LOAD #30 - LOL!

It's my last LOAD of the month, and it isn't done. Today was just too crazy for me to complete my layout. It is in progress, though, and I will post it tomorrow. Hopefully Michelle and Linda had better luck with theirs. Thanks for participating, ladies!

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Here's my final LOAD layout, finally finished. My week was insanely busy, which is why it took me so long to post this. It goes with my previous Laugh for Haiti layout, but this time I talked a little more about the comedy show put on by Michael Jr. He was absolutely hilarious! I was feeling a little sick from laughing so much by the time the show was over. The layout uses the You Rock papers again, and I think I'm in love. The colors are great, and I love the tough look! I also want to say thanks to Linda and Michelle, who scrapped along with me this month. You ladies did a great job with your LOAD! I will do the prize drawing as soon as both of you have posted all your layouts.



Recipe:
Starstruck & Headline Alphabet stamp sets
You Rock Level 2 papers
Indian Corn Blue, Cocoa & Goldrush cardstock
Indian Corn Blue, Outdoor Denim & Cocoa ink
White Daisy & Outdoor Denim grosgrain ribbon
Clear Sparkles
White gel pen

LOAD #29 - Laugh for Haiti

My layout for today is almost finished but I am too tired to post tonight! I'll have it up tomorrow morning. Good night, sleep tight.

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It's tomorrow, and here's the layout - finally! Our church held a benefit to raise money for the people of Haiti after the recent earthquake, and this layout shows some of the great people who volunteered to set everything up for the event. The You Rock papers were perfect for this layout since their colors of Outdoor Denim, Indian Corn Blue, Garden Green, and Goldrush mirrored various elements in the photos. I also used the Just Be You stamp set from the You Rock Workshop on the Go (only available through today) to stamp the cool spirals and stars. Let me know if you want to order this stamp set, because once it's gone, it's gone!



Recipe:
Just Be You, Extreme Caps & Rustic Alphabet stamp sets
You Rock Level 2 papers
Outdoor Denim, Goldrush, Garden Green & White Daisy cardstock
Outdoor Denim, Goldrush, Garden Green, Olive & Indian Corn Blue ink
3-D foam tape

LOAD #28 - Celebrate

If you are looking for the New Product Blog Hop, please scroll down to the next post! For those following my LOAD challenge, here's a layout I created using photos from a cowboy birthday party. I had previously considered getting a Western themed stamp set, but never followed through because it seemed a little limited in use. I really needed something wild West for this layout, so I re-purposed two new stamp sets, A Twinkle (stars) and Boom (July 4th), to create my theme. Throw in a little hemp for rope, and I'm really happy with how this layout came out! Plus I have two great stamp sets to use for July 4th, bedtime layouts, and You're a Star cards, among other things. To see the details of the layout, please click on the picture.



Recipe:
Boom, A Twinkle, Homestead Alphabet, Tiny Typewriter Alphabet & Priceless Love Word Puzzle stamp sets
Splendor Level 2 papers
Sunny Yellow, Black & White Daisy cardstock
Sunny Yellow, Black, Desert Sand & Topiary ink
Tan hemp
Pewter brads
3-D foam tape
Liquid Glass

New Product Sneak Peak Blog Hop!

Welcome to our Close to My Heart New Product Blog Hop! Over 40 fabulous Close to my Heart consultants are celebrating the upcoming release of the Summer 2010 Idea Book by giving you a Sneak Peak of some of the great products available in the new Idea Book starting May 1st! If you have come here from Maranda's blog, you are on the right path!

This is simple do to- just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! Here we go!

I decided to create a garden of cards using the Summer Wishes stamp set, found exclusively in the Splendor Workshops on the Go (WOTG) kit (item #G1009). I also used the Splendor Level 2 papers, which can be purchased as part of the WOTG kit or separately (X7124B). Using only two of the papers from the Splendor paper pack, I made three cards and have plenty of paper left over to create even more! I love using the back of these double sided papers. As you can see, the floral pattern paper has either a vibrant focal side or a muted background side. I can't wait to give these cards, and also to dig into the rest of my paper pack to create more cards and some layouts!





Recipe:
Summer Wishes & Thank You stamp sets
Splendor Level 2 papers
White Daisy cardstock
Topiary, Moonstruck, Goldrush & Heavenly Blue ink
Topiary & Heavenly Blue markers
Topiary embroidery floss
Sparkles & Bitty Sparkles
Spring, Summer & Autumn Craft Buttons
3-D foam tape
Originals Patterns: Colors & Cubes, Sweet & Simple, Center Charms

Now "hop" on over to Karen's blog to see her work! Be sure to visit all the consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafting ideas and see the great new paper packs and My Acrylix stamp sets!

Remember, the Summer 2010 Idea Book goes LIVE on May 1st!

**Link not working? Missed a Blog? Here is a list of all the participants in
the New Product Sneak Peak Blog Hop!

Erin Herring
Carla Ironside
Dawn Ross
Amy Edwards
Tresa Black
Dawn Heuft
Kimberly Smith
Jessica Moore
Leisa Hubley
Helen Onulak
Brae Montgomery
Wendy Kessler
Adeline Brill
Sherrie Thornton
Sheila Bennett
Terrie Dodd
Lisa Stenz
Jody Gustafson
Kathleen Rensel
Lori Scott
Beth Naumann
Teri Baxter
Wendy Fording
Laurie Newton
Meredith Burgess
Clerissa Lewis
Jennifer Kojder
Georgia Hauglid
Antoinette Herrin
Haley Dyer
Tanya Mae
Priscilla
Cassandra
Jean McNulty
Carrie Haines
Janelle Janish
Maranda Dickerson
Cheryl Even
Karen Johnson
Cindy Leek
Nancy Walters
LaJeania Hicks
Traci
Emma Hubert
Kristine Fowler
Amanda DesJardins
Tamra Meservey
Melinda

LOAD #27 - Hands of Mercy

Here's the second layout for our Mexico trip. A team of 15 adults from our church, plus 3 people from an organization called Hands of Mercy, built a loft house in one day for a needy couple who were expecting their first child. It was hot, tiring work, but totally worth it to see the look on the faces of that young couple. The layout came together a lot easier than the loft house, and will evoke happy memories in years to come. It's pretty simple, but I included a Flip-Flap that holds an extra photo and my journaling.



Recipe:
Field Trip Alphabet & Tool Time stamp sets
Topstitch Level 2 papers
Heavenly Blue & Bamboo cardstock
Desert Sand ink
Chocolate Ribbon Rounds
White Daisy Mini Medley

Just a reminder, tomorrow is the New Product Blog Hop, starting at 7 pm MT. Feel free to join us. I'll have a list of participants. You can start at the top or just come here and follow the links until you arrive back here.

LOAD #26 - Mexico Trip

First of all, no sketch this week. I am just too busy cranking out layouts to be creative about sketches right now. I really will try to get one posted next Monday. Second, on Wednesday, I will post a layout, but it will be part of the CTMH Summer Idea Book new product blog hop (wow, that's a mouthful). I will probably not use the LOAD header, but Linda and Michelle, feel free to post a layout anyway, but please indicate in the comments that it's for the LOAD challenge. That way people following the blog hop won't be confused. Thanks!

We've already "visited" San Francisco this month, so now we're heading south of the border for my next layout. Back in January, I posted a layout about pre-building a loft house for a family in Mexico. This is part 2 of that story, when we went down to Mexico and assembled the house we had built. I'll show the actual build tomorrow, but here is the layout with pictures from the drive to Mexico and the place we stayed.



Recipe:
Extreme Caps & Friendship Alphabet Small stamp sets
Bella Level 2 papers
Creme Brulee & White Daisy cardstock
Smokey Plum, Creme Brulee, Olive & Desert Sand ink
Desert Sand marker
White Daisy embroidery floss
Olive Connections Club Rewards

LOAD #25 - Downtown Disney

Only 5 more days left of this challenge, and we are still going strong. Linda and Michelle have turned in some stellar layouts, and it's been exciting to see what they will come up with next! Meantime, here's my layout for today, a little snapshot of an afternoon at Downtown Disney. This page will be opposite yesterday's layout in my album, so I decided to coordinate them for a change. I'm really excited about Zippidee, the new Disney paper pack that's coming out in the new summer idea book from CTMH, but I decided to wait and scrapbook actual Disney photos on that. I'll post some pages using Zippidee in May!



Recipe:
Playful Caps & Playful Lowercase stamp sets
Animal Cookies Level 2 papers & Creative Basics
Desert Sand, Sunflower & White Daisy cardstock
Desert Sand, Sunflower, Dutch Blue & Tulip ink
Dutch Blue marker
White Daisy ricrac
Spring & Summer Craft Buttons

LOAD #24 - Valentine's Day 2010

I finished this layout at a crop yesterday, so I'm posting early today. Enjoy!



Recipe:
A Little Everything & Tiny Typewriter stamp sets
Animal Cookies Level 2 papers
Animal Cookies My Stickease
Desert Sand, Dutch Blue & White Daisy cardstock
Desert Sand, Dutch Blue, Tulip & Sunflower ink
Tulip marker
Metal rimmed tag
Cranberry Ribbon Rounds
Heart punch
Scalloped scissors (Fiskars)

LOAD #23 - Lombard Street

Making this layout was almost as fun as walking down Lombard Street. I got to use a technique I saw in the upcoming CTMH summer idea book, alternating large and small brads in a row. I also formatted my journaling to create a curvy line on one side, hopefully evoking the idea of a winding street. This is my last San Francisco layout. The LOAD challenge has been great for me to finish scrapping this vacation!



Recipe:
Building Block Alphabet & Chocolate Alphabet Small stamp sets
Tinkering Level 2 papers
Sunny Yellow, Goldrush & White Daisy cardstock
Autumn Terracotta ink
Autumn Terracotta My Accents & Bigger Brads
Topiary My Accents
Autumn Terracotta Ribbon Rounds

LOAD #22 - Coit Tower

Today kinda got away from me, and now I'm finally posting my layout just before midnight! For this layout about Coit Tower, I used a lot of White Daisy textured cardstock, but I colored it using the direct to paper technique. Basically, you just take your ink pad and swipe it over the surface of the cardstock until the desired value is achieved. Handy when you don't have the right color of cardstock, you don't want to pull out your brayer, and you want the background color of the cardstock to show through a little. The layout design is based on a Becky Higgins' sketch.



Recipe:
Building Block Alphabet stamp set
It's a Guy Thing Level 2 papers
White Daisy textured cardstock
Cocoa cardstock
Barn Red, Desert Sand, New England Ivy & Cocoa ink
Barn Red, Desert Sand & New England Ivy markers
Barn Red Bigger Brads

LOAD #21 - Cable Cars

This layout is quite a change from flowers and old houses, but I loved using the You Rock papers, new to the CTMH lineup this Spring. I also enjoyed sanding the cardstock to get a distressed look, something I rarely do with larger pieces of paper. In this case, it fit the industrial theme quite well. If you've ever wondered exactly how a cable car runs, click on the picture to read the journaling; it's pretty cool!



Recipe:
Gear Up & Extreme Caps stamp sets
You Rock Level 2 papers
Outdoor Denim, Garden Green & White Daisy cardstock
Outdoor Denim, Garnet, Olive & Goldrush inks
Outdoor Denim My Accents & Mini Medley
3-D foam tape

LOAD #20 - Painted Ladies

Wow, can you believe we only have 10 days to go of this challenge? I'm so excited that I will be able to finish scrapbooking our San Francisco vacation, plus get some of January and February of this year scrapped. Here's another layout from vacation, featuring some more of the cool SF homes. I got to "build" more homes, this time using the Neighborhood stamp set. The pattern is Subtitles from Imagine.



Recipe:
Neighborhood & Tiny Typewriter Alphabet stamp sets
Twitterpated Level 2 papers
Sweet Leaf, Crystal Blue, Chocolate & Colonial White cardstock
Chocolate, Sorbet, Crystal Blue, Bamboo, Grey Wool, Topiary & Desert Sand ink
Crystal Blue, Sorbet, Autumn Terracota & Vineyard Berry markers
Dimensional Elements "L", "A", "D", "I", "E" & "S"

LOAD #19 - Haas Lilienthal House

If you are ever visiting San Francisco, the Haas-Lilienthal House is well worth seeing. It survived the fire following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, and is now open for guided tours. This layout holds a few of the pictures we took of the outside of the house. You can take pictures inside, but are not allowed to use a flash, so those pictures didn't look so great. I finally used my Around the Block stamp set, which was a stamp of the month last fall for CTMH. It was so much fun building a house! I usually do a sketch challenge on Monday, but I am skipping it this week. Hopefully I'll be able to pick it up again next Monday. Sorry!



Recipe:
Around the Block, Grown With Love, Friendship Alphabet Large & Friendship Alphabet Small stamp sets
Twitterpated Level 2 papers
Lilac Mist & Chocolate cardstock
Indian Corn Blue, Chocolate, Lilac Mist & Olive ink
Buttercup marker
White Daisy Just Blooms
Chocolate brads
Chocolate Ribbon Rounds

LOAD #18 - Observe

A simple, almost monchromatic layout today. Hopefully the pictures speak for themselves. The pattern I used is Understudy from Imagine. The patterned paper is actually two sides of the same B&T, one side with a lighter version of the same design.



Recipe:
Friendship Alphabet Large stamp set
Evensong Level 2 papers
Desert Sand & Colonial White cardstock
Cocoa marker
Basic & Autumn Craft Buttons
New England Ivy embroidery floss
Tan hemp

LOAD #17 - Conservatory of Flowers

Every Sunday, CTMH consultant Helen Onulak posts a scrapbooking challenge on her blog for scrappers to use a selected pattern from Jeanette Lynton's books Reflections, Cherish, or Imagine to create a layout. I almost never get to participate because I plan my layouts too far in advance, but this week I got lucky. Today is the last day for her "Conclusion Combo" challenge, and since that is the pattern I used for that layout, I get to link to her challenge. Yay!



Recipe:
Picture Perfect & Friendship Alphabet Small stamp sets
That's Amore Level 2 papers
Garden Green, Blush, Chocolate & Colonial White cardstock
Chocolate, Olive & Blush ink
Chocolate marker
Chocolate grosgrain ribbon
Dimensional Elements Flower Garden
3-D foam squares

LOAD #16 - Bloom

This layout is really not my typical style, but I'm please with how it turned out. Sometimes it's fun to try something different. As my mom used to say, "Try it. You may like it!" I was inspired by a Becky Higgins sketch (again).



Recipe:
March Word Puzzle stamp set
Perfect Day Level 2 papers
Tulip & White Daisy Cardstock
Tulip, Ponderosa Pine, Sorbet & Honey ink
Ponderosa Pine marker
White Daisy Just Blooms
Tulip brad
3-D foam tape

LOAD #15 - Japanese Tea Garden

I started this layout this weekend at my scrapbooking retreat, and, since I didn't have my Wishblade with me, one of the ladies let me use her Cricut. She had a cartridge called Pagoda, and I used it to cut out the cherry tree branch and the harmony tag. Then when I got home, I finished the layout by using my Wishblade to create the bridge and the title. I also added some highlights using the Blush ribbon, and I made a vellum pocket. So this layout was partially created this weekend and partially finished today! The design is Swing Rhythm from Imagine.



Recipe:
Emporium Level 2 papers
Cocoa, Blush, Desert Sand & Colonial White cardstock
Vellum
Cocoa & Crystal Blue ink
Cocoa marker
Colonial White brads
Blush Ribbon Rounds
Pagoda Cartridge (Cricut)
Pepita MT font (Wishblade)

LOAD #14 - Strybing Arboretum

Another layout from Golden Gate Park. You'll be seeing quite a few of them in the next few days, rather like a virtual tour!



Recipe:
Friendship Alphabet Small stamp set
Bella Level 2 papers
Garden Green, Olive & Bamboo cardstock
Olive, Smokey Plum, Petal, Breme Brulee & Hollyhock ink
Creme Brulee Ribon Rounds
Garden Green My Accents
White Daisy Just Blooms
Bamboo & Petal Bigger Brads

EMS Sketch Challenge 8 + LOAD #13 - Morning at Golden Gate Park Layout

I figured out a sketch for today, so here it is along with my layout.

The sketch:

My layout:

Recipe:

The Works Alphabet & Treasure Life stamp sets
Bella Level 2 papers
Garden Green, Petal, Olive & Bamboo cardstock
Olive, Smokey Plum & Petal ink
3-D foam square

Update: Here's a stepped up version of the sketch for those who like a little more drama!

LOAD #12 - Happiness Is . . .

I usually post a sketch challenge on Monday, but I don't have one ready for today. Look for it tomorrow. Here's yet another layout for the San Francisco album. Before you read my journaling (you may have to click on the photo to enlarge it), please finish the phrase "Happiness is . . ." It will be fun to see what your answer is, and then you can read mine! Something that makes me happy today is that I'm all caught up with posting my layouts for the month - yippee! Feel free to check them out.



Recipe:
Felicity papers
Autumn Terracota, Barn Red & Colonial White cardstock
Autumn Terracota & Barn Red ink
Chocolate marker
Love Letters Rub-Ons (chocolate)
Scalloped scissors (Fiskars)

LOAD #11 - Fisherman's Wharf

If all goes as planned, I should be up to my elbows in scrapping supplies when you read this. Yes, I'm still at the scrapbook weekend, and I'm looking forward to checking my blog when I return so I can see what you other busy bees have been up to. Post away, LOADers!

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Monday evening, and I'm almost caught up with posting my layouts for the month! Here's one of my favorites so far this month. I especially had fun creating the fish on a line. I used the scalloped border from the "A Little Everything" stamp set and turned it upside down to create waves, and the fish is popped up above the waves using a 3-D foam square. The design is another Becky Higgin's sketch.



Recipe:
A Little Everything, Daydream, Charm Upper Alphabet, Charm Lowercase Alphabet & Spot On Backgrounds stamp sets
Moon Doggie Level 2 papers
Bamboo, Indian Corn Blue & White Daisy cardstock
Chocolate, Indian Corn Blue, Cranberry, Honey & Bamboo ink
Chocolate marker
Tan Hemp
Chocolate Bigger Brad
3-D foam squares
Blender pen

LOAD #10 - Captured Moments

No internet access at the retreat, plus I don't have my scanner, so I can't post my layouts this weekend. Don't let that stop you from posting yours, however. I'll update when I come home on Monday. Hopefully I will have completed a ton of layouts!

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Monday afternoon: I am having a few scanning problems, but I'm determined to get all my LOAD layouts posted today! Here is another one from our San Francisco vacation. I used a masking technique to create the little images in the filmstrip. If you want to know how to create and use a mask, see my masking tutorial here.



Recipe:
Picture Perfect, Family Ties Adults & Neighborhood stamp sets
Emporium Level 2 papers
Barn Red & Colonial White cardstock
Cocoa & Crystal Blue ink
Colonial White brads
Prismacolor watercolor pencils
Blending pen

LOAD #9 - A Room With a View

I'm sorry to say LOAD #9 will not be posted until Monday. I'm leaving for the mountains in just one hour, and I still have to pack. Please post your layouts, and I'll catch up when I get home. I did get the layout for LOAD #7 posted this morning, so feel free to check that out. Hope everyone gets lots of scrapping done this weekend - including me!

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It's Monday, so here's LOAD #9 as promised! I used one of Becky Higgin's sketches for the design.



Recipe:
Felicity, Key to My Heart & Boutique Borders stamp sets
Free Spirit Level 2 papers
Goldrush & Chocolate cardstock
Chocolate & Autumn Terracotta ink
Chocolate marker
Clear Sparkles & Bitty Sparkles

LOAD #8 - San Francisco

I spent all day working on getting my photos organized for this weekend's scrapbook retreat (finally finished and e-mailed photos to Costco), and I just remembered that I never posted yesterday's layout, and I haven't started today's! I will try to post some layouts tomorrow before I leave. Sorry for holding up the works for those who wanted to post today.

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It's Sunday night and I am back from my retreat. I had a great weekend and got a lot of scrapping done, so I will try to catch up with posting it for all of you! Here's the first layout for my San Francisco vacation album. My husband was wondering why he never sees me draw in my scrapbooks anymore, so I sketched a bridge on this layout just for him! Click on the layout if you want to see it larger.



Recipe:
Chocolate Alphabet Small stamp set
It's a Guy Thing Level 2 papers
Barn Red, Desert Sand & Colonial White cardstock
Barn Red & Chocolate ink
Chocolate marker
Prismacolor Watercolor pencils
CM punch

LOAD #7 - Discovery Center

I spent all day organizing pictures for a scrapbooking retreat I'm attending this weekend, so I don't have my layout done for today. Bad me! LOADers, feel free to post links to your layouts, and I will try to get my layout done and posted tonight. Wish me luck!

2 days later . . .
Finally got a chance to post this layout - yay! It's as done as I can be at this stage. I really need a dinosaur stamp set, but I have to browse my CTMH idea books and see what's available. I'm always ripe for an excuse to place another order!



Recipe:
Connections & Classmate Alphabet stamp sets
Moonstruck, Bamboo, Cranberry & Dutch Blue cardstock
Moonstruck ink
Moonstruck marker
Paper piercer

LOAD #6 - Beauty

I finally got pictures developed for EMS Sketch Challenge #6, so here is my layout. My hubby took some pictures of a beautiful Southern California sunset (smog is good for something!), and they were so lovely that I decided to scrap them. This layout is not my usual boy-dominated style, but it was fun to work out what elements worked well together. Here's a technique for you: the Finishing Files are great for sanding painted metal to reveal what's underneath. I had one metal token left from the Connections Club package I used yesterday, so I sanded the other metal Creme Brulee embellishments to match the distressed look of the token.



Recipe:
Beautiful Things, Key to my Heart & Chocolate Alphabet Large stamp sets
Key to My Heart papers
Lilac Mist, Creme Brulee & White Daisy cardstock
Lilac Mist, Sorbet & Creme Brulee ink
Connections Club metal token
Spring Blossom Mini Medley
Sorbet ribbon

EMS Sketch Challenge 7 + LOAD #5 - Sea World Layout

Here's LOAD #5 plus my weekly sketch challenge. I took a bit of a risk in using the Perfect Day papers with these pictures, but I wanted to try something a little different from my normal classic blues. Hope you like!

The Sketch:

My Layout:

Recipe:
Felicity stamp set
Perfect Day Level 2 papers
Juniper & Colonial White cardstock
Cocoa & Juniper ink
Cocoa marker
Connections Club metal tokens

April LOAD #4 - Playtime

Happy Easter, everyone. I hope you had a blessed day today. Our family attended church this morning, where my hubby and I sang in the Easter cantata, and then we had friends over for an Easter egg hunt and dinner (in that order)! Busy day, but fun. I was able to whip this layout together in a short time thanks to some inspiration from Scrapbooks Etc (April 2010 page 96) and some great products from CTMH. I just love the Irresistibles Lots of Dots alphabet stickers. They already have a dot pattern on the white stickers, so when you ink them up in the color of your choice, the white dots appear! Who could resist that? Speaking of irresistible stuff, don't forget to check out the layouts from the other ladies who are scrapping along with me this month. Just look at the post comments for each day, and you'll see links to their great layouts.



Recipe:
Animal Cookies Level 2 papers and My Stickease
Tulip ink
Chocolate marker
White Daisy ricrac
Irresistibles Lots of Dots alphabet stickers

April LOAD #3 - The Great Christmas Adventure

Thought I would post this so Linda and Michelle can post their layouts if they are done. Today was a busy day, and I am almost out of pictures, so I spend the last hour figuring out what photos I need to get printed. Too bad Costco closes at 6pm on Saturday! I'll have to hope they are open on Easter Sunday so I can get more photos. I still need a title and journaling on today's layout, so I'll post it as soon as I'm done! ************* 10:45 and I finally finished. I didn't think a totally ink and paper layout would take so long to finish! Just want to share a fun technique I used on this, and then I'm going to bed. For the postcard stamp, I didn't have a suitable stamp image, so I had to get creative. I rolled the outside of a postage stamp stamp in Dutch Blue ink, taking care not to get any ink on the inside of the image (it was a maple leaf, so not suitable for this layout at all), and I stamped it in the corner of the postcard. I then used the angel stamp from "Holiday Hoopla" to stamp the inside of the stamp. Voila - an angel postage stamp!

Recipe:

Holiday Hoopla, Post Card Travel Series, Hodge Podge Alphabet, December Word Puzzle & Celebrate the Everyday stamp sets

Animal Cookies Creative Basics papers

Dutch Blue, Honey & White Daisy cardstock

Dutch Blue, Honey, Tulip & Clover Meadow ink

April LOAD #2 - Fish House Vera Cruz

One of my favorite places to eat fish is the Fish House Vera Cruz. If you're ever in San Marcos, California, it's well worth visiting. The food is delicious! There's always a wait for a table, so the kids entertain themselves by watching the fish in the huge fish tank in the lobby. We went there with friends in March 2007 to celebrate Elliot's second birthday. I was so happy to capture a sweet moment when Elliot was staring fascinated at the fish tank while his older brother gazed solemnly into the camera lens. It's one of my favorite pictures of them.

On this layout, I used the stamp set "At the Aquarium," long discontinued but still one I pull out to scrapbook anything fishy! To highlight the two larger photos, I dry embossed a square around them and then sanded the cardstock to reveal the white core underneath. It's a fun and not too difficult technique to help make your pictures pop!



Recipe:
At the Aquarium, Charm Upper Alphabet, Charm Lowercase Alphabet & Say It In Style stamp sets
Rustic Trails Level 2 papers & My Stickease
Indian Corn Blue & Goldrush cardstock
Cocoa ink
Cocoa marker
Photo hanger
Hemp

Pattern: Unified Whole from Cherish

April LOAD #1 - Kody

Welcome to the first LOAD of the month. I am so excited that we have several people joining in this time. Here is my first layout. The design is scraplifted from page 25 of the February 2010 issue of Creating Keepsakes magazines.



Recipe:
Checklist, The Works Alphabet, Extreme Caps & Moments in Time stamp sets
Black & White Daisy cardstock
Black, Ocean, Crystal Blue ink
White embroidery floss
3-D foam tape