Sketch N Scrap's April 15th Throwback Challenge

Hello, everyone! Happy Tuesday to you! I hope your week is off to a good start. 

It's (already) the middle of the month and time for Sketch N Scrap's Throwback Sketch Challenge. Here are the throwback sketches we have to choose from:

And I chose the 11th Birthday Bash Sketch #3 for my layout:

I guess with Easter coming up this weekend, I was in the mood to work on Easter photos! These photos are of Ada with her Easter basket in 2022.

I came across this cute bunny paper from Jillibean Soup a couple of weeks ago when I was going through some of my overflow of paper, and I immediately pulled a few coordinating papers for a layout. I just had to pick what pictures I was going to use. It was so nice when I sat down to work on this layout and had my papers ready to go!

Here are a few close-ups:

 I didn't have any embellishments that went with this paper, so I had to get creative! Lots of fussy cutting those cute bunnies and putting my metal dies to use!

I just received the Elle's Studio Office Tabs stamp in the mail, and a few of the phrases were perfect for this layout!

Head on over to the Sketch N Scrap blog to see more inspiration from the design team. I hope you find some time to play along with us! 

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

Sketch N Scrap's April Crop Challenge #3

 Hello, hello! Happy Sunday to you! I hope you are having a good weekend. It has been beautiful weather here, and lots of time has been spent outside. Today is supposed to be another gorgeous day with a high of 80. I am loving this weather!

It's time for Sketch N Scrap's April Crop Challenge #3. This is our smaller format sketch, but you can make it any size you want! Here is a look at the sketch:

I have made a 6x8 layout of Ada for her school album:

I originally planned on making her school album in a traveler's notebook and only include her first and last day of school photos, her actual school photos, and her spring photos, but as the years have gone on I have realized that there are a lot of other things I want to include, so I am changing over to a 6x8 - where I have the option of including pocket pages when needed.

This photo is of this year's spring photo. She just got them back a week or so ago, and I couldn't wait to scrap it! I used the Splendid collection from Paige Evans. I included the flower pack in this month's Lisa & Lori's Great Stash Bash kit and just recently discovered that I had the 12x12 paper pad. I purchased it at Tuesday Morning right before they closed their stores, brought it home, added it to my stash, and forgot about it! I bought the ephemera and flower packs at my local scrapbook store right around Christmastime, not even realizing I had the 12x12 paper pad at home! I bought them because they went well with the Vicki Boutin Bright and Bold collection! Serendipity!

Here are a couple of close-ups:

The center of this flower was a color not on my layout, so I stamped the "you're pretty awesome" and punched it out with my circle punch. Problem solved! 

I stamped three cameras for each cluster, adding puffy hearts to two and another stamp to the other. I found a number strip in my supplies and circled the number five since she is in the fifth grade this year. I will add the details, like the teachers' names and friends, before I add it to her album. 

Be sure to check out Sketch N Scrap's Monthly Challenges group on Facebook to see all of this month's crop challenges. I hope you find some time to play along with us.

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

Lisa and Lori's Great Stash Bash April Challenge

 

Hello, everyone! Happy Tuesday and Happy April 1st! Ahh, April! The days are getting warmer, the grass is getting greener, and the leaves and flowers are [finally] starting to make an appearance! Spring is here! 

 It's been a while since I have been around here! I would like to say that is all going to change this month, but I can't be for certain. I will try my best to share more. 

I didn't get as much done with my kit last month, so I will keep it out a little longer to see if I can maybe make another layout or two with it. I had big plans for it, just not the time to see them all through!

Let's get on with this month's Lisa & Lori's Great Stash Bash Challenge, shall we?  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 the recipe for April:

To create your kit, pull 10 papers, 3-4 embellishments, 5-7 scrap papers, and for March, our focus item is enamel dots/bling.

Here is my kit for April:

For April, I have pulled Vicki Boutin's Bold and Bright collection. I have been hanging onto this collection since before Christmas, and those bold, bright colors are just what I am wanting to play with this month. 

Here is a closer look at the papers:

And the "B" sides are just as fun and could possibly be used on a project:

Here are the embellishments:

I pulled the 6x12 sticker sheet and ephemera pack from the same collection, a couple of embellishment packs from Paige Evans's Splendid collection. a few random bits that caught my eye and I thought I might be able to use, a pack of alpha stickers that I am going to try to do my best to use because they are starting to fall off of the sheet, and our focus item enamel dots/bling.

Here are the scraps that I pulled:

The bold, bright colors reminded me of Bella Blvd, so I raided my Bella Blvd scraps for this month's kit. Not everything will match, but I am going to see what I can make work!

Hey, look at that! I actually stuck with the recipe this time! I have so many ideas for this kit and I cannot wait to get started with it!

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 March 15th Sketch Challenge

Hello, hello! Happy Saturday to you! We have made it to the weekend and I am so ready for it. 

It's time for the mid-month throwback sketch challenge with a twist at Sketch N Scrap. For this challenge, you are to choose one of the following sketches and add a rainbow to your layout. This can be rainbows on your paper, rainbow striped paper, an embellishment, or a rainbow in your photo.

I chose throwback sketch #229 and rainbow striped paper:

For my layout, I added some paint splatters to the background paper and dry brushed the edges with paint. I switched up the placements of the title and embellishments because I had a bit of empty space on my photo - perfect for my title. It was getting a little lost on the patterned paper, so I just switched it up. 

This photo is of Ada from 2022. It was sprinkling outside when we went to the mailbox - which was the perfect excuse for her to get out her umbrella.

Here are a few close-ups:

I chose "Our Rainy Day Sunshine" for my title because she is definitely our little ray of sunshine every day - rain or shine!

Be sure to check out the Sketch N Scrap blog for more inspiration from the design team. We hope you have some time to play with us!

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

Lisa & Lori's Great Stash Bash March 2025 Kit Challenge

Happy Saturday and Happy March 1st! Ahhh - March! The month when we (finally) start having more warm days than cold, the grass starts turning green, and everything feels fresh and new. Bring it on! 

I've been a terrible blogger and Instagrammer lately. I do hope to get back on track in March, and if I don't share here on my blog, I will at least share my projects on Instgram. 

Let's get to my kit for Lisa & Lori's Great Stash Bash. 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 the recipe for March:

To create your kit, pull 10 papers, 3-4 embellishments, 5-7 scrap papers, and for March, our focus item is alphas. As per usual, I have not stuck with numbers here, and I have pulled more papers, more embellishments, and more scraps. That's what usually happens when I am actually pulling from my stash instead of using a collection kit. I go overboard! 

Here is a look at my kit:

I tend to pull my kits with the theme of the month at Sketch N Scrap in mind, and the theme for March is Over The Rainbow. That paired with the fact that when I was pulling my kit together we were sitting at about 0 degrees with 6 or 7 inches of snow, well, I was looking for anything bright and cheery! I just couldn't help myself!

Here is a look at the papers:

 Ooh! Just look at all of those fun, bright, happy colors! We have Pinkfresh, Echo Park, Crate Paper, and Pebbles are represented here, and I can't wait to dive in and play.

Here is a look at the embellishments:

When I am pulling a bunch of random embellishments, I always go a bit overboard. I have die cuts, enamel dot, washi tape, chipboard pieces, label stickers, wood veneer, and word stickers. I should have no trouble finding something to work with any project I make this month! But, that might not be enough so here are a few more things that I pulled:

I've talked about these boxes before - they hold the random little items that I haven't used on a project, or pieces from past kits that I have not put away where they belong. I have pulled two more to work from this month. At the end of the month, whatever I don't use,  I will then add to the color boxes I have sitting on my desk.

And, I wanted to add this cut apart paper and stickers since they match some of the papers in my kit (just in case I might need them!):

Since we are playing with all of the colors of the rainbow, I have added quited the selection of scraps and a few 6x6 papers to my kit. I would really like to use up quite a few of these guys!

Just looking at this pretty little pile of papers makes me smile!

Our focus item for March is alphas and I have pulled a few:

All of these alphas live in a basket that sits by my desk at all times. I should not have any problems finding one to match whatever I am working on.

I am ready to tear into this kit and make lots of pretties this month!

Head on over to Lisa's blog - My Creative Endeavors - to see the beautiful 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! Have a great day!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Sketch N Scrap February Throwback Challenge

Hello, hello! It feels like it's been a while since I made a post. Let's see if I can remember how!

It's time for the February 15th Throwback Sketch Challenge with a Twist at Sketch N Scrap. Here are the sketches that we get to choose from:

The twist is an acrostic challenge using the word HEART. We are to pick a scrappy item that begins with each letter in the word heart. Like for 'h' it could be hearts or hexagons, 'e' - enamel dots, embossing folders, Echo Park, etc.

Here is my layout:

I chose sketch #200 and flipped it to make it work better with my photo and I used my February kit for Lisa and Lori's Great Stash Bash. I love this Heartstrings collection from Simple Stories. The colors are so fun and it's not over-the-top Valentine's Day themed. This is a smaller collection with only 6 papers in it and I managed to cut into almost every paper for this layout. I think I may need to pick up another collection kit because I am not done playing with these fun papers!

This photo of Ada showed up in one of my Google Photos memories from February 1, 2019. I can't believe this photo is six years old! I can remember this day just like it was yesterday. I love the look on her face - her eyes staring off into the distance, the hint of a smile - I would love to know what she was daydreaming about!

To satisfy the acrostic challenge, I used - H - hearts, E - enamel dots, A - acrylic pieces, R - red, T - tags.

Here is a close-up of all of the fun goodies:

I had a bit of empty space in the photo and decided to add my title directly to my photo. I really need to remember to leave some empty space on photos more often. It's the perfect space to add a title or fun embellishment. 

Head on over to Sketch N Scrap for more inspiration for this challenge. I hope you have some time to play along!

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

Lisa & Lori's Great Stash Bash February 2025 Kit Challenge

Happy Saturday and Happy February 1st! It's supposed to be a beautiful day, and week ahead, feeling more like spring than the middle of winter and I am here for it!

The start of a new month means it's time for a new Lisa & Lori's Great Stash Bash 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 the recipe for February:

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

I have gone a bit rogue this month and have chosen two collections to work with. I haven't had either of these collections for very long, but they are what I am excited about using right now, and I had better strike while the iron is hot!

Here is my first kit for February:

This kit is full of the Heartstrings collection from Simple Stories.

Here is a better look at the papers:

I love the fun bright colors in this collection and almost all of the papers can be used for anything. Here is a look at the other side of the papers:

I love the pop of orange in this collection!

Here are the embellishments:

I only have the foam stickers and the sticker sheet from the Heartstrings collection, and even though that would probably be plenty of embellishments, I went ahead and pulled puffy stickers, ephemera, and cut-apart papers from Simple Stories' Sweet Talk collections, ephemera, and the 6x8 paper pad from their Heart Eyes collection, and enamel dots.

I also pulled a few "tools" I would like to put to use. I feel like I have been neglecting these items, so it's time to make an effort to pull a few out and use them!

Since this kit is full of hearts and love-themed things, I have pulled a few stencils, heart metal dies, and a heart punch. I am going to challenge myself to use these things on at least one project this month.

Here is my second kit:

This is Echo Park's Chilling With My Snowmies. We had a little bit of snow in January and I have a few photos I want to get scrapped. This collection is going to be perfect for that!

Here is a look at the papers:

And the "b" sides:

There are so many great patterns in this collection!

Here are the embellishments:

I have the sticker sheet, sticker book, and chipboard pieces from the collection. I also pulled a few random bits I found from an old Counterfeit Kit I had put together a few years ago. I added in pack of enamel dots, and the tools I pulled for this kit - snowflake punches and metal dies, and a snow (dotty) stencil.

I am also adding in the cut-apart papers. They will be great for fussy cutting and using in my project life album:

I may be using some of the back sides of these papers, too:

I am also adding a few stamps and metal word dies to try to use this month:

Our focus item is doilies. I don't have a big variety but pulled a few and I also added in my doily punch and metal dies:

I am ready to dig in and put this kit to use!

Head on over to Lisa's blog - My Creative Endeavors - to see the beautiful 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! Have a wonderful day!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Cutest Unicorn Cake Ever - Sketch N Scrap Mid-Month Challenge

Happy Friday! I hope your day is off to a good start! It's supposed to be super cold this weekend, which is the perfect reason to stay in and scrap and stitch!

Today I am sharing the layout I made for Sketch N Scrap's mid-month sketch challenge with a twist. Here is a look at the throwback sketches we choose from:

I chose to use the first sketch on the graphic - Sketch #48 from January 1, 2014:

The twist for this sketch challenge is to use papers over a year old, and I had the perfect papers in my January kit for Lisa & Lori's Great Stash Bash. All the papers I have used are from 2018 and 2019, and I'm pretty sure some of the scraps are older than that. I am happy to say that I only have four full sheets of paper left in my kit, and it's only the 17th! 

I love revisiting sketches I have already used and (maybe) changing things up a bit, like I did with this sketch. I omitted one of the photos and added an oversized cluster in its place. I also changed where the other clusters were placed because of this.

Here are a couple of close-ups:

I added flowers to the bottom of the heart to mimic the flowers on the cake. I also added a "6" to the heart for Ada's age at the time. I used all of the little colored circle die-cuts and stickers I had left. To be honest, there aren't a lot of stickers left on the sticker sheet that I will use. At the end of the month, I will decide if there are any I know I will use and get rid of the rest. 

The "unicorn" piece in the title was part of a die-cut. I think it said "Ride a unicorn," and I didn't want the whole saying, so I cut off what I wanted and threw away the rest. Gotta make those supplies work the way you want them!

I dug out some Close To My Heart clear gems to add a little sparkle around the clusters.

Be sure to stop by Sketch N Scrap to see which throwback sketch the design team picked for this challenge. I hope you find some time to play along with us!

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