Water Lane Layout

I really wanted to use some patterned papers I bought to scrap my London trip from 2017 (I've only been working on it six years - LOL!), so I skipped ahead to the Tower of London. These photos were taken just inside the Tower's entrance, at historic Water Lane, so named because it used to be right on the banks of the Thames until Edward I filled in part of the river and created the Outer Ward. We took some great photos at the Tower, but the one of my hubby with the Yeoman Guard (a Beefeater) is one of my favorites!

When I put it in the album, this layout will also include a Flip-Flap with two additional photos (St. Thomas' Tower and the Traitor's Gate) that will cover the journaling, so here they are:

Recipe:
Limited Edition, Make It Count, Distressed Backgrounds & Stipple Plaid stamp sets
Once Upon a Time paper (P13)
Candy Apple, Sapphire, Mist, Almond & White Daisy cardstock
Candy Apple, Sapphire, Mist, Almond & Slate ink
Grey Fineliner pen (iBayam)
Wood heart & arrow
Bamboo Bigger Brad
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: banners, tag
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #95

Challenges: Heart's Quest Challenge Blog # 32 Travel + Love/hearts; Double Trouble #141 Something, Anything, Everything (Thing 1 = anything goes + Thing2 = played along with previous partner Cupcake Inspirations #572)

There's grey in there, too, but hopefully that's okay!

In God's Perfect Time Layout for Lasting Memories #656 - Summer Words - CAMPERS

For our last June challenge over at Lasting Memories, we used products or techniques for each letter in the word CAMPERS. This and all the other June challenges are only open until Saturday, July 1, so hurry on over for some inspiration, then please share your layout so we get to enjoy it, too! Here's my list of supplies for the CAMPERS challenge:

C - Clock
A - alphabet stamps
M - metal heart charm
P - plaid patterned paper
E - eyelets & Envelope
R - ripped paper
S - stickers

My journaling about God's perfect timing in the adoption of my children's bio-sib is on the tag inside the yellow envelope, but I chose not to share it here since it involves another family.

Update: this layout was picked by Festive Fridays as one of their faves!

Recipe:
Make It Count, Starter Alphabet & Live Out Loud stamp sets
Ethan Plaid paper (MM)
Hip Hip Hooray paper
Fern, Bluebird & Saffron ink
Hip Hip Hooray sticker
O Happy Day cardstock sticker (Simple Stories)
Fern baker's twine
Eyelets (MM)
Love charm (MM)
Decor Journaling Spot
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #95 (right page only, flipped horizontally)

Challenges: Festive Friday #137 - (used blue, green & heart embellishment)

Scrap With Stacy June Tic Tac Toe board (used the middle column with metal + stickers + circle

You Are Totally Amazing Layout

I'm playing along with the 5 for 5 challenge at Scrapbook.com, which requires us to create five layouts using the following components:

1. The same sketch for all the layouts
2. Metal of some sort (I chose a decorative metal brad)
3. Something bright in color (touches of yellow and orange)
4. A quote (mine is hidden under the matted photo)
5. Double mount something (a photo)

Here's my first layout, featuring photos from my daughter's piano recital back in 2017. 

And here's the journaling card with the quote: 

Recipe:
Stronger Together, Background Elements & Dreams stamp sets
Color Kaleidoscope papers
Capri, Almond, Mocha & Honey cardstock
Capri, Almond, Mocha, Honey & Nectarine ink
Sienna fineliner pen (iBayam)
Teen Spirit Girl ephemera (Echo Park)
Color Kaleidoscope stickers (American Crafts)
Let's Wander Tag Journal pieces (American Crafts)
Scrapbook Stitches brown embroidery floss (MM)
Plaid ribbon (Ribbon Boutique from Berwick)
Free Spirit decorative brad (Prima)
3-D foam tape
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #95 (this time I am only using the right hand page)

Challenges: Use Your Stuff #486 Flowers; Color My Heart Color Dare #552 (I think I used all the colors on the inspiration photo except green!)

Hello There Layout

Although Star Wars: The Force Awakens had been out for over a year by the time we saw these Lego figures at Legoland, it was still fun seeing them for the first time. The layout's title is based on the iconic line from the original Star Wars movie, when Ben Kenobi meets R2D2 (for the first time?) and greets him with "Hello there." I welded together the phrase in Cricut Design Space and added a little arrow to point towards the new characters.

Recipe:
Background Elements & Here's the Story stamp sets
October/December 2022 Mix-Ins & Stargazer papers
Mocha, Scarlet, & White Daisy cardstock
Mocha, Scarlet, Toffee & Almond ink
White gel pen (Sakura)
White Daisy baker's twine
DE Quotes chipboard
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: stars, tag, tab
Cricut Artistry cartridge: arrow
Cricut Design Space: title using Star Jedi font
Pattern: Scrap Our Stash June sketch (I shifted the stacked photos left to accommodate an extra photo)

Challenges: Cut It Up #280 Masculine theme + die-cuts; Color My Heart Color Dare #553 (my extra color was tan)

Building Adventure Together Layout for Lasting Memories #655 - Summer Words - FATHER

It's Sunday, so that means another Lasting Memories challenge! We're still working on those summer words, and this week our word is FATHER. I chose the following products/techniques/theme for my layout:

F - father, frame
A - alphabet stickers
T - torn paper
H - hearts, horse die-cuts
E - Elements Stickers from Echo Park
R - rub-on

Recipe:
Superhero papers
Cranberry, Black & White Daisy cardstock
Cranberry, Honey & Moonstruck ink
Zippidee Complements alphabet stickers
Magical Adventures Element Stickers (Echo Park)
Blue Jean Hearts puffy stickers (Doodlebug Designs)
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: postage stamp frame. ring
Cricut Medieval Silhouettes cartridge: knights, sword & shield
Cricut Design Space: Lego bricks (squares welded together)
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenges #95 (right page only, a little modified to fit my title)

Challenges: Park Hopping My Happy Place Anything Goes inspired by a theme park (these photos were taken at Legoland on yet another visit to that magical place!)

Merry & Bright Twinkling Lights Layout

This layout went through several iterations before I finally decided on a design, but I thought it would be fun to use the Santa and reindeer stamp along with the houses die-cut, and the rest just evolved as I worked on it! I added some gold Stickles to the lights, houses, and trees to go with the starry night paper and the lights theme, and I'm pretty happy with how it all turned out.

Recipe:
Santa Claus & Poster Tidings stamp sets
Let's Wander Mixed Media paper (American Crafts)
Miscellaneous Basic Grey paper scraps (from my stash)
Black, Bamboo & White Daisycard stock
Black, Cocoa & Barn Red ink
Clear embossing powder
Jingle All the Way Chipboard stickers, Journaling Bits ephemera & decorative brads (Simple Stories)
Gold Stickles (Ranger)
Black hemp
Cricut Artistry cartridge: houses
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: tag
Challenges: Cut It Up #279 Tag! You're It (the tag was a perfect touch for my title block); Colorful Options Peach or Rainbow colors (I went with rainbow and used the watercolor background because it had a rainbow of colors)

Fair Buddies Layout for Lasting Memories #654 - Summer Words - BEACH

Lasting Memories has another challenge up for the week, this time using the letters of the word BEACH to inspire our scrapping. I chose to do a layout for my son Elliot's school album using the following supplies/techniques:

B - brads
E - edge distressing
A - animal stickers, airplane ephemera
C - chipboard letters
H - heart die-cuts

Feel free to play along with this or any or the other challenges for this month by creating a layout and linking it up over at Lasting Memories by July 1!

There will be a pocket page in between these two pages, so I created this journaling card for one of the pockets.

And here are a few more of the photos of the kids enjoying themselves:

Recipe:

Route 66 papers
Honey Butter, Kraft, Moonstruck, Cranberry, Clover Meadow & Champagne cardstock
Moonstruck & Cranberry ink
Moonstruck marker
Cranberry brads
Petting Zoo stickers (Sandylion)
Airplane ephemera (from my stash, source unknown)
3-D foam tape
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: Sun, hearts, buddies banner, grass
Pattern: Sketch Savvy 2 Page Sketch #8

Challenges: Time Out Challenges #240 Sportive (this was perfect for my layout, since the kids were not only playing an old-time game at the fair, but they were playful, high-spirited, and exuberant as they did it!)

My Funny Valentines Layout

I love pre-done watercolor designs on scrapbook papers, but it seems I can seldom find one that's exactly what I need, so I decided to purchase some watercolor paper and paints to start experimenting on my own. The current challenge to "Get Messy" over at Challenge YOUrself seemed like the perfect opportunity to break out these new supplies and see what I could do. I used red and yellow to create the background for this layout, and while it's not exactly what I was hoping for, it's a start. Hopefully I will improve with more practice!

Recipe:
Whooo's Your Valentine stamp set
May/June 2022 Mix-In & Dreamin' Big papers
Juniper & White Daisy cardstock
Watercolor paper
Juniper, Slate, Goldrush & Sunny Yellow ink
Black marker
Watercolor paints (Artists' Loft)
Everyday Life journaling card (Scrapbook.com)
Color Kaleidoscope stickers (American Crafts)
Red ribbon (Offray)
Medium heart punch (EK Success)
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: title, banner, tag
Cricut Artiste cartridge: funny
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #84

Challenges: Challenge YOUrself #113 Get Messy!

Be Yourself Layout for Lasting Memories #653

Happy Sunday, everyone! It's time for another challenge from Lasting Memories. This time we are being inspired by the word GRADS. Since I have a recent graduate in the family (congrats to my son who finished high school last Thursday), I decided to scrap photos of him from his early school career. I included the following product/techniques:

G - glitter dots
R - rub-on
A - arrow
D - Distressing, die-cuts
S - star paper

Feel free to visit us at Lasting Memories to see all the June challenges, and we hope you get inspired to play along!

Recipe:
October Word Puzzle & Save the Date stamp sets
Field Trip papers (American Crafts)
Molly papers (Bella Blvd)
Dutch Blue, Honey & White Daisy cardstock
Dutch Blue, Moonstruck & Honey ink
Moonstruck marker
Candid Moments PML card
Enamel & Glitter Duos
Love Letters rub-on
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: stars, arrow
Pattern: Stick It Down June single page sketch (modified for 4 larger photos)

All the Way Home Layout

I love these sweet photos of my daughter carrying her brother home from the park. Their piggy back ride reminded me of the old nursery rhyme about the five little pigs, where the fifth pig cried, "Wee, wee, wee," all the way home, so I used that inspiration as my title.

Recipe:
Skylark papers
Lagoon, Sweet Leaf, Chocolate & Buttercup cardstock
White Daisy textured cardstock
Lagoon, Sweet Leaf, Chocolate, Saddle & Flaxen ink
White Pearls
Rhinestone stickers (Recollections)
Square ribbon slide (MM)
Lagoon & Chocolate baker's twine
Floral ribbon (Ribbon Boutique from Berwick)
Lace (from Michaels)
Chipboard buttons & flower stems (from my stash , source unknown)
Paint (miscellaneous brands from my stash)
3-D foam tape
Mini heart punch (EK Success)
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: title, flowers, outline heart
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: arrow border
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge #102