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

Tower Brasserie Layout

I don't usually take many photos of food or eating, but dining in England was so different than in the USA that we ended up snapping lots of pictures of our experiences. This restaurant in Windsor offered big plates of food and a chance to sit and relax after a tiring day of walking. Unfortunately, we weren't able to get great pictures of the interior, but the photos of the food turned out nicely!

Recipe:
Bingo Alphabet (2011), Build a Picnic (2018), Alphabet Solo E (2009) stamp sets
Yesterday & Today, Caprice papers
Crystal Blue, Almond, Chocolate & Desert Sand cardstock
Vellum
Espresso, Toffee & Chocolate ink
Chocolate & Black pigment ink
Chocolate & Garnet markers
Sap Green ShinHan Touch Twin marker
Clear embossing powder
Mocha Opaques pearls
Jolee's Boutique flower stickers (Stickopotamus)
Let's Wander stickers (American Crafts)
Chocolate baker's twine
CRicut Art Philosophy cartridge: tag
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge 8a

Challenges: Lasting Memories #496 Three Things - polka dot paper, flowers, stickers (flowers and "Let's eat"); Retro Rubber Challenges #135 Tic-Tac-Toe (I chose the column with circles, embossing, and patterned paper. I stamped and embossed the title letters, vase, and wine cup.)

1 Cool Cowboy Layout

For this layout of my son as an extremely cute cowboy, I pulled out my most recent sketch and used just the left hand page, substituting patterned paper for the circular photos on the sketch. I'm hosting some challenges over at Splitcoast Stampers this month, so this layout is my sample for the Cut Through the Clutter challenge. I asked everyone to create a layout using items that start with the letters in the word "Clutter." You can see my list below, and hopefully it inspires you to pop on over and play with us!

C - cowboy, chipboard
L - lasso, lettering
U - "U" rub-on
T - tag
T - Thicker
E - embossed metal badge buttons
R - revolver, rub-ons

Recipe:
Bingo Alphabet stamp set
Dakota papers
Black, Barn Red, Whisper & Desert Sand cardstock
Black & Barn Red ink
Milepost Shapes - arrow, tag
Embossed Metal Badge Buttons
Natural hemp
DE chipboard circle
Alphabet Transfers rub-ons (K & Company)
Color Kaleidoscope Thickers (American Crafts)
Liquid Glass
3-D foam tape
Cricut Southwest cartridge: cowboy boot, hat, horse, revolver
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge 78 (left side only)

River View Layout

My final Hampton Court Layout - sorta. I do have another partially completed layout that I didn't like the look of, so if I decide to rip everything off the layout and start over, you may see one more layout. But for now, say goodbye to Hampton Court! These pictures were taken as we walked to the station, and I love the serene look of the river, with Hampton Court on the other bank. I adapted Sketch #158 from Sketch-n-Scrap for my larger size photos, and added some Cricut cuts and a stamped title.

The sketch:

And my layout:

Recipe:
Bingo stamp set
Splendor papers
White Daisy & Slate cardstock
Goldrush & Black ink
Steel Grey marker (Zig)
PML Tabbed Journaling Cards
Round Durables - Pewter
Cricut Wall Decor & More cartridge: sailboats, compass
Challenges: Lasting Memories Boats challenge

Rancho Simi Layout + November Single Sketch

Even though I posted the single page sketch on Splitcoast Stampers three weeks ago, I hadn't gotten around to creating a layout to go with it, so today I sat down and powered one out. Since all the photos are matted, this seemed like a good layout for a patterned paper background, so I pulled a full sheet from the Pathfinder packet and went to work. I was playing along with a Scrapbook.com stamping challenge to stamp a bird on your layout, and I can't believe I actually had a chicken stamp! I've been doing this way too long, right?

The sketch:

My layout:

Recipe:
Bingo Alphabet, Catch You Later & Today's Date stamp sets
Pathfinder Level 2 papers
Glacier, Chocolate, Barn Red, Champagne & Colonial White cardstock
Glacier, Chocolate, Barn Red & Olive ink
Olive marker
Chocolate baker's twine
Chocolate embroidery floss
Chocolate brads
Scalloped border punch (Fiskars)
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: tag, hearts
Pattern: Splitcoast Stampers Sketch15Nov1
Challenges: Lasting Memories Bingo / Thankful challenge - I used the diagonal row with brads, multiple photos, tag, and 2 alphas. I didn't actually use the word thankful on my layout, but I was truly thankful to sit down and rest for a while, so hopefully that counts!

Easter Egg Hunt 2013 Layout

Over at Lasting Memories, they challenged us to use the provided sketch plus include something with wings; I wanted to add some baby chicks in honor of our Easter egg hunt, but I didn't own a single stamp or sticker that had chicks on it! (Guess I know what to put on my wish list for next Easter). Instead, I added some butterflies that a German exchange student who stayed with us in 2013 gave me. I used my black marker a lot on this layout in order to mimic the look of the stamped Easter eggs and to tie the whole page together. BTW: there isn't actually a black strip on top of the layout; I wanted to show the sunburst extending off the page, so I didn't crop off the Versamat that was under the layout when I photographed it. Not sure whether to keep the sunburst as is or trim it off since it will stick out of the page protector. What do you think?

Recipe:

My Peeps & Bingo Alphabet stamp sets

Brushed Level 2 papers

Sky, Canary, Pixie, Pear, Topiary & White Daisy cardstock

Creme Brulee, Blush, Juniper, Pear & Black ink

Black marker

Watercolor markers (Prismacolor)

Butterfly stickers (Rossler Papier)

Sky & White Daisy brads

3-D foam tape

Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: flowers, stems, title box

Cricut Artbooking cartridge: title, sunburst

Challenges: Heart 2 Heart Good Day, Sunshine

Stocking Stalkers Layout

I'm almost done with Christmas 2012, so here's a layout from Christmas morning when we opened our stockings. Sketch-n-Scrap is celebrating its third birthday this month, so there are challenges all month long. I decided to play along with the three photo challenge for this layout and am hoping to participate in some of the other challenges as the month rolls on!

Recipe:
Bingo Alphabet stamp set
Grace, Felicity & Huntington Level 2 papers
Barn Red, Twilight, Cocoa, Bamboo & Colonial White cardstock
Barn Red, Twilight & Cocoa ink
Cocoa marker
Twilight brads and Bigger Brads
Brown embroidery floss ( Making Memories)
Epoxy sticker (KI Memories)
3-D foam tape
Cuttlebug embossing folder: Wicker Weave
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: stocking tags, title shape
Pattern: Parlor Trick from Jeanette Lynton's Magic
Challenges: Mandy Reedyk 3 photo challenge

Brothers & BFFs Layout

This layout went in a different direction than I originally intended. I was simply going to do an intro page for a trip to the Natural History Museum, but I kept looking at the picture of my boys together and wanted somehow to celebrate their brotherly bond. I then happened upon the "Best Advice Ever" journaling card in the My Crush Best Day Ever Assortment, and I decided to write some advice to my boys about treasuring their relationship. The friends forever and BFF die-cuts were lucky finds, too, since I was actually looking for a brothers die-cut, but I love what they add to the layout, and hope they express my wish for my boys.

Recipe:
Bingo Alphabet & Notice the Details stamp sets
Typeset Level 2 papers
Outdoor Denim, Creme Brulee & Colonial White cardstock
Juniper & Barn Red ink
Outdoor Denim, Barn Red & Juniper markers
My Crush Best Day Ever Assortment journaling spot & stickers
That's Amore journaling spot
Juniper washi tape
Honey washi tape
Juniper paper clip
Heart punch (EK Success)
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: friends forever & BFF titles, arrow
Pattern: Sketch 'n Scrap #54
Challenges: Little Red Wagon numbers challenge (I included a date and there are numbers on one of my papers)

Holzwarth Historic Site Layout

Creating the embellishments for this layout was a fun challenge involving sand paper, a paper crimper, a paper piercer, Liquid Glass, and (of course) my Cricut!

Recipe:
A Typeface & Bingo Alphabet stamp sets
Dakota Level 2 papers
Whisper, Barn Red, Pacifica & Black cardstock
Antiqued Copper Designer Brads
Natural hemp
Cricut Artiste cartridge: belt buckle, embellishment
Pattern: Let's Scrap 2-29-12

Ski School Layout

I'm plugging away at the INSM challenges from Let's Scrap, so here's another one. We needed to use a Let's Scrap sketch to create a layout that includes a banner and a Bingo card. I posted Adrian's skiing layout a few days ago, and here is Elliot's. I created the Bingo card and made it say "Daddy Style" because Elliot didn't go to formal ski school, but he certainly learned a lot about skiing from his daddy.

Recipe:
Bingo Alphabet stamp set
Jingle Level 2 papers
Tulip, Creme Brulee, Juniper, Olive & White Daisy cardstock
Tulip, Creme Brulee, Juniper, Olive, Bamboo & Black ink
Olive marker
Diamond Stickles (Ranger)
Natural hemp
Liquid Glass
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: title, banner, scalloped circle, snowflakes
Pattern: Let's Scrap Sketch 1-26-11

Waffle Wednesday Layout

Another Studio J "scrap-lift" from my Washington vacation. I didn't have the My Stickease for the Grace papers, so I stamped a few images instead using one of the first stamp sets I purchased from CTMH, All My Love. It may be old, but it still works great! Looking at the layout now, I think I need to add some faux stitching around the edges. It's a little plain as is. What do you think?

Recipe:
Bingo Alphabet & All My Love stamp sets
Grace Level 2 papers
Barn Red, Honey & Colonial White cardstock
Honey, Twilight & Cocoa ink
Barn Red marker
Colonial white ric-rac
3-D foam tape
Pattern: Leading Lady from Imagine

LOAD #6 - Valentine's Day

I created today's layout for the Mini VSBN (Virtual Scrapbooking Night) Four By Four Challenge over at Split Coast Stampers. Here are the four requirements, and how I interpreted them:

1) Use four 4x4 photos- check
2) Use the sketch for Inspiration - I moved things around a bit but I think you can still see the bones of the sketch in my layout.
3) Include journaling - check
4) Use four decorative elements (bonus if they are 'sweet') - I used stickers, ric-rac, staples, and a banner.

There was a fifth requirement: complete the layout in two hours or less. I guess I'm benefitting from all the layouts I've completed so far this month, because I started the layout at 4:20 and finished at 5:27! I never scrap that fast, so this was quite an accomplishment for me. If anyone wants to play along with the challenge, it ends Wednesday night, so you have one more day to participate.

Recipe:
Bingo Alphabet stamp set
Life Delight's level 2 papers & My Stickease
Black, Kraft, Lilac Mist & Colonial White cardstock
Black ink
Colonial White ric-rac
Staples
3-D foam tape
Fiskar's border punch
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: banner

LOAD #16 + Week 43 Layout Linky - Evening Playtime

In case you haven't noticed, I haven't been able to keep up with my Layout a Day Challenge this month. I guess I underestimated our commitments for October. I am still trying to complete some more layouts, however, so here is layout #16. I'll call it my daily LOAD just to keep it simple. I used a revised version of Stars Above from Imagine for the pattern. One of the October challenges from the Heart 2 Heart blog was to create a layout with a story on it. This is mine!

Did you know there is no patterned paper on this layout? That's right, I created all the "patterned paper" using a few supplies. First, I stamped trees and snow using Versamark ink and an embossing pen, then I embossed it with White embossing powder. I brayered Sky ink over it. Next, I stamped more trees using the Versamark ink, embossed them with clear powder, and brayered over them with Outdoor Denim ink. I ended up with multiple shades of ink showing through, and I love the effect. Hope you can use it on a layout.



Recipe:
White Daisy, Outdoor Denim & Kraft cardstock
Versamark, Sky, Outdoor Denim & Desert Sand ink
White & Clear embossing powder
Outdoor Denim brads
Embossing stylus
Sanding block

***If you are participating in the 52 Layouts Challenge, please use the link below to link your layout to this post. You have until Friday at 11:59PM PST to post your week 43 layout. The link will allow you to post a title and thumbnail that link to your site, where we can see the layout in all its glory!

Kindred Layout

I'm almost done with the challenges from VIrtual Scrapbook Night on Split Coast Stampers. Here's another one; we had to use the site ABCya! Word Clouds for Kids! to create a word cloud, and then use it on our layout. Unfortunately, I couldn't print mine out since my color printer wasn't working, so I improvised using stamps. I also used 2 Page Sketch #1 from the Sketch Support Blog.



Recipe:
Mayberry Level 2 papers
Jubilation, Hodgepodge Alphabet, Bingo Alphabet, Polkadot Alphabet & Classmate Alphabet stamp sets
Colonial White cardstock
Olive, Honey, Smoothie, Cocoa & Sky ink
Olive & Honey markers
Olive, Cocoa & Sky brads

LOAD #16 - Coconino National Forest

I had a few pictures left from our Arizona vacation that I had not yet scrapped, so I thought it was time to finish that album. For this layout, I used the Lucky Level 2 paper pack, which features earth tones that are great for scrapping nature pictures (as well as all those boy pictures I have)! I love the main colors of Desert Sand, Outdoor Denim, and Olive with a dash of Sunset thrown in for contrast.



Recipe:
Bingo Alphabet stamp set
Lucky Level 2 papers & Die Cut Assortment
Desert Sand & Bamboo cardstock
Outdoor Denim ink
Olive marker
3-D foam squares