Family {Christmas 2018} Layout

Hello everyone, and a very merry Christmas to you! Hope you all had a wonderful day. I was able to sneak away to my scraproom when the rest of the family started watching football, so here's the layout I completed with photos taken on Christmas Day 2018. My entire family was together, so it was good to get the group photo of us all, plus the rather amusing one of my parents. I started my layout with a super old kit that I pull out every few years to see if I can use any parts of it, but I only ended up using the chipboard, photo corners, and striped paper from there, while adding other items to go with my color scheme.

Recipe:
Family papers, chipboard & photo corners (Lisa Bearnson June 2007 Kit of the Month)
Pear & Partridge papers
Bamboo, Desert Sand & Cocoa ink
My Happy Place Shape Sprinkles (Doodlebug Designs)
Christmas ribbon (Celebrate It)
Challenges: Heart's Quest Challenge Blog #80 - used 5 red hearts; The Neglected Stuff Challenge - as I mentioned above, every few years I pull out this kit (last time was June 2022!) and use a few items, this time the striped paper, photo corners, and chipboard.

Christmas Dinner Layout

I'm so close to finishing scrapping all my Christmas 2018 photos, but I don't know that I will manage it by tomorrow, since I still have two layouts to go but have to be at church by 1:15 for choir rehearsal for our Christmas Eve service, plus I need to finish preparing the house for my in-laws' arrival. What's a scrapper to do? And no, staying up all night is not an option if I don't want to be a zombie tomorrow! Oh well, at least this one is done, and the other two will possible get finished on Christmas day and the following Friday, so that will have to be good enough. Just in case I don't get a chance to post again before the big day, I want to wish everyone a very merry Christmas with lots of photo taking opportunities that lead to great scrappy times.

Recipe:
Simple Type Alphabet stamp set (SU)
One Wish paper (Sweetwater)
Mistletoe papers
The Holiday Life paper (Simple Stories)
Kraft, Cranberry & Evergreen cardstock
Cranberry & Ponderosa Pine ink
Sienna marker
Merry Little Christmas ephemera (Bella Blvd)
Holiday Gathering stickers (CM)
Star Attraction Shape Sprinkles (Doodlebug Designs)
Christmas Express decorative brads (Echo Park)
Cranberry baker's twine
Xmas Red Stickles (Ranger)
Chevron embossing folder
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #88

Challenges: Can You Handle the Pressure? - used a chevron embossing folder and included twist of holiday; Little Red Wagon #838 Christmas theme; The Neglected Stuff Challenge - the dishes stickers from CM are from 2002 and I haven't used them since I started blogging in 2009, so I think they qualify as neglected! Colorful Options - I used primarily red + green + kraft on my layout.

More Presents Layout

This week has been spent getting ready for Christmas, but I finally escaped to my scraproom this afternoon to work on a layout from Christmas past. Since I already had the Magic Moments scrapbook kit out from my previous layout, and it really helped tie in the blue from the background of my photos, I used it again to scrapbook photos of my extended family - my sister, her hubby, my brother, and Mom). 

Recipe:
Santa Claus stamp set
Magic Moments papers & cardstock stickers
Barn Red ink
Barn Red marker
White gel pen (Sakura)
ShinHan Touch Twin markers
Doily (from my stash, source unknown)
Fern thick twine
Star Dust Stickles (Ranger)
Jingle All the Way decorative brads (Simple Stories)
Cricut Artiste cartridge: title
Pattern: Pagemaps sketch (found on ACOT, not sure when it was originally posted)

Challenges: Peace on Earth Christmas Challenge #102 - Anything Christmas; Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Anything Christmas; If You Give a Crafter a Cookie #211 - I was inspired to stamp a jolly Santa and to add white outlines to my Christmas tree stickers.

The Ultimate Gift Layout

My scrappy goal this month is to finish all my photos from 2018, and I am super close! I have 8 more layouts to go and 16 days left in the year, so I think I can make it. This layout is from Christmas 2018 and features my hubby, the kids, and me opening our gifts. The title is from the movie of the same name, and reflects how my family is the ultimate gift to me! The photo arrangement was supposed to resemble a Christmas tree with my hubby and me supporting the kids, but it got a little fat up towards the top - oops! Hopefully you can still tell what it's supposed to be.

Recipe (all CTMH unless stated):
Santa Claus stamp set
Magic Moments papers & stickers
Barn Red & White Daisy cardstock
Black ink
School Is Cool ephemera icons (Bella Blvd)
Winter Defined sticker (Making Memories)
Say Cheese II brads
Doily (from my stash, source unknown)
Cricut Design Space: title (using Austin Hearts font)
Challenges: Challenge YOUrself #144 Anything Goes including a picture of me - I love the photo of my hubby and me under the tree and had fun scrapping it in the midst of our family, the ultimate gift; Crafty Calendar Challenges - Winter/Christmas; Paper Rocks Scissors #11 - used scissors to fussy cut the stamp Santa and reindeer; Park Hopping My Happy Place - I was inspired by the giant Christmas tree at Legoland theme park and created my own family tree!

Floral Thanks Card

I am on a quest to use up some burgundy floral paper that has been in m stash forever, so I created two layouts back in October and decided to make a couple more cards with the leftover scraps. Yesterday, I posted one that I completed, and this morning I finished the second one. 

Recipe:
Burgundy floral paper (from my stash, source unknown)
March - April 2022 Mix-in paper
Sweet Leaf, Black & White Daisy cardstock
Sweet Leaf & Ruby ink
White & gold ribbon (Michaels)
Sweet Leaf fabric covered brad
Sunbeam embossing folder
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: flower
Cricut Artiste cartridge: Thanks
Pattern: Sketch-n-Scrap Card sketch #292

Challenges: Little Red Wagon #837 - J is for Just one word; Paper Rocks Scissors - used my scissors to trim the ribbon.

My Valentine Card

I started making cards today with the goal of using up some patterned paper (the burgundy floral) that has been in my stash forever. I managed to use up a large portion of it on this layout and the companion page I scrapped back in October, but the remnant has been sitting on my desk since then, taunting me, so I decided today was the day to use it or toss it! The first card I made was intended to be a thank you card, but I was sorting through my pre-cut baggie of Cricut titles left over from other projects and came across the My Valentine die-cut, so I changed direction and went with that. Funny thing is, my hubby helped me decide to use the swirl embossing folder, so he's already seen the basic design, but hopefully he will forget and be somewhat surprised when he opens this card on Valentine's Day!

Recipe:
Burgundy floral paper (from my stash, source unknown)
March - April 2022 Mix-in paper
Black & White Daisy cardstock
Ruby & Black ink
White Daisy organdy ribbon
White & gold ribbon (Michaels)
Paper flower (Recollections)
D'vine Swirl embossing folder (Cuttlebug)
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: My Valentine
Wishblade die-cutting machine: heart (I think! It was cut out years ago before I got my Cricut, so that's my best guess)
Pattern: Try a Sketch on Tuesday #685

Challenges: Double Trouble #206 - used 3 patterned papers (the red heart is the back of the floral paper and has a subtle design on it) + 2 ribbons + 1 paper flower, and played along with the optional ribbon and TSOT sketch challenges; Can You Handle the Pressure? - use an embossing folder + optional twist of any holiday; Cut It Up #345 - must use a die cut + my Oldie but Goodie is the patterned paper; Triple B - used blossoms and the colors from the middle photo on the inspiration board.

He Filled All the Stockings Layout for Lasting Memories #779

It's time for my final Lasting Memories layout of 2025 (favorite challenge from 2025), and I chose to re-visit one of Jill's Favorites that she posted in June. For LM #757, she challenged us to use a favorite tool. At the time, I was really using my stamps a lot, but I think my Cricut actually gets more playtime in my craft room, so I am going with that. I used it to die-cut a bunch of items for this layout, and I seldom create a layout wherein I don't use my Cricut for at least one thing. How about you? Are you a Cricut lover, or do you have another favorite tool? Come play along with us at Lasting Memories using this challenge or any other from 2025. We would love to see your layouts!

For my layout, I mirrored my monthly sketch again, but subbed tags for some of the shapes, and kept the pictures at the outsides of the layout so I could stretch my title across the middle.

Recipe:
Distressed Backgrounds stamp set
White Pines papers
Cranberry, Honey Butter, Harbour, Glacier, Peacock, Ballerina, Champagne, Mocha, Black & White Daisy cardstock
Cranberry, Glacier & Desert Sand ink
Christmas Fairy Crystals (Memory Box)
Red gingham & blue dot ribbon (Offray)
Brown & Merry Christmas ribbon (Celebrate It)
Red baker's twine (Celebrate It)
Swiss dot embossing folder (Cuttlebug)
Cricut Design Space: rooster, candy jar, piglet, title (using Agent Q font)
Cricut Art Philosophy: banners, tags
Cicut You Are Here cartridge: t-shirt
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #126 mirrored

Challenges: A Cut Above Anything goes with a die-cut; Heart's Quest Challenge Blog #80 Red hearts; NBUS - my never-before-used-schtuff is the Merry Christmas ribbon, bakers twine, polka dot ribbon, and the rooster, candy jar, and piglet die-cuts; Crafty Calendar Winter/Christmas; Can You Handle the Pressure? Anything Goes with an embossing folder.

EMS Sketch Challenge #126 + Winter Blast 2018 Layout

December is here, bringing a new sketch for you all to enjoy! I featured four 4x6 photos, two cropped and two uncropped, but as you can see from my layout, it's pretty easy to substitute different sizes and even add a journaling block if desired. Feel free to add a link in the comments if you use the sketch.

Here's my layout. I mirrored the sketch to create a double page layout, and added a journaling spot on the right hand page since my photos could be cropped shorter.

Recipe (all CTMH unless noted):
Pen Pal & Bingo Alphabet stamp sets
Holiday Sampler stamp set (SU)
Jingle All the Way papers (Simple Stories)
Ponderosa Pine, Toffee, Cranberry & White Daisy cardstock
Ponderosa Pine, Toffee, Ruby & Black ink
Fineliner pens (iBayam)
Pear & Partridge PML card
Red Dot Essentials washi tape (Echo Park)
Geometric washi tape (Recollections)
Leaves stencil (Clear Scraps)
3-D foam tape
Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge: banners
Challenges: Stencil Fun - I didn't have quite enough patterned paper so I used an ivy leaf stencil to create some more; Inkspirational Challenge #355 Mood board - I was inspired by the tiny icons, so I stamped and added several around my layout.

Color My Heart Color Dare #680