This & That Layout

Continuing my habit of combining the miscellaneous photos from every month on a single spread, here are my August 2018 photos. I was excited to discover one of my sketches is being used as the challenge sketch this week over at A Cherry on Top, so of course I had to dive in and create my own version of this sketch to add to the five other times I used it! Love that about sketches; they are so versatile that you can use them over and over and your layout looks unique every time.

Recipe:
Cherish the Day Stamp set
Sweetheart & Something Fierce papers
Sage, Evergreen & Bluebird cardstock
Sage, Ballerina, Cotton Candy & Bluebird ink
Star Spangled Blue marker
As You Grow PML journaling card
Simple Vintage Butterfly Bits (Simple Stories)
Puppy Love Shape Sprinkles (Doodlebug Designs)
Random Spots stencil
Cuttlebug Spots & Dots embossing folder
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: title
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: heart
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #68

Challenges: Heart's Quest Challenge Blog #74 Blue hearts; Can You Handle the Pressure - used circle embossing folder on my green circles; Color My Heart Color Dare #655 - in retrospect, my light green may be a little too light, and my dark green may be a little too dark, but I tried!

Disney on Ice Layout

National Scrapbook Day is tomorrow, so I made a deal with my hubby that I get to scrapbook all weekend, starting today, and he would take care of everything around the house - woohoo! A fellow scrapper recommended checking out the NSD challenges on A Cherry on Top, so I am going to complete as many as possible, starting with this sketch challenge from Janet (see the sketch below). I liberated a Frozen sticker book from my daughter when I found it languishing under her bed, and since she is now 17 and no longer interested in Frozen, it was a great find to add to my layout, along with some super old paper strips from a Creative Memories Short Cuts Pack (anyone remember those?) and a few stamps. I usually take days to create a layout, so I love that I finished this one in just three hours!

Recipe:
January Word Puzzle (2009) & Cherish the Day (2013) stamp sets
Short Cuts papers (CM)
Raspberry & White Daisy cardstock
Rasberry, Journey & Versamark ink
Fineliner pens (iBayam)
White gel pen (Sakura)
Frozen sticker book (Innovative Designs)
Purple Glitter Gems
Flower punch (EK Success)
Scalloped border punch (Fiskars)
Cricut Design Space: title using Quarter Note Font
Pattern: A Cherry on Top NSD - Janet's Friday Sketch challenge (not sure where she got it)

Challenges: Retro Rubber Challenges #253 Tic Tac Toe board - I used the middle column with die cuts/punches + flowers + sequins/gems. My stamps are from 2009 snowflakes) and 2013 (ticket)

Tower of London Layout

My hubby and I went to London in 2017 and took over three thousand photos, so every once in a while I pull out some photos and try to get some layouts scrapped. On this particular day, we visited the Tower of London, so here are the photos of the exterior walls, the drained moat, and the entrance at the Middle Tower. Hopefully I can get on a roll and finish scrapping our Tower photos this month, but we took a lot of pictures so no guarantees!

This layout also includes a Flip-Flap that opens up to reveal another photo and my journaling card. Here's the other photo:

And here's the journaling card:

Recipe:
Love Life, You & Me, Cherish the Day & Vintage Type stamp sets
Sage & White Daisy cardstock
Sage, Honey, Pewter & Black ink
Black marker
Silhouette & Zippidee My Complements cardstock stickers
Storybook PML cards
Happiest Place Acrylic shapes
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: ticket
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge 3 (The bottom two photos on the left were a panorama but not quite perfectly lined up, so I decided to ditch the straight lines of the sketch and stagger everything slightly, plus I added a bunch of PML cards to the background.)

Challenges: Park Hopping My Happy Place (inspired by Cinderella's Castle at Disneyland); The Outlawz Anything Goes in a Card Free Zone with optional twist of travel (our trip to London); Time Out Challenges #268 On Vacation (to London!)

Take Me Out to the Ball Game Layout for Lasting Memories #645

Welcome to this Sunday's Lasting Memories challenge, featuring a sketch with a twist: use summer themed photos. Although I just started scrapping my 2017 photos, I peeked ahead to July and found a cute photo of my hubby with two of our boys at a minor league baseball game, so I used that instead of two smaller photos. If you have summer photos you need to scrap, come play along with us through the end of the month. Even if you have an event where you took more than two photos, this sketch could be used as one side of a double page layout. The options are unlimited! Here's the sketch:

And here's my layout:

Recipe:
Cherish the Day and You & Me stamp sets
I Heart Us & Summer Vibes papers
Let's Wander Mixed-Media paper (American Crafts)
Bluebird, Candy Apple, Canary, Sweet Leaf, Black & White Daisy cardstock
Bluebird, Candy Apple, Canary, Sweet Leaf, Lagoon, Mint & Whisper ink
Black marker
Candy Apple striped grosgrain ribbon
Stars & Strips Shape Sprinkles (Doodlebug Designs)
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: banners, tag
Cricut A Child's Life cartridge: title (edited in Design Space)
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: baseball
Tickets (cut on my Wishblade many years ago, source unknown)
Challenges: Cut It Up Challenges #275 Starts With a B (B is for Baseball & Blue & Boys & Bunches of Banners!)

Engage Layout + Lasting Memories #634

One Little Word has become a popular trend among scrapbookers to help focus their minds on what is important during a given year. I had never done this or even considered it, but the latest challenge from Lasting Memories was - you guessed it - One Little Word! It took me a long time to figure out what I wanted to do for this, but I eventually chose the word "Engage" and found a sketch and a recent photo of myself to use for my layout. I bought a 9" x 9" shadow box that I will use to frame the layout, and I plan to hang it in my scrapbook room to help me remember to engage throughout the course of the year. Hopefully seeing it all the time will help keep me accountable! If you have been thinking of picking a One Little Word for the year, the Lasting Memories challenge is open until the end of the month for you to join with your scrapbook page containing your word. Hope to see you over there!

Recipe:
Take Note & Cherish the Day stamp sets
My Happy Place papers (Doodlebug Designs)
Sage, Pixie, Black & White Daisy cardstock
Sage, Pixie & Black ink
Black marker
Oh Happy Day chipboard stickers & washi tape (Simple Stories)
Heart to Heart Shape Sprinkles (Doodlebug Designs)
Cricut Simply Sweet cartridge: title
Cricut Artistry cartridge: tab
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: notebook paper
Pattern: Page Maps Sketch

Challenges: Crafter"s Cafe #293 Colors of the Rainbow

Celebrate Good Times Layout

Since this layout displays a random assortment of photos taken in June 2016, I was going to title it something boring like "June Memories," but I decided to play along with Challenge YOUrself and use the song lyrics "Celebrate Good Times" as my title instead. I'm so excited I got to use the llama chipboard piece on a layout featuring an actual llama!

Click on the photo to see all the fun details!

June 4 was the first time my son Elliot had cauliflower, so the journaling space on the right hand page is popped up with foam tape, and there's a pull out tag behind it that records a funny conversation Elliot had with his dad regarding cauliflower.

Recipe:
Cherish the Day, You Are My Happy & Let's Stay Home stamp sets
Fresh Paint & Summer Vibes papers
Candy Apple, Carolina, Bluebird, Nectarine & White Daisy cardstock
Candy Apple, Carolina, Sunny Yellow, Black & Bamboo ink
Black marker
Fresh Paint & Summer Vibes PML cards
Celebrating Freedom ephemera (BoBunny)
Oh Happy Day chipboard sticker (simple Stories)
Light blue & yellow ric-rac (JoAnn Craft Essentials)
Heavenly Blue organdy ribbon

Black & White enamel dots

Seas the Day enamel dots

3-D foam tape
Fish and flower punches (EK Success)
Scalloped border punch (Fiskars)
Stitched Circle metal die (Art Impressions)
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: ticket, oval, tag
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: title

Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #88

Challenges: Challenge YOUrself #105 (lots of good times to celebrate in these photos)

Festive Friday #117 (used red + flower + die cut + memory keeping + ribbon)

Welcome to Hogwarts Layout

My second Universal Studios layout features a few photos from the Wizard World of Harry Potter. I played along with the Scrap Our Stash Tic Tac Toe challenge to create this layout, starting with a sketch from Page Maps and adding several die-cuts and 3 photos. I also did lots of stamping and some fussy cutting to get just the look I wanted for the embellishments. Hope you all like it!

Recipe:
Spellbound, Wicked, October World Puzzle, Cherish the Day, Strong Roots & Friendship Alphabet Small stamp sets
Let's Wander Watercolor paper (American Crafts)
Kraft, Pewter & White Daisy cardstock
Desert Sand, Cranberry, Pewter, Charcoal & Black ink
Black, Cranberry & Goldrush markers
Gold Metallix marker
Cranberry velvet ribbon
Stars & Strips Shape Sprinkles (Doodlebug Designs)
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: title, pennant, title, scalloped border, tag
Stitched Circle metal die (Art Impressions)
Pattern: Page Maps September 2021 (altered to fit my larger photos)

Challenges: Scrap our Stash April 2022 Tic Tac Toe (right column using Page Maps sketch & Die-cut & 2+ photos) 

Dog Days of Christmas Layout

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are enjoying some much needed time off. As I was scrapping Christmas Day pictures from 2013, I noticed I had quite a few pictures of our dogs, so I created this layout to remind myself that they are part of our family celebration!

Recipe:
A Typeface, Notice the Details, and Cherish the Day stamp sets
Pear & Partridge Level 2 papers
Cranberry, Desert Sand, Saddle, Champagne & Cashmere cardstock
New England Ivy, Cranberry, Desert Sand & Cashmere ink
Sap Green Shin Han Twin Touch marker
Cranberry grosgrain ribbon
White Pines Assortment flair
Red Glitz Glitter Gel
Red Glitter gem
Cricut Artistry cartridge: wreath, holly leaves, dog
Cricut Teresa Collins cartridge: Christmas
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: tags
Pattern: Scrap Our Stash December sketch + 3 (I used bows, red, flair, green, glitter, and tags)
Challenges: Rochelle Spears Glitter challenge (I added glitter glue to all the berries for an extra-festive touch)

Remember When Layout

The last of my pictures from our second trip to the Natural History Museum in 2012. I used a Page Maps 5 photo sketch but managed to sneak in two more tiny photos by adding them to the stamped filmstrip pieces. I also went for a mostly black color scheme with just a little bit of kraft and white. I was so tempted to add in other colors, but I'm glad I didn't because I like the way it turned out!

Recipe:
Flight of the Arrows, Take Note & Cherish the Day stamp sets
Spellbound Level 2 papers (polkadots)
Stripe & Grid paper (KI Memories)
Kraft, Whisper & White Daisy cardstock
Black & Desert Sand ink
Cabana Titles stickers (CM)
White ric-rac (Wrights)
Star punch
CM Curvy cutter
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: ticket
Pattern: Page Maps September 2013 Double Page sketch
Challenges: Clear It Out use lots of black & stickers (3 title stickers); Frosted Designs use stars & stripes, 1 2 3 Get Scrappy top row (my rectangle pieces are the strips of Patterned paper and cardstock)

A Plethora of Presents Layout

In case anyone is wondering, plethora means abundance or excess, which was certainly appropriate for the Christmas morning depicted in this layout. Our kids have lots of grandparents, so they received lots of presents! This was my last layout of 2013, and I am so excited that I met my yearly goal of 100 layout. Woohoo! Now I need to get started on my 2014 goal.

Recipe:
Cherish the Day & A Typeface stamp sets
Sparkle and Shine Level 2 papers & Complements
Ruby, Juniper, Black & White Daisy cardstock
Ruby, Juniper, Black & Slate ink
Ruby & Juniper alcohol markers
Black marker
Silver Metallics marker
Ruby Mini-Medley
Juniper & Silver washi tape
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: ticket, title cut-out, rectangles
Pattern: inspired by Stars Above from Imagine (but taken in a very different direction!)
Challenges: Color My Heart Color Dare #74 (Juniper & Ruby)

Update: I was a winner at Color My Heart for this layout!

Tournament Layout

During his year learning Karate, my son Elliot participated in one karate tournament.  Although he didn't win any prizes, he did take home a commemorative medal, and I was so proud of him for getting up the courage to even do this in public. He was a Tiger orange belt at the time (i.e. a white belt with an orange stripe), so the Spellbound papers seemed a perfect choice for scrapbooking this momentous day. Although this was originally a Halloween kit, the orange/black combo works well for other events, too. And for those of you interested in participating in my Ombre Variety Challenge for Splitcoast Stampers, the title is another example of ombre.

And here's a video of him doing his kata. Notice at the end how he almost lands on the lap of one of the judges!

Recipe:
Posterboard Alphabet, Cherish the Day, Blue Ribbon & Boutique Borders stamp sets
Spellbound Level 2 papers
White Daisy & Sunset cardstock
Black ink
Black Glitter tape
Label tape (Dymo)
Watercolor pencil (Prismacolor)
Pattern: Make It From Your Heart Pattern 4
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: ticket
Challenges: Clear It Out - Make someone's day (check!) and use something sparkly (black glitter tape);  Stampin' Royalty - anything goes.

SCS Variety Challenge 182 - Paint by the Numbers

Can you believe it's already the 4th Wednesday of the month? That means another Variety Challenge for Splitcoast Stampers. Please visit SCS (using the link below) if you would like to play along.

SBVC182 Paint by the Numbers
When I was a kid, I loved those paint by the numbers pictures. Your challenge this week is to pull out the paints and do some painting on your layout. It could be edging your photos, creating a background using dots of paint, decorating a chipboard title, etc. And for the "by the numbers" part, make sure you have a number somewhere on your page.

I painted the title and around the edges of my layout. First, I traced the number and letters using an old set of stencils I had, and then I carefully filled them in using a fine-tip paint brush. Finally, I added some highlights using a white gel pen. The end result isn't as polished as stamping or using my Cricut, but the process was fun, and shouldn't that be a big part of what scrapbooking is all about?

Recipe:
Limited Edition & Cherish the Day stamp sets
Black, Kraft, Cashmere & Colonial White cardstock
Chocolate & Barn Red ink
Black marker
White gel pen (Marvy)
Raw Sienna acrylic paint (Golden Artist Colors, Inc.)
Black ribbon & brads (old Connections Club Reward)
3-D foam tape
ABC Tracers Alphabet Templates (EK Success)
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: scalloped circle, tickets, arrows
Pattern: Best of Becky Higgins Sketches p.111