kit that I purchased in the Holiday Heyday Sale last month, adding extra elements to it to make it fit my theme.



Recipe:
Chocolate Alphabet Small
Magic Moments Scrapbooking Kit & Level 2 papers
Indian Corn BLue & Colonial White cardstock
Cocoa & Bamboo ink
Indian Corn Blue embroidery floss
Color Ready Alphabet Hodge Podge
Cocoa marker
Sponge

LOAD #4 - Prebuild

Sorry I'm posting this so late. I spent most of the morning getting my next batch of photos organized (I'm down to one layout's worth of photos to scrap), and with the kids back in school, Mom gets to help with homework. Yuk! I'll have to plan better for the rest of the month. Enjoy the layout, and I hope you ladies are scrapping up a storm.



Recipe:
Tool Time & Classmate Alphabet stamp sets
Moon Doggie Level 2 papers
Moonstruck & Lilac Mist cardstock
Moonstruck, Lilac Mist & Desert Sand ink
Cocoa marker
Antiqued Copper brads
Twine
3-D Foam Tape

LOAD Rules Revision

Ladies, I realized today that it's unfair to ask you to wait until I post my layout for the day so you can post yours, yet I am asking you to post one every day (especially if you're on the East Coast and you're three hours ahead of me). What I've decided to do is this: you can post your layout up to a week after I put up the LOAD for the day. For example, after I post tomorrow's LOAD (#4 on January 4th), you have until Sunday, January 10th to post your layout. I would prefer you keep up, since this is a LAYOUT A DAY, but this way maybe more people can participate. Please continue to put your layout on the appropriate day, however (i.e. don't post three layouts in one comment), and all layouts must be scrapped in January. Hope this helps, and if you were on the fence about doing this, maybe you'll decide to join in now. Thanks.

LOAD #3 - Magic Day at the Circus

When most women say their home is sparkling, they mean it's really clean. Unfortunately, when I say that, it means I just finished a project in which I used lots of glitter. Yep, it's everywhere, including my hubby's cheeks! Hopefully you can see the glitter on this layout, because I think it helps reflect the magic of the circus. I used the Stars Above pattern from Imagine, but since I don't have a photo printer at home, I can't print the odd sized photos. So I revised the two spaces with the large photos to hold multilpe smaller photos. Jeanette Lynton's pattern books are so versatile; you can adapt them to your photos -love it! By the way, for those not familiar with Blogger, you can click on the pictures if you want to see a larger view.





Recipe:
Laughter, Headline Alphabet, Hodgepodge Alphabet & Priceless Love Word Puzzle stamp sets
Tinkering Level 2 papers
Sunny Yellow, Cranberry, Lilac Mist cardstock
Cranberry & Lilac Mist ink
Cranberry marker
Prisma Glitter

LOAD #2 - Our G

2 layouts in 2 days - I'm keeping on track! This one was tough for me, since I almost never scrap only 4 photos on a double page spread. I was hard pressed to come up with ideas for the rest of the space, but I kept playing with my supplies until I was satisfied. In the process, I used the last of my Silhouette Level 1 paper pack I've had for a year and a half, so call me a happy camper. By the way, even if you don't scrap 9"x9" albums, the Simply Snapshots pages make great photos mats and journaling boxes. Just cut them up into three sections, and you can frame two 4"x6" photos, plus have a long journal box left over.



Recipe:
Felicity & Key to My Heart stamp sets
Silhouette Level 1 & Level 2 papers
Silhouette 9"x9" Simply Snapshots album pages
Silhouette My Stickease
Bamboo & Barn Red cardstock
Barn Red, Bamboo & Black ink
Black photo hangers
Barn Red Bigger Brads
Colonial White brads
White Daisy paper flowers
White Daisy Dazzling Diecuts "G"
Ribbon (Michaels)
Edge distresser

LOAD #1 - Lil' Snowman

I finished my first layout of the year - yay! I went retro and scrapped some photos from 2006, hopefully my last ones (unless I find some hiding in a closet somewhere). The pattern is a variation on Understudy from Imagine. I kept the paper arrangement the same, but changed the suggested photos. Hope you like. Now I'm off to plan my next layout.



Recipe:
December Word Puzzle stamp set
Jingle Level 2 papers
Tulip, Olive & White Daisy cardstock
Tulip, Blush & Olive ink
Olive marker
Colonial White buttons
Color Ready Alphabet - Hodge Podge

New Year's Challenge

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope that 2010 will be a blessed year for you, and that you get to preserve many memories by scrapping a lot of layouts. In order to further that wish, I am challenging myself to scrapbook a layout a day (LOAD) for the month of January. Anyone want to join me? In order to sweeten the deal, I'm offering a prize. For anyone who scrapbooks a layout every day and posts a comment on my blog with a link to your layout, I will put your name in a drawing to win a Reflections Level 2 paper pack and My Stickease of your choice. Sound fun? Let me know if you're in. Since I didn't give you any advance warning of this challenge, I'll even extend today's deadline; as long as you post your layout for today by tomorrow (1/2), you can still be in the drawing. Just remember, if you don't post today, you need to post 2 layouts tomorrow. And if you want to scrap 10 layouts today and post one a day for the next ten days, that's fine, too. My only request is that you only post layouts you scrapped this month. Let me know if you have questions. Ready, set, SCRAP!