Time to Explore Layout

This week's plant theme over at Lasting Memories is palms, so I pulled out a few pictures I had been saving from our visit to Balboa Park and got to work scrapping palms. There are palms on the photos and patterned papers, and I also included a palm die-cut. The challenge runs until the end of the month, so feel free to join in. My title was inspired by the fact that I took the kids to see the Dora movie on Friday, and she loves to explore, just like my kids!

Recipe:
Pack Your Bags, This Way 2 Paradise, You & Me stamp sets
Expedition papers
Garden Green, Olive, Saddle, Bamboo & Colonial White cardstock
Saddle, Olive & Chocolate ink
ShinHan Touch Twin markers
Olive frame, brackets & photo turn - old Connections Club reward
Mocha Opaques pearls
My Crush Wildwood Assortment
Autumn Terracotta striped grosgrain ribbon
3-D foam tape
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: title
Cricut You Are Here cartridge: palm tree, geometric shape
Pattern: EMS Sketch 25
Challenges: Heart 2 Heart Adventure Awaits (all products on here are from my old CTMH stash - who recognizes them? LOL!); Lasting Memories #460 - Palms; Splitcoast Stampers VSBN challenge #3 - 3 photos, 3 patterned papers, 3 word title, 3 embellishment clusters

Parson's Lodge Layout

I was playing along with an interesting challenge from Scrapbook.com to use 92% pink and/or green on your layout. I know 92% sounds like a weird number, but it's because August 3rd was Watermelon Day, and watermelons contain 92% water, ergo the challenge. Obviously I went with the green part of the challenge for these Yosemite pictures. I'm not sure I used exactly 92%, but if not, it's close!

And here's the facing page with a pull-out journaling card to contain my memories of this hike:

And here's the journaling card (based on sketch 107 from Sketches in Thyme PL Style):

And finally, a couple of pictures from the other side of the pocket page, showing Parson's Lodge and my son near the trout-filled lake:

Recipe:
Pen Pal Alphabet & Pack Your Bags stamp sets
Back Country, Lucky, Mistletoe & Rustic Trail papers
Garden Green, New England Ivy & Bamboo cardstock
Olive & New England Ivy ink
Olive marker
Back Country & Rustic Trail My Stickease
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: scalloped border
Pattern: Sketch Savvy #60
Challenges: Heart 2 Heart Lovely Layers ( I had a great time layering all these ancient CTMH papers and My Stickease - I counted 5 layers under the tree sticker!)

Explore Olmstead Point Layout

I've been working on London vacation pictures for a long time now, but I thought I'd pause and switch over to some photos taken at Yosemite in 2012. As many of you know, the Ferguson Fire is currently burning west of Yosemite, causing quite a deterioration in air quality at the Park. I speak from personal experience, as my family just returned from a very smokey week in the valley, and I still am struggling with a hacking cough. The National Park Service decided to temporarily close the valley starting Wednesday, but the rest of the park is still open. For those who have never been, the Tuolumne Meadows area is quite beautiful, and as of last week, the air quality was decidedly better than in the valley. Since these pictures were taken at a location on the road between Crane Flats and Tuolumne Meadows, I thought I'd post this layout as a tribute to the Park and the 3,400 firefighters protecting it.

I played along with a fun "This or That" challenge from The Studio Challenges. They posted a list and asked us to choose one from each column. I wasn't able to incorporate all the lines, but I did my best! Here are the ones I managed:

polka dots or stripes

sequins or enamel dots

heart or star

stencil or stamps

stencil or embossing

twine or ribbon

blue or pink

boys or girls

Recipe:

Pack Your Bags & Travelogue stamp sets

Central Park & Fresh Air papers

Glacier, Pacifica & Grey Wool cardstock

Pacifica, Whisper & Grey Wool ink

Steel Grey marker (Zig)

Blue enamel dots

Grey Wool baker's twine

3-D foam tape

CTMH Stripe embossing folder

Cricut You Are Here cartridge: let's go, mountains, teardrop

Pattern: Sketches in Thyme #334

Challenges: Heart 2 Heart fresh air fun challenge