10 Things That Make Today Great Layout

My husband and eldest son love to hike, while I love to scrapbook, so put them together and I get to scrapbook pictures of them hiking! The younger kids and I were actually part of this excursion, so I dredged up every fun thing about it that I could remember for my journaling. I may never love hiking, but spending time with my family is priceless.

Recipe:
10 Things & Forest Critters stamp sets
Pathfinding paper
Kraft, Chocolate & White Daisy cardstock
Saffron, Olive, Glacier & Chocolate ink
Burnt Sienna fineliner pen (iBayam)
ShinHan Touch Twin markers
Yellow paper flowers (Recollections)
Beige Adornaments fiber (EK Success)
Summer Harmony Bigger Brads
Summer Afternoon enamel dots (Altenew)
3-D foam tape
Cricut Artistry cartridge: title shape & frame
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #14 (I'm doing a challenge to use the same sketch five times, so you will be seeing this sketch again this month!)

Challenges: Little Red Wagon #820 Be Krafty (use kraft cardstock); Neglected Stuff Challenge - my neglected stuff is the two stamp sets: "10 Things" I seldom use because I'm usually too lazy to come up with 10 things, and "Forest Critter" I bought and forgot about until now; The Outlawz Festive Friday Challenge - Critters; Double Trouble #197 You're in the Spotlight - my three colors are blue, green, and yellow, and I played along with Triple B's August challenge by adding some blooms to my layout.

Up, Up & Away Layout

I love these sweet photos of my daughter playing at the park when she was in elementary school, so I tried to think what I would have said to her at the time if I was giving her advice, and that's what I wrote as my journaling. She has gone through lots of hard times, but I hope she never stops climbing! This week, there were a lot of crafty challenges involving butterflies, so I was glad I could use my new package of enamel butterflies. They match my papers perfectly and are so pretty!

Recipe:
Reasons to Smile papers (American Crafts)
Goldrush, Sangria, Lagoon, Thistle, Mulberry & White Daisy cardstock
Goldrush, Lagoon & Thistle ink
Black marker
Hydrangea embroidery floss
Lagoon baker's twine
Unicorn ribbon (American Crafts)
Bold & Bright Title Thickers (American Crafts)
All Aflutter Shape Sprinkles (Doodlebug Designs)
Cupcake Hearts puffy shapes (Doodlebug Designs)
Reasons to Smile enamel dots (American Crafts)
Telling Our Story adhesive brads (Echo Park)
Sunbeam embossing folder
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: tag, flowers
Cricut Artistry cartridge: more flowers
Pattern: Found on A Cherry on Top, not sure of original source

Challenges: Love those Pretty Papers; Dragonfly Dreams One or more butterflies; Can You Handle the Pressure Anything Goes with embossing folder + optional twist of butterflies; Make My Monday #254 One or more butterflies; Shopping Our Stash #550 A Stitch in Time - I pulled out some embroidery floss to stitch around my half circle; Triple B Used butterflies and blooms.

BFF Layout

I was trying to think of a good title for this layout when I ran across a challenge from Little Red Wagon to create something with a friendship theme. These photos really illustrate the close friendship my two youngest kids had. This past year in therapy, my daughter revealed how lost she has felt the last four years since her little brother passed away. He was always the outgoing, playful one, so it's been hard for her to make friends without him to lead the way. While I pray she is able to overcome and find her footing someday, I will always be thankful for how the two of them weathered life's storms together.

Update: Chosen as a Featured project on Little Red Wagon!

Recipe:
Best Friends Forever & Take Note stamp sets
Happy Trails papers (Simple Stories)
Lagoon, Saffron, Crystal Blue & White Daisy cardstock
Ruby, Goldrush, Saffron, Lagoon, Crystal Blue ink
Black marker
White gel pen (Sakura)
Bold & Bright ephemera (AmericanCrafts)
Cool Summer Night enamel dots (Altenew)
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: tags
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: notebook page
Cricut Artistry cartridge: umbrella, raindrops
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #25 (rotated left)

Challenges: Creative Inspirations The Great Outdoors - I love these pictures of my kids fooling around outside in the aftermath of a rainstorm!

June Highlight Reel Layout

These are my miscellaneous photos from June 2018 that I collected and put on one layout. I decided to just feature two photos; the other four are in Flip-Flaps so you can lift up the plastic sleeve and see the photos underneath.

I had to share one of the photos that will be in a Flip-Flap; this was my son's face when he found out Chewbacca wasn't a real alien, just a person in a costume!

Recipe:
Highlight Reel, Noted Backgrounds & Dream Big stamp sets
Molly papers (Bella Blvd)
Oh Happy Day paper (Simple Stories)
Lagoon, Raspberry, Sunflower, Sapphire & White Daisy cardstock
Lagoon, Sapphire & Sunflower ink
Ocean marker
Navy & Pure Pink markers (Zig)
Turquoise fineliner pen (iBayam)
White gel pen (Sakura)
White acrylic flowers
Beach Party rubber shapes
My Crush Everyday Assortment stickers
Swiss Dot grosgrain ribbon (Offray)
Cricut Artistry cartridge: flowers
Pattern: Sketch-n-Scrap #316 - I adapted it for my photos and to add journaling, and since the pictures needed to be able to lift up, I moved the flowers around.

Challenges: Double Trouble #192 - includes optional twist of flip-flops

VBS Share Day Layout

My final VSB 2018 layout - on the Sunday following VBS, the kids shared what they learned that week. I used a Sketches in Thyme sketch that featured a fun diagonal orientation in the opposite corners, and it turned out to be a great way to use lots of small patterned paper squares along with my matted photo block.

Recipe:
Watercolor paper (Recollections)
Summer Vibes papers
Candy Red, Glacier & White Daisy cardstock
Candy Red & Glacier ink
Twilight marker
Lumberjack Plaid Distress Spritz (Ranger)
Summer Vibes sticker
#Life Cards
True Colors Floral Bits ephemera (Simple Stories)
Oh Happy Day Bits & Pieces ephemera (Simple Stories)
My Happy Place & Falling for You Shape Sprinkles (Doodlebug Designs)
Cricut Artistry cartridge: title
Pattern: Sketches in Thyme #662

Challenges: Love Those Pretty Papers May challenge - AG using patterned papers (I included the twist of florals); Creative Moments #270 Patterned papers

{Shipwrecked} Imagination Station Layout for Lasting Memories #751

Hello, everyone. It's a happy day here in Southern California because my daughter's softball team won their second playoff game yesterday despite fierce winds and lots of dust in the air! Congrats, Cougars! And that was on top of my daughter receiving the Most Improved Player award at the sports banquet on Friday night, so it's been a good sports weekend for our family.

In other news, Lasting Memories has a new challenge posted, another Tic-Tac-Toe Board, and I got to scrap some more fun memories from Shipwrecked VBS. I chose the middle column with Stripes + Flowers + Stickers, which was a popular one with the rest of the Design Team. There are so many fun combinations you could use, though, so we would love to see you create a layout and link it up over at Lasting Memories before the end of the month!

Here's my layout:

And here's the board:

Recipe:
Background Elements stamp set
At the Zoo paper (Doodlebug Designs)
Sweet Safari paper
Magnolia paper (MME)
Desert Sand, Chocolate, Pear, Clover Meadow & Lagoon ink
Clover Meadow marker
Spring Green marker (Zig)
Burnt Sienna fineliner pen (iBayam)
Chocolate brads
Telling Our Story adhesive brads (Echo Park)
Bold & Bright ephemera (American Crafts)
Monkey sticker (Frances Meyer)
Summer Afternoon & Cool Summer Night enamel dots (Altenew)
3-D foam tape
Cricut Artistry cartridge: monkey, vines (edited in Design Space)
Cricut Design Space: title using Cricut Sans font
Miscellaneous Cricut cartridges: flowers (they were in my leftovers box and I'm too lazy to look them all up!)
Pattern: found on Pinterest, possibly a Michelle van Wyk sketch - I reversed it because I will have a photo storage page between the left and right sides of my layout and so wanted to have my title on the left page.

Challenges: Cut It Up #330 Send Me Flowers - used die-cut and sticker flowers

Together Layout for Lasting Memories #750

Good morning, and happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. Hope your day is blessed and you get to spend some scrappy time in your crafting space today! It's time for another Lasting Memories Challenge, and this month's challenges are all tic-tac-toe boards. I love the challenge of finding that 3 in a row (or column or diagonal) that I can perfectly incorporate into my layout, don't you? This week, I chose the top row with lace, 3+ photos, and flowers, as I scrapped a time when we celebrated my hubby's birthday and Mother's Day at the same time. We would love to have you join us through the end of May with this or any of the other Lasting Memories tic-tac-toe challenges!

Here's my layout:

Update: this layout was a Top # for Challenge YOUrself for May!

And here's the board:

Recipe:
Let's Wander Mixed Media paper (American Crafts)
Dutch Blue, Carolina & White Daisy cardstock
Dutch Blue & Carolina ink
Black marker
Simple Vintage Essential foam sticker (Simple Stories)
Celebrating Freedom Noteworthy ephemera (BoBunny)
White Lacey Trims (49 & Market)
Craft buttons
Blue embroidery floss
Cranberry baker's twine
Blue Jean Heart puffy shapes (Doodlebug Designs)
Cricut Art Philosophy and Artistry cartridges: butterflies
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #13

Challenges: A Cut Above Anything Goes with a die-cut - I added some beautiful butterfly die-cuts; Beautiful Blossoms #28 Florals;  Craft Rocket #125 Flowers - I got a chance to use some flowers that had been in my stash for several years; The Outlawz Twisted Thursday Celebrate Good Times - a birthday and Mother's Day; Challenge YOUrself #137 Butterflies - used die-cut ones this time, but I have a ephemera package of butterflies winging itself to my house, so I may have to play along again!

Double Trouble #190 A 3-2-1 Recipe for Someone Special (my kids think me and my hubby are special, so hopefully that counts) with optional flowers - I included the flowers, my 3 layers are the two circles and the scalloped border, and my color are red and blue.

Hello Grade 8 Layout for Lasting Memories #749

It's Sunday, so it's time for a Lasting Memories challenge, and it's also the weekend of National Scrapbook Day, so I hope you all are getting a chance to scrap and preserve some memories! Let's get to the Lasting Memories challenge. Our theme this month is Tic Tac Toe, and I went with the top row of Metal + 2 photos + Banner. Even though NSD is only one day, our LM challenges last all month, so please hop on over to our blog and check out the challenges!

Here's the board:

And here's my layout. I used my 8th grade school pictures. Gotta love the flip hair and the tiny smile to try to hide my braces!

Recipe:
Atomic Caps & Numbers stamp sets
Vicki Boutin Mixed Media Collection (American Crafts)
Cardstock (I used lots of leftover pieces from other layouts for the stars and scalloped borders, so I am not sure what all the cardstock colors are)
Black ink
Banner grosgrain ribbon
Oh happy Day Thickers (Simple Stories)
School Is Cool ephemera icons (Bella Blvd)
Star pounch (EK Success)
Cricut Artistry cartridge: large and medium stars
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: scalloped borders
Pattern: Stick It Down May single page sketch from Facebook Group

Challenges: Challenge YOUrself  #136 Use scallops + a picture of myself

Award Layout

My third layout for National Scrapbooking Day! We were so proud of my son Elliot for winning the perseverance award in third grade. He has ADHD, so school was hard for him, which made this a great achievement!

Recipe
Blue Ribbon stamp set
School Days paper (MME)
Good Times paper
Sweet Leaf, Brown Bag, Journey & White Daisy cardstock
Sweet Leaf, Brown Bag & Chocolate ink
Fineliner pen (iBayam)
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: hexagons
Cricut Artistry cartridge: arrow circle
Cricut Simply Sweet cartridge: title
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #101

Challenges: Little Red Wagon #805 Use stash items - everything on here is from my stash; The Male Room #197 Masculine + Geometric

{3rd Grade] Picnic Layout

Another layout for Elliot's school album! I used the primary opposite colors of green, orange, and purple as my main colors, with a mix of stamped hearts and pre-made ephemera for embellishments.

Recipe:
Whooo's Your Valentine stamp set
Happy Trails paper (Simple Stories)
Laughing Lola paper
Watercolor paper (Recollections)
Sage, Purple Pansy & White Daisy cardstock
Nectarine, Green Apple, Thistle & Black ink
Black marker
Reasons to Smile ephemera & puffy stickers (American Crafts)
Bold & Bright ephemera (American Crafts)
School Is Cool ephemera icons (Bella Blvd)
Purple Glitter Gems
Cricut Artistry cartridge: title
Cricut Artiste cartridge: hearts
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #90

Challenges: Heart's Quest Challenge Blog #73 Anything Goes with green and/or white hearts

Elliot's Adoption Day Layout for Lasting Memories #745

This month's challenges at Lasting Memories are all about sketches, one of my favorite scrapbooking techniques, and this week I got to choose the sketch. I selected one that I created and have used eight times in my albums over the years, but this time I only used the right side, which I rotated to the left. After looking at my photos on the page, I decided to also center them for a more balanced look. I love that sketches can be so versatile, don't you? Please join us over at Lasting Memories to see the sketches and to add your own take on them!

Here's my single page layout. Fun Fact: the attorney's clerk spelled my son's new name incorrectly on his adoption papers, but it was only when I registered him for high school that we noticed his name on his birth certificate was listed with a double L on the end, not one as we requested - oops! We had to jump through lots of hoops to get his name changed on all his records so he could get a driver's license. I decided to use the spelling we chose on all his layouts because that's what we really wanted.

And here's the sketch I based it on:

Recipe:
Feel So Blessed stamp set
She's Magic paper (American Crafts)
My Happy Place papers & sticker
Juniper, Pixie & Sage cardstock
Juniper & Cotton Candy ink
Black marker
Bubblegum Hearts Puffy Shapes (Doodlebug Designs)
Cricut Artistry cartridge: hearts
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: scalloped border
Challenges: Cut It Up Challenges #327 Die-cuts + anything but a card; Unicorn Challenge Blog #108 Use dies (mine were the hearts and scalloped border)

Super Cool Dude Layout

My son's 13th birthday party was a change from previous events; no more backyard kid parties with tons of games and a pinata. Instead, he hung out with friend for food and a movie, a true sign he was moving into his teenage years. For the final two lines of my journaling, I pulled out the statement I posted on Facebook, just to remind me how loud junior high boys can be!

Recipe:
Watercolor paper (Recollections)
Grape & Canary cardstock
Violet fineliner pen (iBayam)
Bold & Bright ephemera (American Crafts)
Teen Spirit Girl Ephemera (Echo Park)
Free Spirit brads (Prima)
Green Field enamel shapes (Altenew)
Cricut Artistry cartridge: phone
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #17

Challenges: Let's Craft and Create #217 - Anything Goes with optional twist of green and purple (not a color combo I use often but I love how it came out); Double Trouble #187 - 3 Enamel shapes & 3+ ephemera, 2 decorative brads, 1 die-cut & 1 piece of patterned paper

Birthday Fun Layout for Lasting Memories #739

Today is the design team reveal for the final Lasting Memories challenge of February, and Sandy asked us to create a layout using a band design. It could be horizontal or vertical or even curved; I chose to go with a wide horizontal band which I then proceeded to cover with lots of photos - LOL! You can still see my dinosaur paper peeking out, though, so hopefully I fulfilled the assignment. Please join us for this or any of the other February challenges by Saturday, March 1.

Recipe:
Journaling Jots & Intrinsic Backgrounds stamp sets
Wild Asparagus paper (MME)
Field Trip paper (American Crafts)
My Happy Place (Doodlebug Designs)
Mocha, Black & White Daisy cardstock
Mocha, Black, Sunkiss Yellow, Creme Brulee & Lilac Mist ink
White gel pen (Sakura)
Black grosgrain ribbon
My Happy Place Shape Sprinkles (Doodlebug Designs)
Beetle Black hearts puffy shapes (Doodlebug Designs)
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: tag
Cricut Artistry cartridge: title
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #116 (revised to use only one band across the page)

Challenges: Cut It Up Challenges #324 Tie It Up - I used ribbon; My Time to Craft #554 - 1 tag and 1 ribbon + 2 circles + 3 patterned papers and 3 hearts; Crafter's Cafe #316 Spot and Stripes

Celebrate Christmas Again Layout for Lasting Memories #733

It's been a crazy week here in Southern California, with wildfires burning out of control and a family sheltering with us following the loss of their home, but things are slowly starting to get back to something approaching normal. I managed to get a layout done, my last one from my 2017 photos, and it is also my Lasting Memories design team entry for this week's challenge: do something a little out of your comfort zone for your journaling. I decided to go with hidden journaling, which I do use quite often, but I also added a moving piece, which I seldom do. I plan to laminate the top ornament for added protection, and then punch through my page protector to hang it on the brad. The top ornament will slide to the side to reveal the rest of the journaling. Hope this inspires you to jump out of your comfort zone with your journaling! Please join us over at Lasting Memories for this and the other challenges this month.   

And here's a view of what the back journaling looks like:

Recipe:
Jingle All the Way & The Holiday Life papers (Simple Stories)
Timeless Stripe paper (Daisy D's)
Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas paper (Echo Park)
Ruby, New England Ivy & Black ink
Ruby, Olive, Ponderosa Pine, Canary & White cardstock
Black marker
New England Ivy Bigger Brad
Primary Stars epoxy shapes (Bella Blvd)
Top Dog epoxy stars (Doodlebug Designs)
Be Merry & Bight mini tag set (Couture Creations)
Paper crimper (Fiskars)
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: Christmas title, ornaments
Cricut Artistry cartridge: Christmas trees, again
Pattern: Pagemaps sketch found on SB.com

Challenges: Cut It Up #321 Something New AND The Outlawz Anything Goes in a Card Free Zone with optional twist of try something new: my new is punching through a page protector - still freaks me out a little to do that! The Outlawz Festive Friday Challenge - Christmas + use blue (stars)

Celebrate 16 Layout

After scrapping mostly Christmas layouts for the month of December and using pre-made embellishments, I seem to have lost the knack of  creating my own. This layout celebrating my son's 16th birthday certainly didn't come out as cute as I envisioned, but I guess it is finished and I will not worry about it!

Recipe:
Good Times papers & My Stickease
Buttercup, Sweet Leaf, Chocolate, Twilight & White Daisy cardstock
Buttercup, Sweet Leaf, Chocolate & Twilight ink
Brown fineliner pen (iBayam)
Garden Green brad
Starry Night stencil (Simple Stories)
Cricut Artistry cartridge: celebrate title
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #31

Off With Her Head! Layout for Lasting Memories #276

If this seems like a gruesome title for my layout, it is, but it's because I needed to scrapbook some photos from the execution site at the Tower of London, where such famous people as Lady Jane Grey and Anne Boleyn were beheaded. Another round of challenges from the Lasting Memories blog starts today, and they are super fun, with inspiration from various artworks found at the University of Iowa Children's Hospital. Today's inspiration is Jen P. Harris' mixed media work entitled "Parte Incognita." My first instinct was to go with hexagon shapes, and I even cut out a few, but then I noticed each hexagon was actually divided into three diamond shapes, so I decided to go with that instead. There is some great inspiration on the Lasting Memories blog, so be sure to check it out and join us for this fun round of challenges!

Here is my layout:

And here is the inspiration artwork:

Recipe:
Friendship Alphabet Small

Skylark, Splendor & Something Fierce papers
White Daisy cardstock
White watercolor paper (Canson)
Goldrush, Capri, Flaxen, Topiary, Espresso & Pewter ink
Goldrush pigment ink
Light Grey fineliner pen (iBayam)
Clear embossing powder

Chloe Ciao chipboard (Bella Blvd)
Cricut Artistry cartridge: diamonds
Cricut Artiste cartridge: head

Trick or Treat 2017 Layout

Inspiration struck this afternoon from multiple sources (see the challenge listing below), and I put together this layout just in time for Halloween! I realized after I had already cut the pumpkin paper that the pointed ends of the hexagons were supposed to be on the top and bottom, but I didn't have any more of that paper, so I just ran with it. My cat was eying the raffia as I pulled it out of my stash, but I managed to prevent her from stealing it, and I love the way it looks on the layout. Hopefully you do, too!

Recipe:
I Love Halloween papers (Echo Park)
Hey Pumpkin papers (Crate Paper)
Black, Sunset & Grape cardstock
White gel pen (Sakura)
Raffia (from my stash)
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: title
Cricut Artistry cartridge: hexagons
Leaf punch (EK Success)
Pattern: Stick It Down October Sketch (from Facebook group)

Challenges: Double Trouble #178 Anything Goes - Thing 1 = anything goes + Thing 2 = played along with 3 previous partners + Thing 3 = fall themed image/element; Crafting Happiness #198 Bats; Inspiration Station #66 (inspired by Jack o' lanterns, fall leaves, and raffia)

If You Give a Crafter a Cookie #197 (found some EEK! paper that was perfect for this challenge)

Woodland Themed Birthday Card

My mother-in-law's birthday is this week, so my hubby asked me to make her a birthday card. I dove into my challenges list for inspiration and came up with the following card. Thanks for the inspiration, all you wonderful challenge blogs!

Recipe:
Chantilly, Bugs and Hugs & Wild About Love Stamp sets
Kraft, Olive, Honey Butter, Goldrush & White Daisy cardstock
Honey, Autumn Terracotta, Olive, Garden Green & Chocolate ink
Yellow paper flowers (Recollections)
Woodgrain washi tape
Heart punch (EK Success)
Cricut Artistry cartridge: leady frame & mat
Pattern: Sketch-n-Scrap card sketch #271 (reversed)

Challenges: AAA Birthday Cards #64 Critters; Farm Quest Challenge Blog #57 Forest or Woodland Things;  Inkspirational #321 Woodland; Tic Tac Toe Challenge #253 (used the middle row with flowers  + scoring + die cuts)