This Rocks

I was so excited to see the actual Rosetta Stone when we visited the British Museum, but I wanted a title with a little more pizzazz than just "Rosetta Stone," so after a little thought, "This Rocks" just dropped into my brain. Love it when that happens!

Recipe:
Extreme Caps alphabet stamp set
Watercolor paper (Recollections)
Let's Wander paper (American Crafts)
Black, Twilight, Glacier & Saffron cardstock
Twilight, Glacier & Saffron ink
Black marker
Black enamel dots
Slice of Life mini puffy sticker (American Crafts)
Color Kaleidoscope puffy sticker (American Crafts)
Our Adventure epoxy sticker (MAMBI)
Pattern: Splitcoast Stampers Sketch15Dec1

Challenges: Scrap With Stacy January 2021 Tic Tac Toe (I used the middle column with puffy stickers, hearts, banner piece)

Thor's Thoughts Layout

I host a Daily Inspiration Challenge over on Scrapbook.com, and I try to think up fun way to use our crafting supplies by being inspired by seasonal and sometimes bizarre holidays. This month, I was inspired by several challenges as I created this layout about my cat Thor:

• January 2 is Run It Up the Flagpole and See If Anyone Salutes Day, a day to get creative with new concepts and ideas, so I finally pulled out the pen that came with my Cricut and experimented with writing my journaling using the Cricut. Only took me a year to use this pen - LOL!

• January 6 is Cuddle Up Day, so I added journaling about my cat cuddling up to Cinderella.

• January 19 is Tin Can Day, and since the tin can was invented in the early 1800 but can openers didn't come along until 1858, I challenged everyone to use a tool they wish had been around when they started crafting. My tool was my Cricut, which I used to cut out the speech bubbles.

• January 22 is National Answer Your Cat's Questions Day, so I added the speech bubbles as if my cat was talking/thinking about life.

The Daily Inspiration Challenge is open all month, so come on over to Scrapbook.com to check it out and play along!

Recipe:
Blue Skies papers & stickers
Canary cardstock
Canary, Green Apple, Candy Apple, Lagoon & Sapphire ink
ShinHan Touch Twin marker
Black marker (Cricut)
Stargazer & Seas the Day enamel dots
Ric-rac (JoAnn's Craft Essentials & Wrights)
Cricut Design Space: speech bubbles and journaling
Pattern: Sketch-n-Scrap #216 (reversed to work with my background paper)

Challenges: 2 Crafty Critter Crazies anything goes with a critter (my cat); Heart 2 Heart Out With the Old, In With the New (I used the Blue Skies papers and stickers that I got for Christmas, plus a new technique using my Cricut).

EMS Sketch Challenge 97 + Fun @ CCV Layout

It's a new year and here's my first scrapbook sketch for 2021! There are lots of photos on it, but the mats help separate them a little and give the pages definition. I stuck pretty close to the sketch for my layout, but feel free change it up as needed, and don't forget to post a link to your completed layout in the comments section below. Happy scrapping!

The sketch:

My layout:

Recipe:
I Love Halloween papers (Echo Park)
Paprika, Garden Green, Black & White Daisy cardstock
Sunset, Garden Green & Black ink
Black marker
Heartfelt Whimsy felt die cuts
Hodge Podge Color-Ready alphabet stickers
Garden Green brads
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: journaling frame
Challenges: Use Your Stuff #413 All About the New (used my new Echo Park Halloween papers!); The Studio Challenges Old and New (used new Halloween papers plus old felt die-cuts and alphabet stickers)

British Museum Layout

It's Sunday and time for another challenge from Lasting Memories. As their guest designer for January, I got to find out about the challenges early, and this one is really fun: create a layout about a favorite place you've visited. I knew I wanted to create a layout about my trip to London with my hubby in 2017, so I pulled out photos from one of our favorite spots, the British Museum. It's a must-see for anyone who loves ancient history, and I sincerely envy those who live in London and can access it any time they want! This layout was a little challenging for me because the photos seemed to call for a heritage look and that's not my strong point, but I did my best. Come join in the fun at Lasting Memories; the challenges run until January 30! 

Recipe:
Bingo Alphabet & Eclectic Edges stamp sets
Yesterday & Today papers
Espresso & Cocoa cardstock
Espresso, Cocoa & Toffee ink
Brown marker (Zig)
Let's Wander Tag Journal Pieces & sticker (American Crafts)
Adornaments Beige fibers (EK Success)
Square ribbon slide (MM)
Metal Love Charms (MM)
Pewter brad
Grey polka dot washi tape
Opaque Matte texture paste (Ranger)
3-D foam tape

Tim Holtz Dot Fade stencil (Stampers Anonymous)
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: title

Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge 70 (turned upside down)

Before & After Layout

I was asked to be a guest designer over at Lasting Memories challenge blog for the month of January, so here we go with their first challenge: Before & After. I had a couple of sets of photos in mind for this, but these seemed like a perfect match. I even used the challenge theme as my title. The challenge runs until January 30th, so feel free to put on your thinking caps and get creative!

Recipe:
Color Kaleidoscope & Let's Wander papers (American Crafts)
Kraft, Bluebird & White Daisy cardstock
Desert Sand, Bluebird & Lagoon ink
Brown marker (Zig)
Yellow ric-rac (Craft Essentials)
Staples
Color Kaleidoscope puffy sticker (American Crafts)
Wooden Hearts & Arrows
Let's Wander sticker (American Crafts)
Lagoon washi tape
Cricut Wall Decor & More cartrdige: title
Challenges: Scrap Our Stash January 2021 Remix (scraplift)

Walk to the Park Layout

Love these photos of me and my family on a Thanksgiving Day walk to the park. We decided to try taking our cat with us and, needless to say, he wasn't very happy about it, but everyone else had fun. The bottom right photos lifts up to reveal a photo of the cat plus another picture of my family.

Here's the picture of my cat. He actually looks pretty calm compared to when we were trying to pull him along on the leash!

Recipe:
Tiny Typewriter stamp set
A Perfect Autumn papers (Echo Park)
Paprika, Saddle & Almond cardstock
Saddle & Autumn Terracotta ink
Pure Brown marker (Zig)
Green craft buttons
Chocolate embroidery floss
DE Signage chipboard
Heartfelt Wonder felt shapes
Black enamel dot
Googly eyes (from my stash)
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: hearts
Cricut You Are Here cartridge: park title
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge 9

Challenges: Challenge YOUrself #84 Anything Goes; The Library Challenge #74 Anthology - when I saw this book cover, I knew I had to use the felt squirrel with his nut, although once I added googly eyes, he reminded me more of Scrat in Ice Age!

Besties {Reece & Minnie} Layout

I am trying to make my yearly goal of 100 layouts and had four left as of this morning, but I cranked one out this morning, and then this layout with sweet photos of my hubby's niece and her Minnie Mouse came together relatively quickly. Only two left to go now, but only one day of 2020 left, so hopefully I can make it! 

Recipe:
Craft On papers
Dream Pop embossed cardstock
Bluebird cardstock
Canary, Pixie, Carolina & Bluebird ink
Black marker
Flamingo Dots
Best Friends cardstock sticker (Photoplay)
Pink ric-rac (Berwick)
Daisy & heart punches (EK Success)
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge 80

Challenges: Color My Heart # 424 Non-traditional Colors (the instructions indicated it didn't have to be a Christmas layout, so I immediately thought of these photos of my niece)

Decorating SVCC 2015 Layout

The tradition of getting together with a group of people and helping decorate our church for Christmas is one we really missed this year. Darn 2020! To create this layout, I dug through my stash of old CTMH Christmas papers and pulled out a pack that contained only scraps, perfect for the sketch I decided to use. I rounded it out with a few PML cards from the coordinating kit and some old cork alphabet stickers for the title.

Recipe:
Pear & Partridge papers & PML cards
Desert Sand cardstock
Cranberry & New England Ivy ink
Black marker
White gel pen (Sakura)
Cork Color-Ready Alphabet stickers
Color Kaleidoscope thickers (American Crafts)
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge 68

Challenges: Color My Heart #423 Traditional Christmas Colors

Just Be Layout

Just some random pictures of my two youngest kids at McDonalds after church, but their outfits inspired me to use a sticker that's been in my stash for a while, which also inspired me to use the black and white color scheme with pops of red. Hope you like!

Recipe:
Color Kaleidoscope papers (American Crafts)
For Always & Sweetheart papers
Black & Cranberry ink
Red pearls
Black grosgrain ribbon
Color Kaleidoscope sticker (American Crafts)
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: scalloped circle, title, banners
Pattern: Rochelle Spears December 2020 Sketch

San Diego Cousins Layout

My hubby is fortunate to have many cousins close by that we can visit, and there is never a shortage of kids present when we spend time with his family in San Diego! To scrapbook this photo of our kids with their San Diego cousins, I dug into my stash and found this old DCWV family themed patterned paper, and then I used the Sketches in Thyme sketch seen below to help me build a wreath of circles around the picture. A sprinkle of punched hearts and flowers and a couple of ephemera pieces and I was done!

Recipe:
The Stack 4 papers (DCWV)
Chocolate, Cotton Candy, Raspberry, Lagoon, Nectarine, Toffee & White Daisy cardstock
Brown marker (Zig)
Oh Happy Day Bit & Pieces ephemera (Simple Stories)
White pearls
Cuttlebug embossing folders: Wicker Weave, Spots & Dots
Punches: large heart (Marvy Uchida), circles (CM), small heart & daisy (EK Success), flower (Emagination)
Cricut Artistry cartridge: scalloped border
Pattern: Sketches in Thyme #448