Lisa & Lori's Great Stash Bash September Kit Challege

Happy Monday and Happy September 1st! My goodness! It's been a while since I made one of these posts. I almost forgot how to do it! After a little break from the stash bash, Lisa and I are back with a new kit challenge.

If you don't know what this challenge is all about, here's how it works: On the 1st of each month, we will post a challenge prompt and the stash kit we have created using that prompt. During the month, we will try to use as much of our stash kit as possible on different projects. This will be a just-for-fun challenge, so there is no monthly prize - but isn't the real prize using up our stash? We hope you will join us in our quest to bash our stash! If you play along, link up on either my blog or Lisa's blog (or both if you choose) so that we can see who is joining us each month.

Here is a look at the September recipe:

To create your kit, pull 10 papers, 3-4 embellishments, 5-7 scrap papers, and for September, our focus item is tags.

As I said before, I had almost forgotten how to pull a kit together! I was a bit rusty! I've been reorganizing my paper, so everything I have is fresh in my mind, and that made it hard for me to know what I wanted to do. So many choices! So many great papers and collections that I had forgotten I even had. I was a bit overwhelmed. When I reorganized, I came across a couple of free layout kits from Scrapbook Generation from back in the day. These have been in my stash for years, so I thought maybe I would start with those. 

Also, while organizing, I started a box of papers that were stragglers - those couple of papers that were left from a collection, or those few papers that were left from a kit from The ScrapRoom, etc. I came across a few that got me excited, and it finally clicked! My kit came together quickly, and I am so excited to start using it.

Here is my kit:

Here is a look at the papers in my kit:

The papers that got this kit started were the blue dot, black floral, and pinkish-red paper in the front row. They were from an old ScrapRoom kit, and the rest of the papers are from my stragglers box.

Here are my embellishments for the month:

12x12 sticker sheets with a variety of themes.

Alphabet sticker sheets.

And a few random embellishments and dies that I would like to use this month.

Here are the scraps I pulled:

And I went ahead and added the remnants from his kit:

The colors work well with my kit, and I would really like to get them used!

The one area I didn't do well in is the focus item -  tags. I had my kit pulled before I remembered I needed to add tags. I was not about to redo it, so I decided I would pull out my neglected tag dies and make my own tags this month:

And I did not forget about my original idea. I went ahead and included the two-page kits from Scrapbook Generation - a summer-themed page kit and a birthday page kit:

All these kits really need are the photos.

That's it! Along with a couple of traditional 12x12 layouts, I would like to make a couple of layouts in my traveler's notebooks and my 6x8 albums. Here's to a productive month!

Be sure to head on over to Lisa's blog - My Creative Endeavors - to see the fabulous kit she has put together. Remember - this is a just-for-fun challenge, but if you do play along and put together your own stash bash kit, add it to the linky below, and we will be sure to check it out and cheer you on! Here are the rules: 1. Follow the challenge prompt to create a kit to work with throughout the month. You may use other items, but please concentrate on using your kit, and link it below. 2. Create new, not previously posted projects using your stash kit. 3. If you have a blog, please include the challenge graphic and a link to our challenge in your posts. 4. You may link to social media if you don't have a blog. If you share on Instagram, please make sure to use #lisaandlorisgreatstashbash2025 

 Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today! I hope you have a wonderful day!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Sweet Summertime Treats - Sketch N Scrap's Throwback Sketch Challenge

 Hello, hello! Happy Friday to you! It's been a month since I last posted anything here on my blog... and it's been even longer since I posted anything to Instagram. I am hoping that I can get back into the swing of things now that summer is winding down.

It's time for the mid-month throwback sketch challenge at Sketch N Scrap. Here is a  look a the selection of sketches we have to choose from:

I chose to use Sketch #102 for my layout:

For this layout, I have used Echo Park's 'A Slice of Summer' collection. I love the bright summery colors in this collection. They just make me happy! 

The photo is of me, Abby, and Ada, all trying a pineapple whip for the first time. When we went to Branson with my sister and Dad, we stopped by Springfield on the way home so Dad could pick up a few things. When he was done shopping, he treated us all to a pineapple whip. Abby and I tried the original pineapple whip, while Ada had the strawberry kiwi flavor.  It was hot, but breezy, and the perfect day to sit outside in the shade and enjoy a sweet treat. 

I'm not sure how we've never tried one of these tasty treats. Maybe because they aren't easily accessible to us. Whatever the case, we all thought they were delicious! Maybe we'll have another the next time we go to Springfield.

Here are a couple of close-ups:

I was so happy to see a pineapple and a strawberry in the sticker book for this collection. I thought they were the perfect embellishments for this layout.

I love these doily die-cuts! I am so glad I have the metal die to make them any time I want. This one was the perfect base for my title.

Head on over to Sketch N Scrap to see the beautiful layouts from the rest of the design team. I hope you have some time to play along with us this month!

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today. Hopefully, I will be posting a little more regularly on here and on Instagram. 

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today! I hope you have a wonderful day!

Good Times - Sketch N Scrap's July 15th Throwback Sketch Challenge

 Hello, everyone! Happy Tuesday to you! I hope your week is off to a good start. I can't believe it is already the middle of the month. July is flying by for me.

I'm here today to share the layout I made for Sketch N Scrap's July 15th Throwback Sketch Challenge. Here is a look at the sketches we are to choose from:

I chose Sketch #264 and shrunk it down for a 6x8 layout:

For my layout, I used an Echo Park paper from the Good Day Sunshine collection for the background, and papers from a 6x8 paper pad from Scrapbook.com for the rest of the layout. The colors in these collections match perfectly - just like they were one and the same. All the colors and all the patterns make this a little busy, but I love it just the same!

This photo was just taken this past weekend, and I knew I wanted to scrap it right away. My sister, Dad, and I have been planning day trips to Branson for a little retail therapy. This trip, Abby and Ada got to join us. There is nothing better than spending time with family, and I am treasuring the days we get to spend together. It's not always easy to find a day that works for us all, but when it does work out, we make the most of it!

Here are a couple of close-ups:

I used puffy alpha stickers from Elle's Studio for the title, floral stickers from the Good Day Sunshine collection, and stamps from Studio Calico for the embellishments.

Be sure to check out Sketch N Scrap for more inspiration using this month's sketches. We would love it if you played along as well. 

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today! Have a great day!

Sketch N Scrap's June 15th Throwback Sketch Challenge

Hello, hello! Happy Sunday to you! I hope you are having a good weekend. Yesterday, we celebrated my birthday and Father's Day when we could all be together, and it was wonderful!

Today is the middle of June - I seriously don't know how that happened so quickly - and that means it's time for Sketch N Scrap's mid-month throwback sketch challenge. Here is a look at the four sketches chosen for us to use:

I chose Sketch #209 from September 15, 2020:

z

For this layout, I used my June kit for Lisa & Lori's Great Stash Bash. I chose papers from Bella Blvd, and the yellow paper is a super old paper from Junkitz from 2005.

I snagged this photo from Abby's Facebook page. I love this photo of her and her girl! I felt like the background paper was a little busy for me, so I kept embellishing to the bare minimum. I just felt like to many embellishments made it look cluttered and hard to see the photo.

Here are a couple of close-ups:

I finally used one of those clear stickers from an old Simple Stories collection on this layout! This sheet of stickers has been floating around from kit to kit every month for a while, and I am hopeful that now that I have used one that I will continue to use them until they are gone!

The title for this layout came from an older Echo Park collection - Fine and Dandy - and it was one of the cut-apart cards. I die-cut it into a circle and mounted it onto this pretty doily die-cut. I really need to remember to use that metal die more often!

Head on over to Sketch N Scrap to see the lovely layout that Tina has created for the challenge, as well. We hope you have some time to play along with us!

Thanks for stopping by my blog today! Have a great day!

Sketch N Scrap's Crop Challenge #3 - Who Knew?

Hello, hello! Happy Sunday to you! I hope you are having a good weekend. The sun is out and shining brightly this morning, and it is looking like it's going to be a beautiful day.

Today, I am sharing the layout I created for Sketch N Scrap's June Crop Challenge #3. These challenges are posted in the SNS Monthly Challenges private Facebook group, and the deadline to enter is June 30th at midnight CST.

Crop Challenge #3 is our small-format sketch challenge with a twist. The twist for this challenge is to use a patterned paper for your background. Your layout does not have to be a small-format layout; it can be any size you would like.

Here is a look at the sketch:

And my layout:

For this layout, I used the oddball extra layout kit that I added to my June kit for Lisa & Lori's Great Stash Bash. I didn't have any embellishments for this kit, so I made good use of the patterned paper and fussy cut some of the plants out of it.

Here are a couple of close-ups:

I fussy cut one of the plants from the patterned paper and added it to a punched-out circle. I found the "Do your thing" phrase on a stamp set I had on my desk, and thought it was perfect for encouraging my plants to grow!

Another fussy cut plant and enamel dots for this cluster.

I added my journaling to the tag that sits behind one of the paper layers. Ideally, it would have gone behind the photos, but I had too much to say about my plants, and the tag would have been too long for that area. Plus, I didn't want to cover up any more of that plant paper than I had to!

This layout is about - who knew I would become a plant person? My track record with keeping plants alive is not the greatest, but I am giving it a try after seeing Abby's beautiful plants. I love how much they brighten up a room, and they are sure to bring me a smile any time I look at them. Here's hoping they continue to grow and do well!

Be sure to check out all of this month's crop challenges at SNS Monthly Challenges on Facebook. We would love to see your take on the challenges, as well!

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today! I hope you have a fantastic day!

Lisa & Lori's Great Stash Bash June Kit Challenge

 

Hello, hello! Happy Sunday and Happy June 1st! My favorite month of the year! Not only is it the start of summer, but my birthday is this month, as well.

I am running late with my post for this month. We have had so many unseasonably cool, dreary, rainy days - most of the month of May - and when the sun came out and the temps were going to be in the upper 70s - low 80s this weekend, we took advantage of the nice weather to get caught up on a few things that needed to be done outside before the next round of rain hits this week. That meant that I was worn out and completely forgot to finish pulling my kit together before today. But, alas, I finally had some time this afternoon to take care of it!

Let's get to it.  If you don't know what this challenge is all about, here's how it works:

 On the 1st of each month, we will post a challenge prompt and the stash kit we have created using that prompt. During the month, we will try to use as much of our stash kit as possible on different projects. 

This will be a just-for-fun challenge, so there is no monthly prize - but isn't the real prize using up our stash?  We hope you will join us in our quest to bash our stash! If you play along, link up on either my blog or Lisa's blog (or both if you choose) so that we can see who is joining us each month

Here is a look at the June recipe:

To create your kit, pull 10 papers, 3-4 embellishments, 5-7 scrap papers, and for June, our focus item is stickers.

My kit is a tiny bit bigger than called for this month. I had started out making layout kits again, but since it's summer, I needed a good summer kit, and I just couldn't stop with 10 papers! I also did things a bit differently and started my kit with a kit starter paper:

I missed out on this pretty summer collection from Cocoa Vanilla when it came out. I think I finally snagged this paper from Scrapbook Generation when I shopped there a couple of years ago - and I actually bought it for the other side! I'm so glad I haven't used it yet, because it is the perfect paper to use for my kit starter this month!

Here is a look at the papers:

(In my haste, I completely forgot to take a photo of my whole kit! You'll just have to see it broken down in categories!)

There are quite a few different manufacturers in this kit. Bella Blvd, Jen Hadfield, Junkitz (that one is really old!), Close To My Heart, Damask Love, Echo Park, and Cocoa Vanilla. I love the whole vibe these papers are giving!

Here are the scraps:

I pulled in a couple of cut-apart papers, flowers, and a couple of ephemera packs from Bella Blvd. Not everything will match my kit, but a lot of them will:

When I went to get my enamel dots, I saw the new Pretty Little Studio Love is Kind goodies that I picked up for myself for Mother's Day, and thought they matched really well! Since I didn't buy the paper pack for that collection, I thought this might help me to get them out and use them:

Since our focus item is stickers, and I am working with all sorts of manufacturers, I pulled all the summer-themed stickers I could find in a hurry. Here are the icon stickers I pulled:

Here are the alpha stickers:

And if that's not enough stickers, I pulled these papers out of my sticker color binders:

Did anyone else make the color binders that Janet from RTS Scrapbooking talked about? I sure did, and while I love having them in color categories and all out on a page where they are easy to see, I still do not reach for them often. Maybe because they are from older collections, or maybe I just never got in the habit of reaching for them, but I would love to use up a lot of these stickers so I can be done with them!

I will also be keeping these embellishment boxes out again this month. They may just have the perfect embellishment in them!

As I said before, I had actually started pulling layout kits. This one was the first one I pulled, but then it didn't really go with my summer kit. Instead of sitting it aside, I am going to go ahead and post it. 

I do have a layout already planned out for this kit, so we will see if I can get it made this month!

That is it! Sorry for the delay, but better late than never!

Be sure to head on over to Lisa's blog - My Creative Endeavors - to see the fabulous kit she has put together.

Remember - this is a just-for-fun challenge, but if you do play along and put together your own stash bash kit, add it to the linky below, and we will be sure to check it out and cheer you on! Here are the rules:

1. Follow the challenge prompt to create a kit to work with throughout the month. You may use other items, but please concentrate on using your kit, and link it below.

2. Create new, not previously posted projects using your stash kit.

3. If you have a blog, please include the challenge graphic and a link to our challenge in your posts. 

4. You may link to social media if you don't have a blog. If you share on Instagram, please make sure to use #lisaandlorisgreatstashbash2025

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today! I hope you have a wonderful day!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Sketch N Scrap's 13th Birthday Bash Sketch #4

Hello, everyone! Happy Saturday to you! I hope your weekend is off to a good start! We are supposed to have sunshine and temps in the 70s today, and I am so ready for it! 

Today is the last Saturday in May, and that means Sketch N Scrap has one final 13th Birthday Bash Sketch for you to try. Here is a look at the fun sketch Lisa has created for us to use:

And this is what I came up with:

My good friend, Willa, came to see me at the beginning of May! We met each other on the Inspired to Scrap message board 10+ years ago and became (online) friends right away. She is so good to check in on me from time to time and to lend an ear when I need someone to talk to. I am so grateful that their vacation brought them close enough for a visit. She and Barry are the sweetest people you will ever meet, and our visit went by too quickly! I hope we can make it happen again someday!

For this layout, I have used Cocoa Vanilla's - These Days - papers and embellishments, and the yellow paper is from Die Cuts With a View. Here are a couple of close-ups:

For the title area, I backed one of the die-cuts with vellum so the puffy alpha stickers would stand out a little more than just on the patterned paper. I fussy cut a few flowers, added a butterfly die-cut, a few enamel dots, and a phrase sticker to complete that cluster area.

I repeated the same thing - fussy cut flowers, a butterfly die-cut, enamel dots, and phrase stickers for the bottom cluster. I love how this layout turned out!

Be sure to stop by Sketch N Scrap to see all of this month's sketches. There were a lot this month! There is a $25 gift certificate to an online store of choice for one lucky random participant! All you need to do is play along with any of our sketches this month and add them either to the Sketch N Scrap Blog or in the private Facebook group here. You'd better hurry - the deadline to enter the blog challenges is 9:55 PM CST tonight, May 31st, and midnight tonight CST for the Facebook group. 

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today! Have a great day! 

Sketch N Scrap Card Sketch #285

Hello, everyone! Happy Thursday to you! I hope you have had a good week and that you are ready for the weekend. We are (finally) supposed to have a sunny, warm weekend. We've had unseasonably cool weather for the end of May. As I type this, we are sitting at 58 degrees with a high for today around 65, and we have another chance for rain. I am just ready for a few days filled with lots of sunshine and warmer temps!

Today I am sharing the card I made using Sketch N Scrap's May 5th card sketch.  Here is a look at the fun sketch:

It feels like it's been forever since I made a card! This sketch was perfect for getting back to it. Everything came together so easily!

This card was made completely out of scraps. I pulled out my Cocoa Vanilla These Days collection pack, and these scraps were all in with it, and almost all were the perfect size already! I just needed to cut the yellow piece down to size. The floral piece and the woodgrain piece were just the right size. I love it when I can use up scraps and not leave any more behind!

The flower was fussy cut from another one of the patterned paper scraps, and the sentiment was stamped from an older Close To My Heart stamp set.

Be sure to stop by the Sketch N Scrap blog to see all of the fun sketches that were posted this month. I hope you've had a chance to play along!

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today! I hope you have a great day!

You & Me - Sketch N Scrap's 13th Birthday Bash Sketch #2

Hello, everyone! Happy Wednesday to you! I hope you are having a good week. Ada and Abby are excited because tomorrow is the last day of school, and it's a half day! Bring on summer vacation! Now, if we could only get the weather to cooperate! Upper 60s and low 70s are nice, but I am ready for a little warmer weather.

Today, I am sharing my take on Sketch N Scrap's 13th Birthday Bash Sketch #2. Here is a look at the fun sketch Lisa created for us to use:

I love this sketch! The three wide strips across the page are perfect for your favorite papers! Here is a look at the layout I created:

For this layout, I have used another one of my layout kits that I made for this month's Lisa & Lori's Great Stash Bash Kit challenge. One of the papers in the kit was perfect for the top paper strip where the title was to go. I love it when titles are easy!

These photos are of Abby and Ada on one of our girls' days. I love the photo of the two of them walking hand in hand. Lots of feels with this layout - which will all be in the journaling, either hidden or written on paper and put in with it. 

Here are a couple of close-ups:

I've been trying to use my stamps more on my layouts. I figure the more I use them, the easier it will get! The stamping isn't perfect, but nothing I can't live with. 

Be sure to check out all of the challenges this month at Sketch N Scrap. I would love to see you playing along with us!

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today! Have a great day!