Sherlocked Layout

I've been struggling with scrapbooking lately, but am trying to force myself to get some layouts done this month in hopes of rediscovering the joy I usually find in this hobby. A few crafty challenges (see below) helped push me along, and I finally finished a layout. Woohoo! BTW, the layout's title is based on the BBC's Sherlock, Season 2 episode 1, referring to Irene Adler's cell phone password.

Recipe:
Illuminate, Puns of Praise & Typed Note stamp sets
Fall 2019 Mix In, For Always & Blue SKies papers
Sage, Carolina, Black & White Daisy cardstock
Sage, Carolina, Sapphire, Honey & Black ink
Black marker
Gold Metallic marker
ShinHan Touch Twin markers
Gold brad
DE Quotes chipboard
My Crush Best Day Ever assortment
Cricut Noah's ABC Animals cartridge: title
Pattern: EMS Sketch Challenge 3

Challenges: Lasting Memories #550 Multi-photo layout; Scrap With Stacy June 2021 (used the diagonal with chipboard, quote, and circles)

Color My Heart #447 (used the row with Carolina, Sage & Sapphire plus added Craft, Toffee, Black, White & Gold)

Kindergarten ABC Album Final Layout

Since May was National Scrapbook Month, I started out with the intention of scrapping 20 layouts, but life intervened. During the first week of the month, my 11 year old son, whom my family adopted four years ago, went in for surgery to widen his constricted aorta. Despite seeming to come through the surgery with flying colors, some complications developed and my son went home to be with the Lord the day following his surgery. We miss him desperately, and I wasn't sure I would be able to scrapbook about him any time soon, but I made the decision to finally finish the ABC album I had started for him in kindergarten. It was intended to be a gift for his teacher, but I worked so hard on it that I just couldn't part with it, so I saved it for my son. I still hadn't completed the final layout, but my husband really wants to include the album as part of the display table at our son's memorial service, so I pulled out my supplies and forced myself to scrapbook. The process has been therapeutic, and I am so grateful to have this memento of my baby.

Recipe:
Moondoggie papers
Cashmere, Indian Corn Blue, Garden Green, Cranberry, Saffron & White Daisy cardstock
Cranberry, Indian Corn Blue & Garden Green ink
Black marker
ShinHan Touch Twin markers
Cranberry grosgrain ribbon
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: title, arrows
Cricut You Are Here cartridge: Hibiscus
Pattern: Splitcoast Stampers Sketch16Jan1

Challenges:
• Bitten by the Bug May Flowers
• Double Trouble #85 (Thing 1 - Anything goes + Thing 2 - played along with a previous partner + Thing 3 - Yoyo dare using the Time Warp trick since I pulled out an unfinished project from the past)
• The Crafter's Cafe #267 Anything Goes
• Studio Challenges SCRAP items (S - sketch + C - Cranberry cardstock + R - ribbon + A - arrows + P - patterned paper);
• Tic Tac Toe Challenge #116 (Used the middle row with blue + Circle + floral image)

Let's Go Layout

My kids used to love riding their scooters at the local skate park! Instead of journaling on the layout, I included a line from Let It Go in order to play along with the April Music Challenge over at Scrapbook.com.

Recipe:
Slice of Life papers (American Crafts)
Molly papers (Bella Blvd)
Kraft, Lagoon, Raspberry, Saffron, Pear & White Daisy cardstock
Lagoon, Sapphire, Raspberry, Saffron & Black ink
Black & Lagoon markers
Sapphire baker's twine
Lagoon washi tape
Seas the Day enamel dots
Kraft Color-Ready Borders
Cuttlebug Swiss Dot embossing folder
Cricut You Are Here cartridge: title
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: stars, heart
Pattern: Sketches in Thyme #464

Challenges: Bitten By the Bug May the Fourth Be With You (I used lots of stars on my layout); Crafting Happiness #94 Bright Colors; Tic Tac Toe Challenges #111 (I used the bottom row with embossing, layers, and scallops)

You Light Up My Life Layout

Love these photos of my kids with their birth sibling and his foster sister, just hanging out after eating at a favorite restaurant.

Recipe:
My Life stamp set
Craft On & Dotty for You papers
Carolina, Black & White Daisy cardstock
Raspberry, Pixie, Carolina & Lagoon ink
Lagoon marker
White gel pen (Sakura)
Oh Happy Day Thickers & Bits & Pieces ephemera (Simple Stories)
Cats & Bats dots
Flamingo dots
Raspberry baker's twine
Scalloped border punch (Fiskars)
3-D foam tape
Pattern: Sketches in Thyme #463

Challenges: Heart 2 Heart Old and New (the My Life stamp set that I used to stamp the phrases in the top left corner is new to me, and everything else I have had in my stash for a while); Lasting Memories #544 Flowers + at least one tag; Scrap With Stacy April Tic Tac Toe board (I used the top row across) 

Double Trouble #82 Flowers (Thing 1 = flowers + Thing 3 Color challenge)

Mommy Makeover Layout

My daughter used to have a really fun makeover app on her tablet and one day, while we were hanging out at a restaurant waiting for our food, she decided to use it on me. Good times!

The right hand picture is popped up so I could slide a die-cut cellphone under it. I used the words to two Broadway songs, Popular from Wicked and I Feel Pretty from West Side Story, as my pretend conversation between Brianna and myself.

Recipe:
Stacy's Hand Alphabet stamp set
Yesterday and Today & Route 66 papers
Color Kaleidoscope papers (American Crafts)
Cranberry, Almond & Black cardstock
Black & Espresso ink
White gel pen (Sakura)
Yesterday & Today PML cards
Just Blooms Paper Shapes butterflies
Epoxy Bubbles (black, grey)
Enamel Hearts
Black mesh ribbon
Rebecca Sower Designs Fresh Stickers (EK Success)
Cricut You Are Here cartridge: lipstick
Cricut Artistry cartridge: cell phone, speech bubbles
Cricut Design Studio: text message
Pattern: Scrap Our Stash April 2021 Remix challenge

Challenges: Crafting Happiness #93 Hanging Out; Heart 2 Heart What's Your Angle?; The Studio Challenges Inspired by a Song; 
Lasting Memories #642 Word Play - Easter
E – Epoxy Bubbles
A – American Crafts paper
S – stamps
T - torn paper
E – enamel hearts
R – ribbon, red, Route 66 paper

Beautiful Moments {with Thor} Layout

Now that my cat is all grown up, I love looking back on those precious few moments when he was a tiny kitten. He still loves to snuggle up with me when I take a nap, but fortunately (considering how much he weighs) he now prefers to lie on my feet instead of my chest! 

And because the close up of my kitty didn't come out well on the scan, here's the original photo. Enjoy the cuteness!

Recipe:
Purrrrific & A Typeface stamp sets
I Heart Us & Craft On papers
Thistle & White Daisy cardstock
Bamboo, Thistle, Lagoon & Bluebird ink
ShinHan Touch Twin marker
Oh Happy Day Bits & Pieces ephemera (Simple Stories)
Best Day Ever ephemera assortment
Teen Spirit Girl ephemera (Echo Park)
Escape the Ordinary Thicker (American Crafts)
Field Notes Journaling ephemera (AMerican Crafts)
Blue & pink craft buttons
Grey Wool baker's twine
Pattern: The Studio Challenges 4/4/21 Sketch

Challenges: 2 Crafty Critter Crazies anything goes with a critter; Lasting Memories #543 - include a 4x4 photo; Challenge YOUrself  #88 Alphabet Soup (this time I chose the letter B and used buttons, bows, baker's twine, blue, black, bamboo, Beautiful Moments, Big Happy Dreams, Best Day Ever ephemera & Bits & Pieces ephemera to scrapbook my Baby kitty)

Bella Peace and Comfort Card

One of my husband's coworkers lost her father this week, so he asked me to make a sympathy card for her. I haven't made a card for a long time, so it was enjoyable to dive back into that world! I pulled out a card base and some scraps of paper and got to work. I'm not sure I've ever made a sympathy card, so this was a new experience for me. I tried to strike a good balance, so hopefully the resulting card is neither too girly (since it's from my hubby) or overly happy looking (since it's a sad occasion).

Recipe:
Words of Comfort & Diverse Backgrounds stamp sets
Bella papers
Hollyhock, Smoky Plum, Canary, Colonial White & White Daisy cardstock
Hollyhock, Smoky Plum, Creme Brulee & Olive ink
Black marker
ShinHan Touch Twin markers
Pattern: Try Stamping on Tuesday #502 (rotated left)

Challenges: Inspirational Challenges #236 Grow (lots of growing things on this card)

EMS Sketch Challenge 99 + Flag-Waving American Layout

I took a couple of weeks off scrapbooking because my family was on vacation, but now I'm back with a new sketch and a sample layout. Although this is a single page sketch with four uncropped 4" x 6" photos, I made it into a double pager by rotating it 90 degrees to the left for the first page.

The sketch:

My layout:

Recipe:
Pen Pal Alphabet, Swirl Stroke Caps and Lowercase & Vintage Type stamp sets
Celebrating Freedom papers & Ephemera (BoBunny)
Cranberry, Dutch Blue & White Daisy cardstock
Sapphire, Cranberry & Dutch Blue ink
Moonstruck marker
White Pearls
Cranberry grosgrain ribbon
Outdoor Denim baker's twine
Dark blue washi tape
3-D foam tape
Small circle punch (CM)
Star punch (EK Success)
Starry Night stencil (Simple Stories)
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: photo corners, large circles
Challenges: Challenge YOUrself #88 - Alphabet Soup (my letter was P for patterned paper, Pen Pal alphabet stamps, punches, photo corners, and pearls); Tic Tac Toe Challenges #108 (I used the diagonal with patterned paper, free, and embellishments plus the bottom row with patterned paper, any shape die, and stencil)

Preschool Peak Layout

The final layout for my kids' Everest VBS experience features photos from the preschool class my youngest attended. I played along with the latest board from Tic Tac Toe Challenges by using the diagonal with die-cuts (hearts, scalloped frame), ribbon (blue, red), and bright colors. The colors are actually a mix of bright and pastel, but hopefully I have enough bright colors to qualify!

Here's my layout:

And here's the tic tac toe board:

Recipe:
Color Kaleidoscope papers
White Daisy cardstock
Espresso ink
Star Spangled Blue marker
"A" chipboard (from my stash, source unknown)
My Happy Place Shape Sprinkles hearts (Doodlebug Designs)

Cranberry velvet ribbon
Crystal Blue ribbon
Cricut Artbooking cartridge: frame
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: hearts

Everest VBS Layout

I created my first layout for this Vacation Bible School in 2016 but didn't finish scrapping any of the other photos. Probably should have, because I'm finally getting back to them five years later! The page I created today will face my original page, so I decided they should match, and fortunately I still had a tiny bit of the paper left from scrapping the original layout. The theme was Everest: conquering challenges with God's mighty power, and the decor featured a snowy mountain, so it seemed logical to go with the snowflake theme. I included my original layout and my new one. How did I do?

Original layout:

New layout:

Recipe:
Wonderland & Snowhaven papers
Black, Grey Wool & White Daisy cardstock
Black & Crystal Blue ink
Black marker
Black gingham ribbon
Say Cheese III enamel dots (Simple Stories)
Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge: circle tag
Cricut Artistry cartridge: snowflakes
Cricut Simply Sweet: tabs
CTMH embossing folder: chevron
Pattern: An old Brenda Ragsdale sketch that was posted on Scrapbook.com

Challenges: Just Us Girls Trend Week #575 embossing folder (I thought my chevron embossing folder was a fun way of carrying through the mountain theme); Use Your Stuff #418 enamel dots