The Little Angel Who Could Layout

Angel, my youngest son, really struggled in kindergarten (and still does today) with paying attention and keeping still when the teacher is talking. As a result, his teacher and I worked together to create good behavior tickets that he could earn and redeem for things at the 99 Cent Store. Although Kindergarten was a challenge, he ended up working hard and made it through with many lessons learned. For the layout, I played along with the Heart 2 Heart Color challenge of Pixie, Julep, Canary, and Lagoon. I hadn't used those colors together previously, but I loved how it turned out. You could even say it was a learning experience for me!

Recipe:
Holiday Hoopla, This & That, Teacher Appreciation, This Happened & Hodgepodge Alphabet stamp sets
Brushed, Dotty for You & Spring 2020 Mix-in papers
Julep, Lagoon, Canary, Cashmere & White Daisy cardstock
Juniper, Lagoon, Canary, Pixie, Cashmere & Black ink
Black marker
Juniper washi tape
Aqua Dots
3-D foam tape
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge 61

Challenges: Retro Rubber Challenges #133 anything goes using a stamp over a year old (my oldest two were from 2009, then one from 2010 and two from 2019)

Hip Hip Hooray Layout

For my son's pug themed 10th birthday party, I created paw print cupcakes and made blue jello to represent water bowls. My first attempt at the cupcakes was an epic fail (unfortunately I don't have a picture of it), but after much experimentation, I came up with a look that worked. I dug deep into my stash for the supplies for this layout. Heart 2 Heart Challenge Blog is celebrating their tenth anniversary, so I looked back at their first challenge, which required using the CTMH colors Sweet Leaf, Chocolate, and Sunflower, and pulled paper and ribbon out that featured those colors. Happy anniversary, Heart 2 Heart!

Recipe:
Artiste Collection Birthday & Atomic Numbers stamp sets
Magic Moments papers
Chocolate, Sweet Leaf, Sunflower, Kraft &White Daisy cardstock
Chocolate, Sweet Leaf & Sunflower ink
Brown marker (Zig)
Sweet Leaf grosgrain ribbon
White Daisy embroidery floss
Metal edged circle tags (Sticko)
Cricut Artiste cartrdige: banner, cupcake
Cricut Artistry cartridge: balloon, candles
Pattern: Splitcoast Stampers Sketch17Aug

Challenges: Lasting Memories #495 Word play on RAIN
R - ribbon
A - Artiste and Artistry Cricut cartridges + Atomic Numbers stamp set
I - ink
N - number "10"

U R 10 {Elliot} Layout

I haven't been able to crank out any layouts since last Saturday because I've been so busy supervising my kids through their distance learning for school. The two older ones seem to be able to work independently, but I have to work a lot with my younger two, which makes me too tired by the end of the school day to do anything but make dinner and veg out on the couch watching T.V. with my hubby. Homeschooling moms everywhere, I take off my hat to you! I don't know how you manage it, but I have a new appreciation for your dedication. Anyway, I finally had time and energy to get a layout done, so here it is. Enjoy!

Recipe:
Extreme Caps & Random Act of Cardness stamp sets
Watercolor paper (Recollections)
It's Your Birthday papers (Echo Park)
White Daisy cardstock
Black ink
Ocean, Goldrush & Black markers
White gel pen (Sakura)
DE Heart & Snapshots chipboard
Our Adventure epoxy stickers (MAMBI)
Color Kaleidoscope Thickers (American Crafts)
Teen Spirit Boy & It's Your Birthday Boy ephemera (Echo Park)
Pattern: Sketches in Thyme #416

Challenges: Lasting Memories #494 - word play on crocus
C – chipboard hearts & frame
R – Recollections Watercolor paper
O – Our Adventure epoxy stickers
C – Color Kaleidoscope Thickers
U – “U” stamp
S – stars

Ems Sketch 88 + Happy Day Layout

Love the smiles on the kids' faces in these photos, and just looking at them playing together (even my usually stand-offish second son) makes me happy, so I decided to participate in Scrap Our Stash's Feelings challenge by using the word "happy." I haven't done a sketch challenge yet this month (must have slipped my mind with the craziness of having four kids doing lessons at home), so here's a double pager to enjoy. You can use seven untrimmed 4" x 6" photos on this one, or adapt it to fit what you need. Have fun, and don't forget to post a link in the comments to your completed layout when you play along!

The sketch:

My Layout:

Recipe:
Background Builders stamp set
Molly papers (Bella Blvd)
Lagoon, Bluebird, Raspberry, Pixie, Honey & White Daisy cardstock
Pink vellum (Paper Pizzazz)
Lagoon, Bluebird, Raspberry & Honey ink
Ocean marker
Molly Treasures & Text cardstock stickers (Bella Blvd)
White Daisy embroidery floss
Lagoon baker's twine
Juniper washi tape
My Happy Place enamel hearts (Doodlebug Designs)
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: hearts, tag
Cricut You Are Here cartridge: flip-flops, sun screen tube
Challenges: Bitten By the Bug Let's Get Outdoors challenge (this isn't what I'm doing this spring, but I wish we could!); Scrap Our Stash Feelings challenge (as mentioned above, I chose happy).

Giraffe Snapshot Layout

Whenever we visit the zoo, it seems the giraffes are always hanging out at the far end of their enclosure, so it was pretty special to have one come right up close to us and take a leaf out of the hand of a person right next to us! I can't believe I actually scrapbooked this wildlife encounter using pink paper, but hopefully it works.

Recipe:
In the Wild stamp set (SU)
Picture Perfect stamp set
Watercolor paper (Recollections) & Color Kaleidoscope paper (American Crafts)
Fresh Air papers
Espresso & Colonial White cardstock
Espresso, Toffee & Autumn Terracotta ink
Brown marker (Zig)
Our Adventure epoxy stickers (MAMBI)
Field Notes ephemera (American Crafts)
Color Kaledioscope stickers (American Crafts)
Autumn Terracotta baker's twine
Pattern: Splitcoast Stampers Sketch15Nov1

Challenges: Stinkin' Inkers Crafter's Choice (anything goes);
Lasting Memories TULIP challenge
T - tag, twine
U - unforgettable stamp
L - leaves (on sticker, tag, and in photos)
I - In the Wild stamp set, ink
P - patterned paper, pink, Picture Perfect stamp set

Let's Have Fun at the Zoo Layout

Since we have a zoo membership, I have scrapbooked zoo photos many times, so these are just a few snapshots my hubby took, plus there are a bunch more in a pocket page. We got some great shots of the hippos snoozing on the rocks, which made me smile because they are my sister-in-law's favorite animal. I meant to add just a few of the stamped bamboo images to my base cardstock but it looked a little funny, so I ended up stamping the whole piece, thus the striped background!

Recipe:
Intrinsic Backgrounds & Season of Thanks stamp sets
Jungle Stripes paper (Echo Park)
Kraft, Lagoon, & Colonial White cardstock
Bamboo, Topiary & Lagoon ink
Brown marker (Zig)
Jungle Safari stickers (Echo Park)
Chocolate ribbon
Topiary spiral clip & button nail heads
Cricut Art Philosophy cartrdige: decorative shape (behind the monkey)
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge 86

Challenges: Double Trouble #54 - It's Hip to be Square (Thing 1 = square scrapbook page and square picture + Thing 2 = played along with 2 Crafty Critter Crazies + Thing 3 = used two stamp sets that were way older than a year); 2 Crafty Critter Crazies #37 - anything goes with a critter

Holy Week Banner

Happy Easter everyone! I have been working on a little project the past few days in my attempt to make Easter special for our family since we won't be doing many of the things we usually do on Easter. I decided to make a banner we can use every year as we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus, so I fired up Cricut Design Space and used images that depict a few scenes from Passion week. Some of the image pieces ended up being really tiny, so I was working with tweezers to glue them in place, but I love how the banner turned out, so it was worth the eye strain!

Here's the completed banner:

I started with the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and then I skipped over to Passover with Jesus washing the disciples' feet since the cartridge I was using didn't have any scenes of Jesus driving the money changers out of the temple - wouldn't that have been cool!

 Passover cup and Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane.

 A soldier arresting Jesus and Jesus carrying the cross.

Jesus on the cross and the empty tomb.

The risen Christ!

I used many color of cardstock, ink, and ShinHan Touch Twin markers, but I didn't keep track of what they all were!
Cricut New Testament cartridge in Design Space: all figures
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: banners
Challenges: Use Your Stuff #395 Easter

Spring Blooms @ the LA Zoo Layout

This week has been a bit crazy-making for me as the kids' schools all decided to get serious about remote learning, so I was trying to juggle who gets to use the computers at what time (had to plan out a detailed schedule for that) while making sure I understood what each child was supposed to be doing so I could keep all four on track. We've settled down into a routine now, but the three weeks of sleeping in and basically being on vacation are definitely over! Nevertheless, I was determined to get some scrapbooking done today, so I pulled out a sketch and some pretty floral photos my hubby took at the zoo in 2015, and got to work creating this layout.

Recipe:
Oh Happy Day papers & Ephemera (Simple Stories)
Toffee, Cotton Candy, Black & White Daisy cardstock
Toffee, Cotton Candy & Lagoon ink
Black marker
Love Letters rub-ons
Licorice Opaques pearls
Pink sparkles
Flower sparkles
Bubblegum embroidery floss
Oh Happy Day washi tape
Color Kaleidoscope puffy stickers (American Crafts)
Cricut Artiste cartridge: spring title
Cricut Artbooking title: blooms
Pattern: Rochelle Spears April 2020 sketch

Challenges: The Paper Girls #197 - florals; Scrap With Stacy April Tic-tac-toe - I chose the column with bling (rhinestones) + puffy stickers + mixed alpha title (used die-cuts plus rub-ons)

Lasting Memories #492 FLOWER word play - add a product or technique for each letter in Flower
F - flower ephemera & sparkles
L - Licorice Opaques Pearls (black)
O - Oh Happy Day patterned paper
W - washi tape
E - embroidery floss
R - rub-ons (@ the LA Zoo, flowers)

Joy of Sets Challenge #16 + So Handy Layout

It's time for another Joy of Sets Tic-Tac-Toe challenge! I kinda cracked myself up with this grid because I kept dreaming up ways to use the individual squares but they never seemed to go in a straight line. I put on my thinking cap and came up with a "move" that ended up getting me a win using the column with ribbon, ink blending, and heat embossing! I also threw in some texture and designer paper for fun. Come join us over at Joy of Sets until the end of April, and see how you do using this fun grid. Here's my layout:

And here's the grid:

Recipe:
Polka Dot Alphabet, Spot On Backgrounds & Tool Time stamp sets
Oh Happy Day papers (Simple Stories)
Dotty for You paper
Raspberry, Sunset & White Daisy cardstock
Raspberry, Sunset, Canary, Lagoon, Black & Versmark ink
Black marker
Clear embossing powder
Cat & Bats enamel dots
#Life cards
Oh Happy Day washi tape (Simple Stories)
Ruler ribbon (Offray)
Cuttlebug Swiss Dot embossing folder
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge 54

Challenges: The Studio Challenges use a grid ( I put the photos in a grid and placed it on some fun paper shapes); Lasting Memories #491 SPRING word play - add a product or technique for each letter in Spring
S - stamps
P - patterned paper
R - Raspberry cardstock
I - ink blending
N - numbers (on the ruler)
G - grid, graph paper

Adore Layout

I just posted a new Stash Busters Challenge over at Splitcoast Stampers; anyone want to play along? You just need to pick three or more items from the list I provide, and add them to your layout. It's a great way of digging through your stash and getting some products (hopefully older ones) off your shelves and onto your pages.

This month's challenge items are:
• 3+ patterned papers

• Chipboard
• File folder tab
• Sticker
• Pearls
• Embossed item (wet or dry)

I was able to use almost all of them on this layout of my daughter with her biological baby sister, but I still might play along again later this month. Hope you can join us!

Recipe:
Topstitch patterned papers
White Daisy cardstock
Heavenly Blue, Baby Pink & Chocolate ink
Antique Linen Distress Ink (Ranger)
Chocolate & Baby Pink markers
Topstitch stickers
Felt Flowers
Pearl & Mocha Opaques
Great Lengths sticker (CM)
Chipboard (source unknown)
Pattern: scraplift of Doreen's Mississippi Mud Pie LO
Challenges: Double Trouble #53 Something, Anything Everything (Thing 1 - anything goes + Thing 2 - played along with The Paper Girls #196 Babies + Thing 3 - background of paper scraps)