April LOAD #3 - The Great Christmas Adventure

Thought I would post this so Linda and Michelle can post their layouts if they are done. Today was a busy day, and I am almost out of pictures, so I spend the last hour figuring out what photos I need to get printed. Too bad Costco closes at 6pm on Saturday! I'll have to hope they are open on Easter Sunday so I can get more photos. I still need a title and journaling on today's layout, so I'll post it as soon as I'm done! ************* 10:45 and I finally finished. I didn't think a totally ink and paper layout would take so long to finish! Just want to share a fun technique I used on this, and then I'm going to bed. For the postcard stamp, I didn't have a suitable stamp image, so I had to get creative. I rolled the outside of a postage stamp stamp in Dutch Blue ink, taking care not to get any ink on the inside of the image (it was a maple leaf, so not suitable for this layout at all), and I stamped it in the corner of the postcard. I then used the angel stamp from "Holiday Hoopla" to stamp the inside of the stamp. Voila - an angel postage stamp!

Recipe:

Holiday Hoopla, Post Card Travel Series, Hodge Podge Alphabet, December Word Puzzle & Celebrate the Everyday stamp sets

Animal Cookies Creative Basics papers

Dutch Blue, Honey & White Daisy cardstock

Dutch Blue, Honey, Tulip & Clover Meadow ink

April LOAD #2 - Fish House Vera Cruz

One of my favorite places to eat fish is the Fish House Vera Cruz. If you're ever in San Marcos, California, it's well worth visiting. The food is delicious! There's always a wait for a table, so the kids entertain themselves by watching the fish in the huge fish tank in the lobby. We went there with friends in March 2007 to celebrate Elliot's second birthday. I was so happy to capture a sweet moment when Elliot was staring fascinated at the fish tank while his older brother gazed solemnly into the camera lens. It's one of my favorite pictures of them.

On this layout, I used the stamp set "At the Aquarium," long discontinued but still one I pull out to scrapbook anything fishy! To highlight the two larger photos, I dry embossed a square around them and then sanded the cardstock to reveal the white core underneath. It's a fun and not too difficult technique to help make your pictures pop!



Recipe:
At the Aquarium, Charm Upper Alphabet, Charm Lowercase Alphabet & Say It In Style stamp sets
Rustic Trails Level 2 papers & My Stickease
Indian Corn Blue & Goldrush cardstock
Cocoa ink
Cocoa marker
Photo hanger
Hemp

Pattern: Unified Whole from Cherish

April LOAD #1 - Kody

Welcome to the first LOAD of the month. I am so excited that we have several people joining in this time. Here is my first layout. The design is scraplifted from page 25 of the February 2010 issue of Creating Keepsakes magazines.



Recipe:
Checklist, The Works Alphabet, Extreme Caps & Moments in Time stamp sets
Black & White Daisy cardstock
Black, Ocean, Crystal Blue ink
White embroidery floss
3-D foam tape

LOAD Challenge for April

When we did our LOAD (Layout a Day) challenge in January, I promised we would do another one in April. Can you believe it's already that time? So who wants to join me? It's not as scary as it sounds, I promise! Basically, anyone who signs up will try to create one layout for each day in April, for a total of 30 layouts. The layouts can be single or double page, mini album, whatever you happen to be working on right now.

Here's how it works:
1. I will create a post for each day of the month.
2. You create a layout, and then take a picture or scan of it.
3. Post your layout online somewhere (your blog, Photobocket, Split Coast Stampers gallery, etc.). Please make sure I won't need a password to access your layout.
4. Leave a comment on my post with a link to your picture.
5. You have one week after I make my post to finish and post your layout.

That's it! Pretty simple, but I am available to walk through it for the technologically challenged. At the end of the month, I will put the names of everyone who finished 30 layouts into a drawing to win a Close to My Heart My Reflections Level 2 paper pack and coordinating My Stickease. So you end the month with 30 layouts scrapped, plus a chance at scrapbook supplies. What a win-win situation! Please let me know if you plan to participate. The more, the merrier!

EMS Sketch Challenge 6

Okay, here's the sketch. It didn't take me long at all once I sat down and figured out what I needed. No layout yet, because I have to go to Costco to get photos developed, but see what you can do with this in the meantime. Add what you need, switch it up, whatever, just have fun. By the way, you never know where you will find inspiration. I created this sketch after glancing at the ad on page 19 of the March/April 2010 Creating Keepsakes magazine!
The sketch:

Update: Finally finished a layout based on this sketch, so check it out here!

Christmas Morning Layout

Good Monday morning, everyone. I know I have been posting a sketch challenge on Mondays, but I'll let you in on a little secret: I don't have one ready yet this morning! Ooops. I will try to work on it during the day, even though I have my older son home from school for Spring Break. In the meantime, here is a layout I've been working on for a couple of days, and I finally forced myself to stop playing and just finish it. I used that wonderful Jingle paper, and the fun new stamp set "Stocking Style." Don't you love the tiny alphabet that comes with that set? I can think of so many uses for it! If you want to check out the whole set, it's in the Winter 2009 idea book from CTMH. Enjoy.



Recipe:
Stocking Style stamp set
Jingle Level 2 papers
Creme Brulee, Tulip & White Daisy cardstock
Creme Brulee, Tulip, Olive & Juniper ink
Tulip & Juniper markers
Bitty Sparkles
Creme Brulee Ribbon Rounds
3-D foam squares

EMS Sketch Challenge 5 - Here We Go a Caroling Layout

The sketch this week is a single page one, since that's what I needed to scrap. I was inspired by a layout in Creating Keepsakes magazine, but I can't remember which issue, much less which layout, so I can't give credit. Sorry. Once again, this is not a contest: it's a tool to help you get your pages done, so if you are blog surfing and you haven't scrapped yet today, put the mouse down and go create a page!

The Sketch:

My Layout:

Recipe:
Encore, Just for the Holidays, December Word Puzzle, Shining Star & The Works Alphabets stamp sets
Evensong Level 2 papers
Bamboo & White Daisy cardstock
Vineyard Berry, New England Ivy & Sorbet ink
Vineyard Berry & New England Ivy markers
3-D foam tape

A Little Everything Card Workshop

A few friends are coming over tomorrow night to make cards. It's a small workshop, only four cards, but I know we'll have lots of fun. I really love the March Stamp of the Month, A Little Everything, and I think it is so versatile, so I decided to use it on all my cards. In the interest of keeping the cost down, I used mostly scraps, and I'm not using major embellishments, but I had fun with the Liquid Glass and Bitty Sparkles. I'm open to feedback, although I won't have a lot of time tomorrow to change anything, so please tell me if you have any minor tweaks that would improve the cards. Thanks to all the ladies who participated in the March SOTM Blog Hop. Their creativity totally inspired me! Special thanks to Annette Green for her Easter card, which was the basis for my Easter card.





Recipe:
A Little Everything, Love You Forever, Star Struck, Connections, Holiday Hoopla, Simple Stitches, State of Mind, Thoughtful Seasons, Grown with Love & Dainty Thoughts stamp sets
Twitterpated Level 2 papers
Sweet Leaf, Sorbet, Crystal Blue & Colonial White cardstock
Sweet Leaf, Sorbet, Crystal Blue & Chocolate ink
Sorbet & Chocolate grosgrain ribbon
White Daisy Just Blooms
Clear buttons
Bitty Sparkles
Liquid Glass

EMS Sketch Challenge 4 - Family Hike Layout

Here is the latest sketch challenge for all you creative people to use. Remember, this is not a competition (there are no prizes), so you can use the sketch as is or tweak it until it fits your needs. No deadlines, just have fun with it. I had a lot of trouble picking papers for my layout, so it sat on my desk for three days while I tried different combinations with it. You know what finally helped me make my decision? Studio J. Studio J is a soon to be released product from CTMH that you can use to create digital layouts, and CTMH will print and ship them to you. There's no upfront cost to use it; you simply log into the website and start creating. I picked out a pattern (Studio J uses patterns from Jeanette Lynton's Cherish and Imagine books) and a paper kit, and started arranging my pictures on it. The first kit I picked didn't quite work for me, so with a click of a button, I was able to substitute another kit. I went through about 6 kits until I found one I liked, and it was so much easier than hunting through my stash to find the perfect papers. I won't be ordering the layout I created in Studio J because I already had all my pictures printed out at home, but what a great design tool! I'll keep you posted about the release date of this great new product, because I'm sure many of you will want to try it out.

The sketch:

My layout:

 

Recipe: 

Holiday Hoopla, Chocolate Alphabet Small & True Happiness stamp sets

Stardust Level 2 papers

White Daisy, Dutch Blue & Bamboo cardstock

Moonstruck, Dutch Blue, Cocoa, Desert Sand & Garden Green ink

Garden Green marker

3-D foam squares

Great 2B 8 Layout

I have to confess: I have a love/hate relationship with Chuck E. Cheese. I love that the kids have such a great time while we're there, but I hate having to scrap all those bright, busy photos. Can anyone relate? When scrapping Adrian's birthday party pictures this year, I tried to compromise by using only snippets of B&T paper on a solid color background. The fact that the B&T papers are slightly grungy looking helped to tone down the shock of bright, primary colors, and I actually find myself liking this layout. Hope you do, too.



Recipe:
Spot On Backgrounds, Boys at Play, Gear Up & Extreme Caps stamp sets
Tinkering & Animal Cookies Level 2 papers
Twilight, Sunny Yellow & White Daisy cardstock
Holiday Red, Twilight, Clover Meadow, Bamboo, Desert Sand, Autumn Terracotta & Creme Brulee ink
Twilight marker
Autumn Terracotta embroidery floss
3D foam tape
Scallop border punch (Fiskars)