O Christmas Tree Layout

One of our favorite holiday traditions is going to the tree lot the weekend after Thanksgiving and getting our Christmas tree. We enjoy all the components of the hunt, culminating with tracking down our perfect tree! I knew that CTMH's Sparkle & Shine paper, with its fun polka dot, check, and stripe patterns, was going to be perfect for scrapping this family tradition, and I even went a little wild and made a rosette to add some dimension to the page. Enjoy!.

Recipe:
Jubilation stamp set
Sparkle & Shine Level 2 papers
Juniper, Ruby, Black & White Daisy cardstock
Juniper, Ruby, Slate & Versamark ink
White embossing powder
Juniper brads
Ruby baker's twine
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: title, banners
Pattern: EMS Sketch 22
Challenges: 4 Crafty Chicks Christmas challenge; Ribbon Carousel Holidays and Celebrations challenge

The Land Layout

Hope everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving yesterday! I skipped the shopping today and finished another layout, this one using the origami challenge from Child's Play. I made 2 origami fish to go along with the sea life in my photos. I wanted to do a bunny, but I just couldn't find directions to one that really looked like a bunny. Oh well, the fish were fun to do once I figured out the directions, and now my kids want me to show them how to make some!

No journaling yet, but the pictures were taken at Epcot.

Here's one of my fish!

Recipe:
Keepsake Alphabet stamp set
You & Me, Expedition Level 2 papers
Garden Green & Creme Brulee cardstock
Chocolate & Creme Brulee ink
Just Blooms paper shapes - Spring Blossom, Flutter
Mocha Opaques
Garden Green & Colonial White brads
Garden Green spiral clip
Chocolate ribbon
Colonial White ric-rac
Pattern: EMS Sketch 29

Innoventions Layout

Child's Play has a xylophone challenge that I've been trying to play all month, and I finally found pictures that worked with it!

I pulled inspiration from the colored keys on the xylophone and found a paper that incorporated most of the colors, plus the stickers had the orange. The only color I couldn't get into the challenge was the purple. I needed to complete my week 3 Stash Busters challenge from Splitcoast Stampers, so I collected some discontinued ribbon, ribbon slides, and epoxy stickers from my stash and got to work. I still have lots of the papers since they came in one of those crazy 180 sheet multi-packs, but I used up half a pack of stickers - yay!

Recipe:
Summer Stack patterned papers (DCWV)
Tulip, Moonstruck, Honey & White Daisy cardstock
Tulip, Moonstruck & Honey ink
Moonstruck marker
Tulip ribbon
Pear ribbon slides
Boys Gone Wild epoxy stickers (Reminisce)
Cricut Artbooking : title
Pattern: Page Maps November 2013 double page sketch (reversed)

Sunset at Epcot Layout

It's the last week you can participate in my November sketch challenge, so I thought I'd showcase the sketch with one of my own layouts. When we were at Epcot, my hubby took tons of pictures of the sun setting over the lagoon, but only two of the photos seemed scrap-worthy. Fortunately, that fit in perfectly with my November sketch, plus it gave me an opportunity to play along with the Heart 2 Heart Sponging challenge. For the title, I sponged a piece of Colonial White cardstock with three different colors of ink (Creme Brulee, Goldrush, and Smoothie), then I used Versamark ink to stamp my title over the sponged cardstock, followed by clear embossing powder. Finally, I brayered Chocolate ink over the whole piece, leaving my sponged and embossed title to pop through. Thanks for a fun challenge, H2H, that inspired me to do something I would not have thought of on my own!

Last week to play along with this month's sketch!

Recipe:
Trinity Alphabet stamp set
Perfect Day Level 2 papers
Whisper, Indian Corn Blue, Creme Brulee & Colonial White cardstock
Creme Brulee, Goldrush, Smoothie, Chocolate & Versamark ink
Clear embossing powder
Sparkle flourishes
Sparkles
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: hearts overlay, hearts
Pattern: EMS Sketch 50

Sparkle & Shine Card Workshop

All this week, I've been busy designing cards for a Sparkle & Shine workshop, and it has been so fun! I love these papers, and can't wait to create some scrapbook layouts with them. Hope my cards bring some sparkle to your life today.

Pattern: Mojo Monday Card Sketch 320

Challenges: Always Playing With Paper Trees With Bling challenge

Pattern: Sunday Sketch & Stamp Card Sketch 183 (the sketch made me think of a four-paned window)

 Pattern: inspired by this card

Pattern: Deconstructing Jen Card Sketch 128
Challenges: Heart 2 Heart's Seeing Double challenge (I made two versions of this card), Frosted Designs 11 Item Challenge (I used circles and stars)

Pattern: Deconstructing Jen Card Sketch 125

Recipe:

Trim the Tree, Cityscape, Very Merry Christmas, Universal Backgrounds, Santa Claus, Back to Nature, Illuminate, Holiday Tags & Scandinavian Wishes stamp sets

Sparkle & Shine Level 2 papers

Juniper, Ruby, White, Chocolate & Black cardstock
Juniper, Ruby, Slate, Chocolate & Versamark inks
Ruby & Black markers
Silver embossing powder (JoAnn's)
Sparkle Shapes
Ruby chevron ribbon
Sparkle & Shine Washi tape
White Daisy grosgrain & organdy ribbon
Silver Shimmer Trim
White Daisy baker's twine
Star & silver brads (from my stash)
All die-cut images cut using Cricut Art Philosophy or Artbooking cartridges

Epcot Layout

I have several layouts from Epcot to do, so I thought I might as well plunge in and get 'em scrapped. Here's the intro page, combining some really old and some brand new products. I seldom do a page these days without first finding a sketch, but I had some old CTMH Level 1 papers that were already "designed," so I just built on top of them and added stuff until I thought it was done. Hope you like!

Recipe:
Save the Date stamp set
Route 66 Level 1 papers
Bamboo, Moonstruck & Cranberry cardstock
Bamboo, Moonstruck & Cranberry ink
Round Durables pewter
Best Day Ever Assortment (journaling spot, ticket sticker)
Cranberry baker's twine
DE Monograms chipboard E, P, C, O & T
3-D foam tape
Cricut Artiste cartridge: gears
Challenges: Splitcoast Stampers Variety Challenge Supersize It; Lasting Memories Anything But Snow challenge

Be Yourself Layout

Animal Cookies was one of my favorite CTMH paper packs, and I bought a bunch of it. Now that four of the colors are retired, I find myself using it less, but it still comes in handy for fun and silly layouts, like this one of my crazy boys getting creative with straws!

Recipe:
Typeset stamp set
Animal Cookies Level 2 papers
Sunflower, Dutch Blue, Tulip, Whisper, Chocolate & White Daisy cardstock
Sunflower, Tulip, Whisper, Chocolate & Clover Meadow ink
Chocolate & Sunflower markers
Grey Wool baker's twine
Tulip embroidery floss
Slate washi tape
Tulip, Topiary & Dutch Blue craft buttons
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: banners, tag
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: owl, title banner
Pattern: Sketch-n-Scrap sketch 45

Challenges: Southern Girls' circle challenge (buttons, patterned paper, washi tape); Heart 2 Heart's Grateful for You challenge (my journaling reads: So grateful for my silly boys!); 1 2 3 Get Scrappy November challenge (I used the middle line down - bird, circles, and buttons)

Stash Busters November Week 2

If you have tons more scrapbooking supplies than you could use in the next 10 years, I have a Stash Busters challenge over at Splitcoast Stampers just for you! Just create a layout using the listed items and then link up at SCS using the link below.

Stash13Nov2
This month, I am challenging you to use up certain items from your stash and then link your completed layout here so we can all get excited over it! I'll post a new list each Thursday this month, and you have until December 2nd to scrap your layouts using the products. If you complete all four layouts, you will get an honorable mention for the month! Sound fun? Let's get started.

Please use:
• 3 patterned papers that are older than one year
• Stickers
• Photo hangers or photo turns
• Something clear (ideas: bubble stickers, vellum, transparency, etc.)

You can use additional products, but you must use at least one of each of the items listed. If you don't have an item in your stash, please don't rush out and buy it! Just substitute a similar item from your stash. Happy hunting!

Recipe:

Tinkerin' Level 2 papers

Sunflower & Holiday red cardstock 

Twilight & Clover Meadow ink
Clover Meadow marker
Bubble Stickers (JoAnns)
Word stickers (from my stash)
White photo turns (JoAnns)
Topiary brads
Pattern: Let's Scrap Sketch 11-16-13
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: title

Stash Busters November Week 1

If you have tons more scrapbooking supplies than you could use in the next 10 years, I have a Stash Busters challenge over at Splitcoast Stampers just for you! Just create a layout using the listed items and then link up at SCS using the link below.

Stash13Nov1
This month, I am challenging you to use up certain items from your stash and then link your completed layout here so we can all get excited over it! I'll post a new list each Thursday this month, and you have until December 2nd to scrap your layouts using the products. If you complete all four layouts, you will get an honorable mention for the month! Sound fun? Let's get started.

Please use:
• 2 patterned papers that are older than one year
• Ghost letters/shapes or chipboard
• 3 or more brads (bonus points if they are patterned or shaped!)
• Magic Mesh or fabric

You can use additional products, but you must use at least one of each of the items listed. If you don't have an item in your stash, please don't rush out and buy it! Just substitute a similar item from your stash. Happy hunting!

Recipe:
You Are My Happy Alphabet stamp set
Cocoa Cafe Level 2 papers
Bamboo and White Daisy cardstock
White Daisy textured cardstock
Ocean, Cocoa & Amethyst ink
Bordeaux Ghost Letters (Heidi Swapp)
Bamboo Bigger Brads
Magic Mesh (Creative Imaginations)
Fibers (EK Success)
Pattern: EMS Sketch 28

October Sketch Challenge Winner

We only had two players for last month's sketch, but I did enjoy both entries. I decided to feature Joyce Ann's layout because I loved her mix of papers, and her wonderful color combination really wowed me.

Joyce Ann, please contact me to find out about being the guest designer for next month's sketch! All you scrappers out there, don't forget to check out this month's sketch and post a link to your interpretation of it by November 30th. You could be the guest designer for my January sketch!

Huntington Cards

I love holding card workshops, in part because it really makes me exercise my creativity! The Huntington workshop in particular made me think hard, since my workshop gals wanted non-seasonal cards and these papers have a definite fall flavor to them. Hope you like what I came up with!

For this one, I added some embossing using my Cuttlebug so that I could play along with the CAS-ual Fridays embossing challenge.

Recipe:

Floral Happiness, Casual Expressions, Remarkable Wreath, November Word Puzzle, Sweet & Lovely, Salutations Seals, Happy Birthday & You Are My Happy stamp sets

Huntington Level 2 papers

Olive, Cocoa, Autumn Terracotta, Barn Red, Desert Sand, Champagne & Colonial White cardstock

Olive, Cocoa, Autumn Terracotta, Barn Red & Versamark ink

Olive, Autumn Terracotta, Barn Red & Black markers

Mocha Opaques

Colonial White & Cocoa grosgrain ribbon

3-D foam tape

Cricut Artbooking cartridge: scalloped border, journaling box

Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: tab, butterfly, title shape

Challenges: Stampin' Royalty anything goes!

EMS Sketch Challenge 50 with Guest Designers Joyce and Tanya

It's time for another sketch challenge, and today we have guest designers Joyce and Tanya, our featured scrappers for September, providing layouts for the sketch! This month's sketch features two uncropped 4" x 6" photos and a fun design element down one side of the page. Get creative with it, change what you need, and please share what you come up with. You have until November 30th to post your version and link it to this post. I will choose one scrapper's layout to be featured on my blog on December 5th, and that person will be invited to be a guest designer for the following month's sketch.

Joyce decided to go with a double page spread using the sketch, and she shrunk down the design element. Don't you love the beautiful die-cuts she used? To see more of Joyce's lovely artwork, be sure to visit her online gallery at Splitcoast Stampers.

Tanya also did a double pager, but she rotated the right hand page so she could use some vertical photos. Her hexagons are super fun! Visit Tanya's blog, Tanya's Stamps & Things, to see what else she's been busy creating.

Please link your completed layout here by 11/30/13 at 11:59pm PST!