Walk Through the American Revolution Layout

My kids' elementary school does some pretty amazing history programs, including Walk Through the American Revolution, where each 5th grader dresses up as a historical figure from the period, and they work together with a facilitator to tell the story of the Revolution. My son got to be General Cornwallis, and he had to memorize some lines (not his strong suit) and answer some questions. He did a good job, and the whole presentation was really enjoyable to watch.

I was going to journal directly on my cardstock on the right hand page, but then I decided to create a replica of my son's coat using my Cricut and needed somewhere to put it, so I added a journaling card that will flip up to reveal the journaling on the back. Here's the journaling:

And here's a close-up of the coat, of which I am a teeny bit proud!

Recipe:
A Typeface stamp set
Celebrating Freedom paper (BoBunny)
The Fourth of July papers & stickers (Carta Bella)
Ruby, Almond, Mink & Black cardstock
Patterned vellum (from my stash, source unknown)
Sapphire ink
Prussian Blue fineliner pen (iBayam)
Gold metallic marker (Staedtler)
Hello Darlin' PML card
Tag Types adhesive tag (Sticko)
Blue Adornaments fiber (EK Success)
Tim Holtz Field Notes ephemera (Idea-ology)
Vicki Boutin Old Soul ephemera (American Crafts)
Halloween Mix epoxy stars (Bella Blvd)
Red Glitter Gems
Lumberjack Plaid distress spritz (Ranger)
Cricut Design Space: title using Quarter Note font, General Cornwallis coat (put together using coat and waistcoat images, then modified to look historic)
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #113

Challenges: Little Red Wagon #847 L Is For Leftovers - I used some long scraps of paper plus the enamel stars are the final bits of a pack; Neglected Stuff  Challenge- the vellum, safety pin, and metal rimmed tag.

The Golden One Layout

I purchased some beautiful papers this week that I really wish were around when I was scrapping all my 2017 photos from the Egyptian section of the British Museum. I decided to get them anyway because they are perfect for all the photos we took at the Tutankhamun exhibit at the California Science Center in 2018. Out of all the photos we took (and there were a lot), I chose 85 to scrap, and many of those will end up in pocket pages between two traditionally scrapped pages in my album. There was a time I would have scrapped them all, but life is short and I am running out of space for my albums, so pocket pages without all the added bulk of layers are a good solution.

Here's the collection of papers I just purchased. You can get them at Scrapbook.com or A Cherry on Top, but I don't know how long they will be available, so if you need Egyptian themed papers, it's probably wise to grab them now.

Recipe:
A Typeface & Starter Alphabet stamp sets
Land of Pharaohs papers (Stamperia)
Dutch Blue, Cashmere & Mocha cardstock
Versamark ink
White gel pen (Sakura)
Gold Embossing powder
Treasure Chest Fairy Gemstones (Memory Box)
Diamond stencil
Cricut You Are Here cartridge: pyramids
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #110

Challenges: Cut It Up #332 Masculine including a die-cut; Crafter's Cafe #320 Masculine; Love Those Pretty Papers Anything Goes (I loved this new paper pack, so even though I covered up the middle of the piece I used, I just had to share it on your challenge!); Little Red Wagon #812 E is for Embossing - I used heat embossing for my title.

About My Father Layout

I struggled a bit with this layout, since the card I made for my hubby was red but my son's card was orange, but eventually I decided to go with an orangy-red background and brown + kraft accents. Hopefully you think it worked! The journaling was fun to do; I went with a list of things my hubby does for/with our family rather than just telling all the things we did this Father's Day.

Recipe:
Starter Alphabet & A Typeface stamp sets
Pet Shop paper (KI Memories)
Paprika & Espresso cardstock
Espresso & Twilight ink
Twilight marker
Lucky Assortment chipboard
Milepost Shapes
Twilight Brads
Halloween Mix epoxy stars (Bella Blvd)
3-D foam tape
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: frame
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #85

Challenges: Double Trouble #191 - this is my entry for Father's Day, including using kraft items (chipboard, corrugated shapes, photo mat)

White Tower Tour

This weekend, I finished up scrapping the photos we took of the White Tower at the Tower of London. These photos were from a tour we took of the interior, from the basement to the top floor, not including the arms and armor exhibits on the entrance floor. I had fun piecing together the stone block wall, although it got a little tedious at the end! The horizontal photo lifts up to reveal another photo and some journaling (see below).

Here's the hidden journaling:

Recipe:
A Typeface stamp set
The Stack 2 (DCWV)
London Memories Journal paper (Scrapbook Customs)
Toffee, Pebble, Pewter & Black cardstock
Toffee & Candy Red ink
Black marker
London stickers (Mrs. Grossman's)
Cricut Design Space: stone blocks (using cobblestone pattern from Holidays Around Town cartridge)
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #59

5th Grade Grad Portrait Layout

My mojo has been seriously missing this month, but I managed to pull together this layout in just a few hours, so hopefully it's slowly returning. My goal for this month was to finish my eldest son's elementary school album, and I actually did it! He turned 22 this past December, so this achievement is way overdue - LOL. I decided not to include any journaling since this layout will go right after his fifth grade graduation layout (lots of journaling!), plus I've said everything I needed to say using the word ephemera and stickers.

Recipe:
A Typeface stamp set
Field Trip patterned paper (American Crafts)
Spring 2020 & Jan - March 2023 Mix-In papers
Mocha & White Daisy cardstock
Sapphire, Toffee & Mocha ink
Candid Moments PML card
Petticoats & Pinstripes ephemera ((Echo Park)
Field Trip ephemera (American Crafts)
Teen Spirit - Boy ephemera (Echo Park)
Slice of Life puffy sticker (American Crafts)
Field Notes Thicker (American Crafts)
Let's Go Tidbits (Chic Tags)
Field Trip Thickers puffy stickers (American Crafts)
Pearls
Confetti Dot Brown grosgrain ribbon (Offray)
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: photo corners
Pattern: Sketch-n-Scrap #293

Challenges: The Outlawz Anything Goes in a Card Free Zone + optional Bingo (I used the diagonal starting at the top left with Words + Pearls + Free + Photo + Brown)

O Come All Ye Faithful Layout

My last layout for 2023 is also the last layout I needed to complete for 2016! I started this layout in October but it was not working for me, so I put it aside and finally decided to finish it tonight. I fell ten short of my scrapping goal this year (only made it to 90) but am looking forward to a new year and hopefully more scrapping fun. Happy New Year, everyone!

Recipe:
A Typeface, Glory to God & Trim the tree stamp sets
Mistletoe papers
Cranberry, Black & White Daisy cardstock
Cranberry, New England Ivy & Black ink
Black marker
Sparkles Holiday Shapes
Black button brads
Red ribbon (recycled)
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: title, ornaments, stars, tag
Cricut Artiste cartridge: pocket
Cricut Design Space: nativity scene
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge 98

Chef Adrian's Dinner Layout

My son took several cooking classes in high school, so these photos are from one of his home assignments to cook us a meal - score!

Recipe:
A Typeface Alphabet stamps
Color Kaleidoscope & Let's Wander Mixed Media papers (American Crafts)
Cranberry, Honey, Whisper, Black, Kraft, Almond & White Daisy cardstock
Cranberry, Honey, Whisper & Black ink
Black marker
White gel pen (Sakura)
Honey triangles washi tape
Seas the Day enamel dots
Petticoats & Pinstripes enamel dots (Echo Park)
Circle Double Stitched steel die (Art Impressions)
Star punch (EK Success)
Circle punch for small circles (CM)
Cricut Design Space: Adrian's (used multiple cartridges and welded it together) + Dinner (Arial font)
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: large circles
Pattern: Sketch Support Free Sketch #8

Challenges: Lasting Memories #626 Use the sketch above; Crafter's Cafe #291 Dies & Punches; Scrap With Stacy November 2016 Tic Tac Toe (use the top row across with punch + mixed alpha title + washi tape and the left column with punch + enamel dots + journaling)

Sharing Joy Layout

Although I would like to say it's a treasured tradition in our family, taking our annual Christmas card photo is probably more of a dreaded occasion for our kids as the adults fuss around with getting the camera set up just right to frame our family, not to mention the multiple retakes due to someone having their eyes closed or my hubby not making it back into the scene before the timer ends! Nevertheless, we usually end up with that perfect pose, and it sure makes for a fun and memorable layout.

Here are a couple details of the layout. Just wanted to show the Gold Stickles, the crimped cardstock, and the eyelets with the ribbon threaded through.

Recipe:
Holiday Jingle, A Typeface & Spot On Backgrounds stamp sets
Pear & Partridge papers and PML cards
Cranberry, New England Ivy, Kraft & Colonial White cardstock
Cranberry, New England Ivy Olive & Desert Sand ink
Black marker
Carmine ShinHan TouchTwin marker
Green organdy ribbon (Offray)
Gold brads (Making Memories)
Gold Stickles (Ranger)
Scalloped border punch (Fiskars)
Paper crimper (Fiskars)
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: title box & poinsettia
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #88

Challenges: Scrap Our Stash Wheel of Challenges Seldom Used Tools (I used my paper crimper and my eyelet setting kit of mini hammer, punch, setter, and setting mat)

Family Fun & Sun Layout

Kathy over at Scrapbook.com posted a fun challenge this month that requires the use of a single sketch of your choice to create five layouts. She also asked us to add 3 or more patterned papers, fussy cutting, something wet, and fiber to our layouts. I decided to use a double page sketch, even though a couple of my layouts only require a single page, so here is my first layout.

And here's the sketch I chose (left side only):

Recipe:
A Typeface & Surf's Up stamp sets
Surf's Up papers
Surf's Up Gold, Surf's Up Teal, Crystal Blue, Sorbet & White Daisy cardstock
Ocean & Toffee ink
White Daisy Bigger Brads
Lagoon baker's twine
White acrylic hearts
Beach Party PML card
Liquid Glass
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: banner
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: fun & sun, sun
Challenges: Use Your Stuff #453 Sunshine; Heart 2 Heart technique challenge - Stamping (stamped and embossed the word family using alphabet stamps + stamped and fussy cut the direction sign and the wave).

Cave Fun Layout

For my final photos from our church's Cave Quest VBS, I adapted a sketch from Stick It Down and played along with a couple of challenges to inspire me. I probably should have added journaling, but I  didn't really feel like tracking down the lady who was in charge to ask what the kids were doing in the photos, so feel free to use your imagination!

Recipe:
A Typeface stamp set
Something Fierce papers & chipboard
Bluebird, Carolina & Canary cardstock
Bluebird, Carolina, Topiary & Canary ink
3-D foam tape
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: postage stamp frame
Cricut Accent Essentials cartridge: starbursts
Pattern: Stick It Down July 2022 double page sketch

Challenges: Lasting Memories #606 Opposites Attract - Big and Small (used large cardstock starburst and small stamped starbursts, and used large and small lettering on my title); Heart 2 Heart Summer Fun (for our family, summertime includes Vacation Bible School, which our church calls Summer Blast, and what could be more fun than that?)

Today Is Treat Day Layout for Lasting Memories

It's the final Sunday for me to be a guest designer for Lasting Memories, and for anyone who has been following this month's challenges, you probably guessed that today's challenge is going to be "something blue." I really had fun figuring out how to interpret each week's challenge of the wedding tradition (something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue). I decided not to go pure monochromatic for this challenge, but I did include lots of blue. There is still time to play along with any of the challenges for this month, so feel free to join us.

Recipe:
A Typeface, Solos "S", Solos "4" & Spot On Backgrounds stamp sets
Something Fierce papers
Bluebird, Carolina, Raspberry & White Daisy cardstock
Bluebird, Carolina, Raspberry, Ballerina, Canary & Clover Meadow ink
Flamingo Dots
Slice of Life puffy stickers (American Crafts)
3-D foam tape
Cricut Southwest cartridge: arrow
Pattern: Sketch-n-Scrap NSD 2022 Bonus Sketch

Challenges: Cupcake Inspirations #544 Stripes

Friend or Food? Layout

Our cat Thor wasn't quite sure what to make of the hamster, but it was fun to get these photos of him sitting on top of Humphrey's cage! This layout took me a long time to complete; I had put together the background using two patterned paper strips and the leftover die-cut chevrons from a layout I completed back in 2014 (I knew they would come in handy some day), but then it sat on my desk for a while. I was going to play along with last week's challenge from Tic Tac Toe Challenges, so I added the top tag and cut out the cat die-cut, but then inspiration deserted me. Finally pulled the layout out again this morning and added some heat embossing ("friend" and "the story") and enamel dots so I could play along with this week's Tic Tac Toe challenge. Thanks to TTT for giving me the push to get this one done at last!

The photo on the right lifts up to reveal two more photos of my kitty. Here' my favorite one. He's actually yawning but his face look ferocious.

Recipe:
Friendship Word Puzzle, A Typeface & He Said, She Said stamp sets
Dreamin' Big papers
Black, Cranberry, Topiary, Goldrush, Crystal Blue, Grey Wool & White Daisy cardstock
Goldrush, Cranberry & Crystal Blue ink
Goldrush & Black pigment ink
Black marker
Clear embossing powder
Black & White enamel dots
Cranberry ribbon
Flower punch (EK Success)
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: chevrons
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: tag
Cricut Artiste cartridge: cat, question mark
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge 75

Challenges: 2 Crafty Critter Crazies #55 Anything Goes with a critter; Let's Craft and Create #175 Lots of Layers (I have five layers on two sections of my layout); Tic Tac Toe Challenges #130 (I used the left column down)

Beautiful Moments {with Thor} Layout

Now that my cat is all grown up, I love looking back on those precious few moments when he was a tiny kitten. He still loves to snuggle up with me when I take a nap, but fortunately (considering how much he weighs) he now prefers to lie on my feet instead of my chest! 

And because the close up of my kitty didn't come out well on the scan, here's the original photo. Enjoy the cuteness!

Recipe:
Purrrrific & A Typeface stamp sets
I Heart Us & Craft On papers
Thistle & White Daisy cardstock
Bamboo, Thistle, Lagoon & Bluebird ink
ShinHan Touch Twin marker
Oh Happy Day Bits & Pieces ephemera (Simple Stories)
Best Day Ever ephemera assortment
Teen Spirit Girl ephemera (Echo Park)
Escape the Ordinary Thicker (American Crafts)
Field Notes Journaling ephemera (AMerican Crafts)
Blue & pink craft buttons
Grey Wool baker's twine
Pattern: The Studio Challenges 4/4/21 Sketch

Challenges: 2 Crafty Critter Crazies anything goes with a critter; Lasting Memories #543 - include a 4x4 photo; Challenge YOUrself  #88 Alphabet Soup (this time I chose the letter B and used buttons, bows, baker's twine, blue, black, bamboo, Beautiful Moments, Big Happy Dreams, Best Day Ever ephemera & Bits & Pieces ephemera to scrapbook my Baby kitty)

Off We Go to the Zoo Layout

For some reason, there are a ton of zoo animal stickers in my stash, so I pulled out a few very old ones to complement these pictures of my kids at the zoo. I didn't include any journaling on the layout since it's too long ago for me to remember if anything extra special happened, especially since our many zoo excursion kinda blur together now!

Recipe:
A Typeface stamp set
Let's Wander patterned paper (American Crafts)
Spring 2020 Mix-In paper
Topiary, Black, Canary, Gypsy, Amethyst & Black cardstock
Topiary, Whisper & Black ink
Evergreen & Black markers (Zig)
Zoo animal stickers (Mrs. Grossman's)
Color Kaleidoscope Thickers & Puffy stickers (American Crafts)
Purple Glitter Gems
Black enamel dots
Black embossing powder
Flower punches (Emaginations & EK Success)
Cricut You Are Here cartridge: title
Pattern: Nuts About Sketches Week 27 Bonus (10-22-08)

Challenges: 2 Crafty Critter Crazies Anything Goes with a Critter; Crafting Happiness #86 Anything Goes with optional green; Tic Tac Toe #103 (used column with splatter, flowers, green)

Just Us Girls challenge #574

Ticket 2 Ride Layout

My kids are too old for mini trains now, but at one point they loved them and would beg us for rides whenever we saw one. For this layout, I used one of my sketches and pulled out some long-retired CTMH paper with a Disney theme. Even though I wasn't scrapping Disney, the colors and feel seemed right, plus I added some dark green to match the colors on the train.

Recipe:
Vintage Type, A Typeface & Background Builders stamp sets
Giggles and Grins & Fanfare papers
Cranberry, Ponderosa Pine, Sunny Yellow, Chocolate, Slate, Black & White Daisy cardstock
Cranberry, Ponderosa Pine, Sunny Yellow, Black & Versamark ink
Black marker
Giggles and Grins My Stickease
White embossing powder
3-D foam tape
Paper crimper
Cricut Wall Decor & More: ticket, swirl
Cricut Design Space cartridge: train, tree
Cricut Artiste cartridge: RR sign
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge 79

Challenges: Heart 2 Heart New to You (I bought the leaf stamp a while ago but it's the first time I ever inked it up, so it was new to me); Tic Tac Toe Challenge #87 (I used the top row across with scene, die-cut, leaves)

Greg's Travelogue Layout

One of the fun place's my hubby visited on his business trip in 2015 was the San Luis Obispo farmers market, where he got to enjoy some delicious food and take in some famous sights. I used some really old papers on the layout and combined them with some new stickers and a die-cut, so hopefully the effect isn't too dated!

Recipe:
Travelogue & A Typeface stamp sets
MKids Ethan Large Stripe & Ethan Plaid papers (Making Memories)
Dutch Blue, Toffee & White Daisy cardstock
Dutch Blue, Toffee & Sweet Leaf ink
Dutch Blue marker
Let's Wander stickers (American Crafts)

My Crush Besties assortment
Cricut You Are Here cartridge: travelogue title
Challenges: Lasting Memories #513 Wonders of the World ( title + subtitle using the word travel + journaling); Tic Tac Toe Challenges #80 (I chose stripes + masculine + blue)

Whale Card

Going to a baby shower tomorrow and the nursery is going to be nautical themed, so I was inspired to create this card for the baby and his mommy. I mixed papers from Bella Blvd (the anchors) with the tried and true Later Sk8r papers from CTMH, and I love how it turned out. The design is based on  card sketch 119 from Sketch 'n Scrap.

Here's the card . . .

And here's the card with the matching gift bag I just couldn't resist creating!

Recipe:
A Typeface stamp set
Later Sk8r Level 2 papers & PML card
Refuse to Sink patterned paper (Bella Blvd)
Lagoon, Whisper & White Daisy cardstock
Lagoon, Whisper & Outdoor Denim ink
Warm Greg 4 Shin Han Touch Twin marker
Teal Shimmer Trim
Natural hemp
Liquid Glass
Cricut Artistry cartridge: whale, anchor
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: banners