EMS Sketch Challenge 105 + Danger Zone Layout

This hamster passed away many years ago, yet he lives on through our photos! I love these shots of him and our cat Thor checking each other out. As I mentioned in my journaling, Humphrey was a mean hamster, but I don't remember Thor getting bitten, so I guess it all turned out okay.

For my layout, I needed a sketch but couldn't find one that was just right for my photos, so I whipped up a new one. Except for swapping out the chevrons for starbursts and using a slightly smaller top photo, I kept pretty much to the sketch for my layout. As always, please leave a link in the comments below if you decide to use the sketch. Happy scrapping!

The sketch:

My layout:

Recipe:
Pet Shop papers (KI Memories)
Canary, Carolina, Goldrush, Chocolate & White Daisy cardstock
Carolina, Goldrush & Chocolate ink
Dutch Blue marker
Raw Sienna fineliner pen (iBayam)
Blue Gemstone (Paper Studios)
Cricut Artistry cartridge: starbursts, title
Challenges: Crazy Critter Challenges #68 Anything goes with a featured critter; Let's Craft and Create #189 Anything goes with optional sketch

Pastor John Layout

For this sweet photo of my former pastor with his son and my son, I wanted something that would reflect what a great guy he was, so the Nelson Mandela quote from Time Out Challenges was a perfect fit to express this! Unfortunately, the words "formidable combination" were too big to fit on the banner using my original stamp set, so I had to switch to a smaller one for the final banner. Bummer, but probably a good lesson to plan things out first, right?

Recipe:
Newsprint Alphabet stamp set (SU)
Tiny Typewriter stamp set
Sarita papers
Outdoor Denim, Lagoon, Gypsy, Goldrush & White Daisy cardstock
Outdoor Denim, Lagoon, Gypsy & Goldrush ink
White gel pen (Sakura)
Purple glitter gems
Cricut You Are Here cartridge: geo- tag,
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: &, banner heart
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: banners, large heart, a
Pattern: Stick It Down November 2022 single page sketch

Challenges: Time Out Challenges #226 Quote Inspiration; Heart's Quest Challenges #9 Purple and Orange hearts

Hey there Cupcake Layout

My daughter needed to provide snacks for her soccer team, so we baked and decorated cupcakes. The first attempt (a bear pawprint because her team is the Blue Grizzlies) didn't come out well, so we switched to the bear faces. Much better!

Recipe:
Cutie Pie & Quotable Words stamp sets
Smitten papers
Capri, Kraft & White Daisy cardstock
White Daisy textured cardstock
Capri, Flamingo, Raspberry & Chocolate ink
Sky Blue & Pure Pink markers (Zig)
White gel pen (Sakura)
Heart to Heart Shape Sprinkles (Doodlebug Designs)
Cupcake stickers (American Greetings)
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: banner
Challenges: Cupcake Inspirations #556 Anything Goes; Heart 2 Heart Recipe Exchange (I didn't include the exact recipe, but I did list the "ingredients" we used to make and decorate the cupcakes) 

Thankful for Our Complicated Family Layout

I wasn't sure what to title this layout until I stumbled across a blog called Time Out Challenges and noticed they were asking what we are thankful for, which made me reflect on how grateful I am that the biological half-siblings of my oldest adopted son have become family to my two youngest adopted kids, even though there is no blood relationship. I'm also thankful the kids happened to be wearing matching colors so I didn't have to struggle to figure out a color scheme for my layout - LOL! Thanks for a great challenge, Time Out!

Recipe:
Lucky & Zippidee papers
Toffee & Sapphire cardstock
Cranberry, Pacifica & Sapphire ink
White gel pen (Sakura)
Fineliner pen (IBayam)
Burlap & Cranberry grosgrain ribbon
Love This Wood titles
Wood Hearts
Cricut You Are Here cartridge: Thankful
Pattern: Sketch-n-Scrap #258

Challenges: Time Out Challenges #225 Thankful theme; Double Trouble # Let's Get A-Round to It (this time I just participated in Thing 1's circle challenge with three sizes of circles)

Quirky Love Layout

My cat Thor is a handsome dude, and his funny habits make great subjects for layouts. Here, I documented his love of lying in the sink, at least until someone turned on the water!

Recipe:
Spot On Backgrounds, State of Mind, Glamour Uppercase and Lowercase Alphabets & Besties - Zoey stamp sets
Caboodle & July/August 2021 Mix-In papers
Desert Rose, Shortbread, Almond & White Daisy cardstock
Sorbet, Sage, Black & Almond ink
Sagebrush marker (Zig)
ShinHan TouchTwin markers
Sorbet ribbon & rick-rack
Gold heart paperclips (American Crafts)
Bestie - Zoey Thin Cut die
Heart punch (EK Success)
Cricut Simply Sweet cartridge: heart
Pattern: Sketch-n-Scrap #259

Challenges: Heart's Quest Challenge Blog #8 Love + animal image; Use Your Stuff #469 Die cuts; Color My Heart #518 (I didn't have exact color matches, so I used some Sorbet and Sage products in lieu of the Melon and Rosemary)

Colorful Fun Layout

There were already a lot of colors in these photos of my kids participating in a kids' craft at Home Depot, so I decided to go with a colorful theme by using the Fresh Paint papers from CTMH and a puffy sticker title from American Crafts.

Here's a close up of the journaling card I created using the current Atlantic Heart's sketch (see below):

Recipe:
Watercolor papers (Recollections)
Fresh Paint papers
Color Kaleidoscope papers (American Crafts)
Pear, Nectarine & Flamingo cardstock
Pear, Nectarine & Black ink
Clover Meadow marker
Later Sk8r PML card
Color Kaleidoscope Stickers & Puffy Phrases and Icons Thickers (American Crafts)
Let's Wander Thicker (American Crafts)
Pattern: Splitcoast Stampers Sketch16Apr3 

Challenges: Double Trouble #123 Let's Get A-Round to It (Thing 1 = used multiple circles + Thing 2 = used Atlantic Hearts' sketch #495 to create a journaling card for my layout)

Forever Friends {Thor} Layout

My cat Thor is the perfect companion for me, and I love that my hubby snapped these shots of Thor hanging out with me while I read on my Kindle!

Recipe:
Stargazer paper
Ruby, Sapphire, Canary & Almond cardstock
Sapphire embossed cardstock
Ruby, Sapphire & Toffee ink
Moonstruck marker
Sienna fineliner pen (iBayam)
These Are My People cardstock stickers
Heartfelt Whimsy shapes
Tan brads (from my stash, source unknown)
Canary baker's twine
Ruby chevron washi tape
Magic Mesh (Creative Imaginations)
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: frames
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: curved rectangle
Cricut Artistry cartridge: pawprints (used as stencil)
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #69 (altered somewhat!)

Challenges: Critter Crazy Challenges #67;  Heart 2 Heart Stencil It (used my Cricut Artistry cartridge to create a paw print stencil, which I then inked and used on the Almond cardstock die cut); Heart's Quest Challenge Blog #8 Love + animal (used the word love in my journaling plus added a heart in place of  the word love in I love you felt die cut). 

Bird Houses Layout

My hubby took several pictures of my daughter and her friend on a playdate, but this is the only one that came out well, so I took the opportunity to do a single photos layout, something rather rare for me!

Recipe:
Dream Big stamp set
Life Delights papers & cardstock stickers
Chocolate, Spring Iris, Blush, Sweet Leaf & Colonial White cardstock
Chocolate, Spring Iris, Blush, Sweet Leaf & Desert Sand ink
Sienna fineliner pen (iBayam)
Let's Wander cardstock stickers (American Crafts)
Spring Harmony Bigger Brads
Polka Dot brad (from my stash, source unknown)
Yellow button (from my stash, source unknown)
Lilac Mist embroidery floss
Cricut Artiste cartridge: title
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: flowers
Cricut Artistry cartridge: vine
Challenges: Crafter's Cafe #290 use some pink; Lasting Memories #620 Mood Board Inspiration (used the pink, white, tan, green & yellow plus flowers)

This Memory Makes Me Happy Layout

This is the companion page to the pumpkin patch layout I posted last week, but since there will be a pocket page between them, I didn't feel a need to make them coordinate. I was inspired by a few challenges to add various elements to the layout (see below), and even though it's not super complicated, it makes me smile!

Recipe:
This & That stamp set
I Love Halloween papers (Echo Park)
Paprika, Buttercup, Eggplant & Black cardstock
Sunset, Buttercup, Eggplant & Black ink
Fineliner pen (iBayam)
Jack-o'-lantern faces stickers (Suzy's Zoo)
Honey triangles washi tape
Black enamel dots
Orange buttons (from my stash, source unknown)
Olive embroidery floss
Cricut Artistry cartridge: pumpkins, stars overlay
Stitched Circle metal die (Art Impressions)
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #69 (rotated left)

Challenges: Double Trouble #122 Fall Colors (used orange, purple, yellow & green, and included  pumpkins)

Festive Friday #120 (I used pumpkin, orange, stars & black)

Scrap With Stacy October 2022 Tic Tac Toe Board (used the top row with circles, stickers & some orange/black)

Defense Layout

Since I didn't have the perfect patterned papers for this layout. I decided to pull out a bunch of stamps to create a background. The only pieces of patterned paper are the dark blue strips like the one under the title; the rest of the patterns are stamped on cardstock in various colors of ink. I also backed some clear buttons with stamped images or patterns to add some extra dimension to the layout, and now I'm wondering if I should have put embroidery floss bows through the patterned ones. Oh well, at least it's finished, and I can always add the floss later, right?

Recipe:
Background Builders, Noted Backgrounds, Spot On Backgrounds & Play Hard - Soccer stamp sets
Sapphire textured cardstock
Bluebird, Carolina, Pebble, Grey Wool & White Daisy cardstock
Bluebird, Carolina, Pewter, Greg Wool & Sapphire ink
Fineliner pen (iBayam)
Clear craft buttons
Enamel stars
Clipboard (Rob & Bob Studios)
Ribbon (scraps from my stash, source unknown)
Liquid Glass
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: title, star
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge 69 (I'm also playing along with a challenge over at Scrapbook.com to use the same sketch 5 times, so you will be seeing this sketch again this month!)

Challenges: Heart 2 Heart Technique challenge: create a cool background; Lasting Memories #619 Mood Board/Color inspiration (I used a range of blues and greys)